WORKSHOP: Community-Centered Design: Engagement, Trust, and Placekeeping

Community-centered design is not a single engagement phase. It is a way of practicing that begins with listening, builds trust through transparency and shared decision-making, and carries community priorities through planning, design, approvals, delivery, and long-term stewardship. This one-hour AIA credit seminar will explore how architects, developers, planners, and local government officials can move beyond conventional outreach toward design processes that center lived experience, local culture, and durable community benefit.

Drawing from Gensler’s Cities and Urban Design focus on resilient, inclusive urban environments, master planning, public space design, implementation strategies, and collaboration among developers, agencies, and communities, the session will frame engagement as a critical project delivery tool, not just a public-facing activity.