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ULI Atlanta Member Spotlight: Kyle Reis, Principal, Director of Planning at Cooper Carry
From planning communities to planning soccer drills, we spoke with Reis about his passion for design, involvement in ULI and giving back.
June 24, 2019
ULI Atlanta staff
What do we mean when we say, “the public realm?” That is a question the leaders at ULI Atlanta have been asked countless times since we introduced the award category, Excellence in the Public Realm, during last year’s annual awards program.
As a team at ULI Atlanta, we have a unique perch of getting to listen to, learn from and work with leaders across almost all disciplines that determine how cities get built. We have collectively learned so much about a multitude of different topics, but few topics have challenged, inspired and expanded our thinking more than how we think about and invest in the public realm.
Looking back over the last eight-plus years, ULI offers a few highlights from various programs and partnerships that may inform what Excellence in the Public Realm looks like and why it matters:
As ULI Atlanta is approaching its 25th year in celebrating Development of Excellence Awards in the Atlanta region, we reflect on why we hold the awards program: to elevate projects, people and places that advance the mission of promoting the responsible use of land to build healthier, thriving and more sustainable communities. That’s why we think Excellence in the Public Realm should be selected by you—the public! The project which receives the most votes will be recognized at ULI Atlanta’s 25th annual Awards Dinner on September 12, 2019.
Excellence in the public realm includes celebrating parks, open space, public art and thoughtful infrastructure. Last year, we recognized the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail — a pivotal investment in the Southwest and Westside neighborhoods of Atlanta that constitutes more than 40 acres of greenway, providing a direct connection from surrounding neighborhoods to four area parks and four local schools.
Investing in public spaces matter because they create a sense of place – connecting us to our neighbors and giving us a creative sense of vibrancy, culture, history and identity. As Theaster Gates said, “Don’t be afraid to expand who sits at the table.” This is a vitally important lesson in how to make a place better.
Atlanta, what inspires us? What do you want to see more often? We would like to open a dialogue about the public realm. Why does it matter? What does the public realm mean to you?
As we launch our People’s Choice Award for Excellence in Public Realm, we invite you to nominate the places you love —the places in between, the places you connect with each other, the places that make you proud of your city and community and the places that make your heart sing.
Here’s how the nominations process for the People’s Choice for the Public Realm will work:
For case studies and additional research on the benefits of the public realm, see ULI’s latest publication The Case for Open Space.
This article appeared in the June 24th edition of the Saporta Report.
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