Santa Fe Railyard Featured in 20|20 Visions Book
It is always such a delight when your hard work gets recognized— even more so when it is work that you are so fantastically proud of.
In my last few posts, I’ve been sharing details with you about the Santa Fe Railyard project, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary. This project demonstrates how creativity and democracy can come together in a truly impactful way; a monumental example of how communities can unite with a common purpose and create something beautiful.
And it appears we’re not the only ones to think so, as the Santa Fe Railyard project was recently featured in a stunning book by Charles Champion: 20|20 Visions, Collaborative and Placemaking.
Charles’ book is a critical read and timely exposition given the climate and housing changes every town and city faces, no matter the size. In addition to the Santa Fe Railyard, it discusses 19 other case studies that used democratic design principles as the basis for successful design in community.
When Charles graciously sent me a copy of his book in August of last year, he wrote something in his letter to me that I think sums up the project perfectly:
“Collaboration in planning and placemaking is essential to creating thriving, sustainable communities. 20/20 Visions gives practitioners and communities the inspiration and confidence to introduce collaboration in their planning processes, to add social, economic and environmental value projects and to produce better places.”
And he is absolutely right. Collaboration is critical as we move forward, and we must take it upon ourselves to come together on projects such as these if we truly want to shape our world for the better. Here in Santa Fe we have an excellent example of democratic design. We need to use the wisdom gained in our community for the issues facing us today using collaborative planning and charrettes. I invite you to find out more about 20/20 Visions and the fascinating projects it highlights at 2020VisionsBook.com. And please, if you read anything that inspires or motivates you, let me know on the comments or send me a note. I would love to hear from you.
