reSITE starts this Wednesday

On Wednesday, June 18th, the 3rd edition of the reSITE festival will start at the newly opened Forum Karlín, which from June 18th to June 21st will bring together many prominent domestic and global personalities from the business, architecture, municipal politics, culture, non-profit sector, and engaged public to discuss and seek paths to a city where everyone can live well. The organizers believe that anyone can help the city and improve its appearance, functionality, beauty, and everyday atmosphere within their capabilities.

The reSITE organizing team has managed to bring real experts from every field, many of whom will be presenting in the Czech Republic for the very first time. All have experience with creative and impactful urban changes. “Sometimes only a little is needed, and the atmosphere of a city can change beyond recognition. The High Line in New York is a park that arose from the conversion of an old elevated railway from the 1930s that was threatened with demolition. It has become a vibrant public space where not only curious tourists spend their time but also New Yorkers themselves. Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul revitalized a stream that had been buried beneath sidewalks and roads for 40 years; legendary and great steps towards humanizing the metropolis include the Parisian beaches along the banks of the Seine and the transformation of part of Times Square in New York into a pedestrian and relaxation zone,” says architect and festival program director Osamu Okamura. “The speakers at reSITE have implemented dozens of such projects around the world, and we believe that their rich experiences can be a great inspiration for Czech and Moravian cities.”



The reSITE festival invites public interest as well. It will feature three exhibitions and the opportunity to participate in an evening series of Night Talk Shows, where industry giants like international urbanism expert and architecture critic Adam Greenfield or Margaret Newman, who replaced her position as the head of the New York City Department of Transportation with the executive director of the New York City Arts Coalition, will face a barrage of questions and discussions.

A creative and highly inspiring approach interlaces all parts of the festival. The professional conference is complemented by workshops, events in public spaces, exhibitions, screenings, informal conversations, and meetings with the main guests of reSITE, as well as a bike ride or video mapping… More information is available at www.resite.cz. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the event at Forum Karlín.

In addition to the professional part of the festival, two exhibitions in the festival center Forum Karlín focus on urban planning and the future of cities. The exhibition titled Thinking the City presents specific examples of the transformation of ten world cities, such as Paris, Lagos, London, São Paulo, Barcelona, and Bilbao. By using five main themes related to planning possibilities, city management methods, municipal administration intentions over time, context, and scale of interventions, it seeks to explore the reasons why it is essential to innovate city management and organization methods. The second exhibition WELTSTADT - Who creates the city? originated as a joint initiative of the Goethe-Institut and the Federal Ministry for the Environment of Germany. The exhibition revolves around the question – who shapes the future of the city? The third exhibition, which showcases transport strategies for Prague, is organized by the well-known association Auto*Mat. Thursday and Friday will offer local premieres of the unique documentary project My Streets Films. Created in London in 2011, this project, with elements of civic journalism, will appear for the first time in our country. My Street Films, in collaboration with reSITE, will screen three films featuring everyday, unexpected, forgotten, and shocking stories from favorite places by people who love their city.



Practical links

Conference registration - here (Representatives of public administration or non-profit organizations receive a discount on the entrance fee)
Conference program - here.
Overview of speakers - here.

WHAT IS reSITE?
The reSITE Festival is an international platform for sharing ideas and practical experiences for livable, competitive, and resilient cities.
reSITE focuses on public space from the perspective of design, culture, politics, finance, community engagement, and sustainability. Its aim is to set up a public dialogue about urban space and also to explore urban planning models that can inspire civic initiatives.
reSITE targets architects, politicians, urban planners, developers, landscape architects, planning professionals, innovators, transport specialists, engineers, economists, financiers, representatives of various communities, scientists, artists, students, and all those with an active interest in improving quality of life in the city.
reSITE was founded in 2011 by American urbanist Martin Barry. Architect Osamu Okamura, formerly the long-time editor-in-chief of the architectural magazine ERA21, became its program director.