#rpDetroit Speaker Lauren Hood: From Placemaking to Placekeeping

Born and raised in Northwest Detroit, Lauren Hood brings an authentic perspective to community engagement and equitable development. Passionate about the city's cultural heritage, Hood has spoken and written extensively on “Preserving Black Space” and facilitates dialogues on race for area non profit organizations.

In her talk “Access Ain’t the Issue” at re:publica Detroit Lauren Hood speaks about the failure of placemaking in Detroit and demands a shift from placemaking to placekeeping.

In one word, what does access mean to you?

Equity.

From your experience, what are challenges regarding access to Urban Space in Detroit?

There are real and “imagined” barriers for entering urban space in the city. For many, transportation is an issue – one out every four of households in Detroit do not have access to their own vehicle and Detroit's public transportation system has been ranked America’s worst. But beyond just getting there, perceptions about inclusion keep people from showing up, with people considering how their behavior might be monitored or restricted, and how one might be treated by others in the space.

What are you looking forward to most at re:publica Detroit?

I'm looking forward to the exchange of ideas with people from other places.

You can find Lauren's speaker profile here and her keynote here.