A Place in the World 2011

A Place in the World: Geography, Identity, and Civic Engagement in Modern America, March 11-12

For most of human history, "place" was something simple and obvious, central to one's identity. That is no longer true today. But have we grasped the full implications of that change, and its consequences for our lives? "A Place in the World" was a unique conference held in a unique place, Los Angeles.

A Place in the World Conference postcard - Pepperdine University

Featured Speakers:

Christine Rosen
Senior Editor, The New Atlantis

Witold Rybczynski
Martin & Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism
University of Pennsylvania

Yi-Fu Tuan
J.K. Wright and Vilas Professor Emeritus of Geography
University of Wisconsin- Madison

Practitioner Roundtables featuring:

Rick Cole, City Manager, City of Ventura
Jim Keene, City Manager, City of Palo Alto
Karen Baker, Secretary of Service, California Volunteers
Ted Winterer, Planning Commissioner, City of Santa Monica
John Kaliski, Principal, Urban Studio LA
Daniel Iacofano, Principal, MIG, Inc.

A distinguished array of speakers addressed the following topics:

Mobility and Membership
Cosmopolitanism and place
Building a Place: The Shape and Scale of the Good Life
Is Los Angeles a Place?
The Public's Role in Defining Place
Public Engagement: A Chance to Build Community in the "New Normal"?