April 15
Placemaker Lab: Community Seminars
Designing Communities That Thrive
Time
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Heather Worthington, Urban3
Location
UC Merced on Main: 1635 M St, Merced
What makes a community financially resilient and built to last? In this dynamic session, Heather Worthington of Urban3 reveals how land use, infrastructure, and policy decisions directly shape long-term fiscal health and equity. Using powerful data visualization and real-world examples from across the country, participants will gain practical tools to evaluate growth, address historic disparities, and make smarter investment decisions. Thriving communities don’t happen by accident — they are designed with intention and built for lasting value.
Placemaker Lab: Community Idea Exchange
Time
9:00am - 4:00pm
Location
UC Merced on Main: 1635 M St, Merced
Placemaking 101: Understanding the DNA of Place
Daniel Hintz, Velocity Group
What makes one place thrive while another struggles? In this foundational workshop, Daniel Hintz introduces the core principles behind the “DNA of Place” — the interconnected elements that shape economic vitality, community identity, and long-term resilience. Participants will explore how land use, urban form, market forces, governance, culture, and capital interact to influence the trajectory of downtowns, districts, and regions.
Building Places People Love: An Introduction to New Urbanism
Mallory Baches, Congress for the New Urbanism
This session introduces the core principles of New Urbanism—a movement dedicated to creating walkable, inclusive, resilient, and economically strong places. Drawing on the Congress for the New Urbanism’s integrated approach to design and social equity, the program explores how urban form, policy, and community values work together to diversify neighborhoods, respond to climate change, and legalize walkable places. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how New Urbanism helps communities build places that support daily life, strengthen local economies, and foster a genuine sense of belonging.
Scaling Up: Connecting Local Places to Regional Economies
This session examines how local places succeed when they are connected to strong regional strategies. Through a California-focused lens, participants will explore the role of regional governance, coordination, and policy alignment in driving economic competitiveness and equitable growth. The session highlights how cities, counties, and institutions can move beyond siloed approaches to align local investments with regional priorities—strengthening opportunity, resilience, and shared prosperity across the region.
Egon Terplan, California FWD’s Regionalism Fellow & Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies
The Economics of Place: Land Use, Urban Form & Fiscal Health
Heather Worthington, Urban3
This session uses data-driven analysis to reveal how land use decisions and urban form directly shape municipal finances and long-term economic resilience. Participants will explore how patterns of development influence tax productivity, infrastructure costs, and return on public investment, and why walkable, mixed-use places consistently outperform auto-oriented development. The session equips local leaders with a clearer understanding of the financial implications of place-based decisions—and how smarter land use can support more resilient, fiscally healthy communities.
Plans That Perform: Turning Downtown Vision into Action
Brad Lonberger, Place Strategies
This session focuses on how communities move from aspirational downtown plans to real, on-the-ground results. Participants will explore strategies for aligning vision, policy, and investment so plans become practical tools for decision-making, development, and revitalization. Drawing on national examples and real-world experience, the session highlights how clear priorities, regulatory alignment, and targeted investment can guide sustainable growth and ensure downtown plans perform.
Selling the Experience, Not the Place: Authentic Destination Strategy
Matthew Avila, Hunden Strategies
This session explores how communities position themselves as authentic, experience-driven destinations through the alignment of tourism strategy, real estate investment, and economic development. Participants will examine the role of local and regional destination plans in guiding growth, shaping visitor experience, and coordinating public and private investment. The session also addresses the evolution of traditional marketing agencies into full-scale destination management organizations (DMOs) responsible not just for promotion, but for stewardship, experience design, and long-term value creation. Drawing on national advisory experience, the session highlights how destination strategy grounded in real places and local culture can strengthen downtowns, support local economies, and deliver sustainable tourism outcomes.