The Vision is Yours 2026: Placemaking Placekeeping Conference

As a special pre-conference opportunity, attendees are invited to join the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation for a lecture by Elena Madison, Director of Programs at Project for Public Spaces.
This session will explore placemaking as a critical tool for creating vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities.  Join UMD students, faculty, and community directly following the lecture for a reception in the Architecture Building Great Space. 

This event will take place in the Architecture Building Auditorium located at 3835 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742.  Please consult the UMD Parking Guide for up-to-date campus parking instructions. 

Further information and event details are available here.

We begin the conference by grounding ourselves in why we gather: to strengthen communities through design, creativity, and collective action.

The morning will open with a screening of music videos featuring local musicians, created by filmmaker Antonio Hernandez, celebrating the creative energy of our region. Following the screening, we’ll share welcome remarks and hear from our agency partner, the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.

Keynote Speaker
Jay Pitter, author of Black Public Joy, public space practitioner, and urban planning professor will lead a thought-provoking talk on Public Joy: The Missing Infrastructure for Civic Life. Drawing from her work, Jay will explore how public joy functions as essential infrastructure and what it asks of today’s community design practice.

The session will conclude with a Q&A, followed by brief conference-wide announcements to prepare you for the day ahead.

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This plenary is made possible through the generous support of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

This video reflects contemporary cultural expression from the region and includes some explicit language.