Piloting Place
The revitalization of cities has commonly been associated with large-scale investments and mega projects that are complex to finance, permit and build and can take several years to come to fruition. In this post, I speak with Derek Manns, co-founder of Stagehand to unpack another dimension to city revitalization - site activation strategies that allow for experimentation and recalibration over time.
photo credit: Stagehand
Cities are complex and there is constant evolution. If a major project like a sports arena, events centre or performing arts centre takes several years or even a decade or more to get approved, financed, designed and finally built, we will likely see some bumps in the road getting from concept to completion.
There will also be recalibration required along the way. Once the project is complete, it is impossible to predict how it will be received by the public, how people’s attitudes or behaviours might shift and where some adaptation may be needed.
Instead of waiting so long to begin the revitalization process, what if we could start now by implementing ‘soft’ approaches, such as retooling existing spaces, placemaking and cultural programming? This would allow us to experiment, gain user feedback and recalibrate the experiences of the places we intend to create. All the while, gaining valuable insight that will help inform the longer-term project and shape how people will engage with it.
Speaking with Derek Manns - co-founder of Stagehand, a technology platform that connects local musicians and artists to non-traditional venues to animate public spaces – he believes short-term, nimble activations may hold clues to revitalization.
I am a tech entrepreneur and in the tech world, we often think in terms of hardware and software. The new iPhone 13 is an example of hardware, whereas software is the operating system and applications that run on it. It is the software that drives the majority of the experience that a user has with a piece of hardware.
The current approach to revitalization is very ‘hardware’ driven. It focuses on multimillion dollar projects with the underlying assumption being that if you build it, they will come. But the world has changed.
Derek argues that similar to Airbnb and Uber, we need a ‘software’ driven approach to revitalization. While the hardware (construction project) is going through an upgrade, we need activations that curate the user experience. To revitalize the city, Derek believes we need to pursue a two pronged approach that includes both hardware AND software. The approach can be applied in a variety of situations – revitalization of existing spaces, empty lots, catalytic projects such as sports and conference facilities, phased mixed-use redevelopments, airports or even an entire downtown.
"...Uber, the world's largest taxi company, doesn't own any vehicles... Airbnb, the world's largest accommodation provider, doesn't own any buildings... something interesting is happening."
Tom Goodwin
As a Calgary local, with the Arts Commons Transformation project quickly getting underway and recent news of the $634m Events Centre on indefinite hold, Derek can’t help but think of all the possibilities to reinvigorate the downtown through a software-driven approach.
Pre-pandemic, Stagehand worked with the Calgary airport to launch a live music program that featured local artists performing in the terminal. Airports can be stressful places and they found that having musicians performing live provided a human element that was unexpected, appreciated and soothing. In the 12 months before the pandemic they hosted over 1800 performances (more than Nashville!), and the program was loved by travelers, musicians and the airport staff.
“The arts are not for the privileged few, but for the many. Their place is not on the periphery of daily life, but at its center…”
J.D. Rockefeller
In the alleyway behind Calgary’s 17th Avenue, Architecture firm Kasian designed and developed The Backyard, in partnership with the City of Calgary. It transformed an underutilized space into an intriguing experience for local residents and visitors, including a multitude of temporary activations such as patios, food vendors, movie screenings, artists, performances and live entertainment.
photo credit: Anastasia Kircheva Photography
Derek is currently working towards an initiative piloting his software to program downtown spaces through the City of Calgary. He mentions he had long been a proponent of activating Calgary's extensive +15 network with live music, but also knows that some places will likely not work for any number of unanticipated reasons… no problem, a few clicks and we are off to the next space. Says Derek:
Let’s program the spaces that already exist to make downtown a place where people want to live, work and play. Culture doesn’t just happen at festivals, theatres and special events. We need to find creative ways to bring culture into the everyday. The downtown is already full of +15’s, office tower lobbies, retail, coffee shops, urban parks, pedestrian malls and more. This “hardware” is the proverbial equivalent of spare rooms to Airbnb, but it needs to be programmed in a consistent and methodical way.”
To summarize, let’s quickly look at some of the benefits of integrating both software (activations) and hardware into the revitalization process:
1. The software of place is relatively quick to organize, is inexpensive and can be curated
We spend countless hours designing the experiences within facilities that take years and millions of dollars to build. What if we designed a similar level of experience into our existing urban spaces using soft activations, such as live events programming and activity-based models?
2. Like software, space activations are nimble
This software can both enable existing spaces and build anticipation for upcoming, built projects. Lets face it, we all look forward to a cool new piece of hardware! Piloting place requires experimentation and recalibration over time. Not every experiment works. But interventions are low risk. At least we have the chance to adapt. What is more, there is valuable data that can be derived from these experiments into the feedback cycle.
3. Open-source networks empower people
Airbnb has enabled thousands of people with spare rooms to rent to both behave like and compete with hotels. Eventually, with the right open-source platforms in place, networks can enable those with space to activate to behave like talent bookers and event specialists.
Derek Manns is the Co-Founder and CEO of Stagehand, a platform that makes it easy for businesses to connect and work with cultural assets to improve experience and activate public spaces.
Will Craig is a Principal and the global chair of the Lifescape team for architecture and design firm Kasian and founder of Placeonomics.
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