What: “Place Science: Loving Where You Live and Why It Matters to People, Places and Local Economies”

Where: Hutchinson Art Center, 405 N. Washington St.

Contact: Wendy Skellenger | wendy@hutchcf.org | 620-663-5293

The place we live has always influenced every aspect of our lives. But in today’s world, its influence is expanding to it now being a key determinate in both our individual and overall place success. This development has caught the attention of leaders who now realize their growing dependence on place quality in ways they never before imagined. It is not surprising then that placemaking — optimizing place quality — has been identified as potentially one of the most transformational ideas for cities in the 21st century.

Building from recent visits from the Project for Public Spaces and Strong Towns to help Reno County better understand how we can strategically invest in our public places that will lead to local economic growth, Hutchinson Community Foundation is proud to partner with Hutch Rec and Young Professionals of Reno County to welcome Dr. Katherine Loflin, The City Doctor, to present “Place Science: Loving Where You Live and Why It Matters to People, Places and Local Economies,” the place science and placemaking framework.

Place science is the study of the relationship between people and a city, and placemaking is the strength-based strategy by which places are optimized in key areas to foster that relationship for the benefit of people and places.

Following her talk, local resident-led examples will be highlighted to mine lessons learned and impact, as well as further opportunities to apply the place science framework locally.

Loflin is an award-winning, internationally recognized trailblazer in place science, earning her the moniker of The City Doctor. She has held leadership roles in some of the most groundbreaking place science projects and research in the world. She is the author of “Place Match: The City Doctor’s Guide to Finding Where You Belong,” principal of her own global consulting practice with over a decade in service, and a two-time TEDx speaker on place science. She has a Ph.D. in social work with a concentration in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, she served as program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami, Florida, where she guided the foundation’s annual investment of millions in the areas of civic engagement, nonprofit capacity building, program evaluation, community foundations, disaster relief, and city-specific grantmaking.