09/25/2026
What makes a city human-centered?
What are the key areas to focus on: buildings, economic development, nature/parks, recreation, arts & culture, housing, transportation, circular economy, climate solutions/energy?
What are the key challenges? Who are the key stakeholders and how do you best engage them?
These are the questions (and more) several dozen folks explored during our “Human-Centered Cities: An Introduction” gathering last week at The Ellis in Newburgh.
We started with a panel discussion, moderated by Eli Walker, that included:
* Bill Fioravanti — Orange County Industrial Development Agency (soon to be with Regional Food Bank)
* Naomi Hersson-Ringskog — The Fullerton / Dept. of Small Interventions
* Paul Ellis — Newburgh Arts & Culture Commission
* Sarah Ritchey — David Burke Architects
Then we broke out into 3 groups self-identified as “dreamers, “planners,” and “builders” and to connect with each other and go deeper into these ideas.
We reconvened with a guided meditation to embody the discussions and visualize the type of city we want.
This was the beginning of a community of people who believe that the future of our cities should be healthier, more creative, more connected, and more sustainable. Stay tuned for more.