Cities@Tufts Colloquium

Urban Thought Leaders. Inspiring Conversations.

Shareable and Tufts University Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning co-present this ongoing free lecture series hosted by professor Julian Agyeman (chair of Shareable’s governing board). The Cities@Tufts Colloquium explores equity and diversity in urban planning & design and is made possible with support from The Kresge Foundation, Barr Foundation, Shift Foundation, and Shareable donors.

Podcast

Get caught up on every episode of the Cities@Tufts with podcasts, transcripts, and graphic recordings.

Videos

Don’t have time for a full lecture? Watch short clips on our Youtube Channel.

Events

About the Series

Lectures are held in both Spring & Fall semesters on Wednesdays from 12-1 pm (Eastern), featuring a 30-min presentation followed by a 30-min discussion. They are free and open to the public. Find upcoming lectures and recordings of past events below. In order to increase the accessibility of this content, Shareable produces a transcript, audio podcast, graphic recording, and video from each presentation. Please contact us with questions: info@shareable.net

Cities@Tufts is back: Spring ’23 Colloquium launches this month!

Shareable|January 11, 2023February 6, 2023

Cities at turning point: Will upzoning ease housing inequalities or build on zoning’s racist legacy?

Liz Enochs|February 3, 2021April 28, 2021

Zoned apart: How the US failed to share land but should start today

Neal Gorenflo|October 8, 2019September 28, 2020

Spring 2023 Lectures

Cities@Tufts lectures are hosted on Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT. We'll kick off the spring colloquia on January 25 with a lecture titled "Real Estate for Radicals" presented by Erin Graves. Each Cities@Tufts lecture features a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute discussion. In order to increase the accessibility of this content, Shareable will publish transcripts, audio podcasts, and videos from each presentation. And you can register below to join live! We’re grateful for the continued support from The Kresge Foundation, Barr Foundation, SHIFT Foundation, and contributions from Shareable readers like you to make this content free and available to all. Learn more about events in the series below and catch up on all past Cities@Tufts recordings here.

Countering Displacement through Collective Memory with Andrea Roberts

February 8th | 12-1pm EST This talk tracks the history of displacement and dispossession that has led to the destruction, neglect, or dismantling of communities initially designed to protect African Americans from structural racism. Then the author explains how these communities’ unique challenges require new planning and design tools to detect the interplay of historical and contemporary conditions contributing to the cultural erasure of African American placemaking.

Public Space: Paradoxes, Possibilities, and Propositions with Vikas Mehta

March 15th | 12-1pm EST This is a good time to focus our attention on public space. The climate crisis, the systemic social injustices, and the COVID-19 pandemic demand a rethinking of our largest shared territory. Public space has the capacity, at least in part, to address these crises by being envisioned and manifest as a humane space of community, restoration, and emancipation. In this talk, based on his latest book, Vikas Mehta presents a panoramic view of public space: the inherent paradoxes, as well as the immense possibilities and propositions for a more constructive public space.

Whose Diversity? Race, Space and Planning with Yasminah Beebeejaun

April 5th | 12-1pm EST Yasminah Beebeejaun is Associate Professor of Urban Politics and Planning at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. Her work is concerned with feminist and anti-racist approaches to planning theory and practice. Her articles have been published in many journals including Environment and Planning C, Journal of Planning Education and Research, Planning Theory, Planning Theory and Practice, and Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. She is co-editor of The Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City.

Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done with Steve Kadish & Barbara Kellerman

April 12th | 12-1pm EST Distilled into a four-step framework, Results is the much-needed implementation guide for anyone in public service, as well as for leaders and managers in large organizations hamstrung by bureaucracy and politics. This talk will invite Steve Kadish and Dr. Kellerman to discuss their book and other relevant insights into collaborative governance and change-making.

Co-Designing Publics: Radical Democracy and Transformative Urbanisms with Aseem Inam

April 26th | 12-1pm EST Globally, contemporary cities face seemingly insurmountable challenges such as urban inequality, inadequate infrastructure, climate crisis, and increasingly, threats to democracy. In the face of such challenges, Dr. Inam introduces the concept of "co-designing publics" by examining what lies at the potent intersection of the public realm and informal urbanisms. He contextualizes these discussions by paying particular attention to the cities of the global south because place matters in shaping urban thinking and practice. He concludes with thoughts on the profound implications of co-designing publics for radical democracy and transformative urbanisms.