Yesterday, we ran a Guest Opinion from Kirk Vartan regarding community engagement.

Here’s a list of some of the great events coming up, compiled by Kirk Vartan:

Placemaking with Retail – a panel discussion on the use of retail in new development to activate a place

TODAY, May 4 (Thursday) – 7:30 to 9 p.m., City of Santa Clara Council Chambers

A panel discussion featuring Steve Eimer (executive vice-president of Related Companies), Deke Hunter (president of Hunter Properties) and James Chung (executive manager director, Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Brokers), along with moderator Edith Ramirez (economic development director for the City of Morgan Hill), who will explore what cities can do to promote the use of retail in placemaking, including a discussion of the City’s vision for redevelopment along the El Camino.

Placemaking New Neighborhoods – a panel discussion on how new housing can meet future needs and shape our community

May 11 (Thursday) – 6:30 to 8 p.m., City of Santa Clara Council Chambers

A panel discussion featuring Rob Steinberg (chairman, Steinberg Architects), C.J. Gabe (assistant professor in environmental studies & sciences at Santa Clara University) and John O’Brien (senior director, retail estate  at Nvidia Corporation), who will explore the role of new housing development in shaping neighborhoods, which contribute to placemaking in Santa Clara.

Winchester NAC – Volar (200’+ building) presentation and discussion

May 17 (Wednesday) – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Cypress Senior Center, San Jose

Learn about what is happening at Santana Row with a unique and tall building in the area. It will provide ground floor retail, commercial office space, over 300 apartments, and a top-floor restaurant. The developer will be here to present the project and answer questions.

Panoramic Interest’s MicroPAD – Affordable Housing Week

May 12-17 (Fri-Wed) – Castro St. and Mercy St., Mountain View

This is an opportunity to see what a luxury and efficiently designed micro-unit looks like and feels like. The unit will be on display and available for you to enter and experience.

Placemaking in Santa Clara

May 18 (Thursday) – 6:30 to 8 p.m., De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real

A keynote presentation by Professor Chris Calott, award-winning architect, urban designers, academic and real estate developer and Robert and Millicent Lalanne Chair of Real Estate Development, Architecture & Urbanism and co-chair of the Master of Urban Design Program at the University of California, Berkeley.

Win6/Agrihood/BAREC (Santa Clara Sustainable Residential Project) EIR Scoping meeting

May 22 (Monday) – 6 to 8 p.m., City of Santa Clara Council Chambers

Amendment to the existing Planned Development Zoning of the 5.8-acre site to allow the construction of a residential mixed-use development consisting of: up to 419 mixed income housing units, 165 affordable senior apartments, and up to 25,000 square feet of supporting commercial uses, and approximately 1.5 acres of agricultural and open space. Approval of the proposed PD Rezone Project will require actions by the City of Santa Clara, including the preparation and certification of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

The Power of 10+: Project for Public Spaces leads a citywide visioning workshop

June 10 (Saturday) – Time/location TBD, Santa Clara

Led by Project for Public Spaces. Cities succeed or fail at the human scale – the place scale – and this scale is often overlooked. The Power of 10+ shows how paying attention to the human experience when building a city’s destinations and districts can have immediate and widespread impacts. The idea behind this concept is that places thrive when users have a range of reasons (10+) to be there. These might include a place to sit, playgrounds to enjoy, art to touch, music to hear, food to eat, history to experience, and people to meet. Ideally, some of these activities will be unique to that particular place, reflecting the culture and history of the surrounding community. Local residents who use this space most regularly will be the best source of ideas for which uses will work best.