Free public lecture: Love as the prime force in the economies of cities, by Larry Beasley

Title: Love as the Prime Force in the Economy of Cities – Equities of the Heart for Urban Competition

When: April 3, 7 p.m.

Where: SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings St. (Harbour Centre). Room 1420

Cost: This event is now sold out, but we have set up a live webcast. Free with registration. Register here.

This talk by Larry Beasley will look at the city not as a situation of functionalities and efficiencies, or even as the nexus of sustainability – but rather as a facilitator of preferred human experience that underpins those more obvious outcomes. From this perspective urban competition is not so much about growth and jobs strategies. It is about the arts, architecture, culture and heritage as factors of placemaking that touch a spiritual side, offer complete community life and convert sustainable urban solutions into delightful urban offerings. Vancouver, other Canadian cities and international exemplars will be showcased.

Larry Beasley

Larry Beasley is the retired co-director of planning for the City of Vancouver. He is the founding principal of Beasley and Associates, an international planning and urban design consultancy, and a distinguished practice professor of planning at the University of British Columbia.

Larry Beasley now teaches and advises on urbanism around the world. Recent notable work includes completion of an award-winning plan for the expansion of Moscow in Russia, completion of an influential strategic organizational plan for the Toronto Planning Department and curation of an international design competition in Dallas for the integration of downtown and its river. Initially studying architecture, Larry Beasley has degrees in geography and political science and planning. He has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Simon Fraser University and Dalhousie University. He is a fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners, an honorary member of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and sits on the board of the Canadian Urban Institute. In 2007, he received the Kevin Lynch Prize from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Order of Canada and has also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

This talk is part of the final class of Canadian Cities through Art and Design – a Canada 150 celebratory course offering of Simon Fraser University. 

Co-hosted by the Urban Studies Program, Department of History and The SFU City Program, with the sponsorship of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, as part of its Canada 150 program.