01 Mar #TBT: 8 80 Copenhagen Study Tour 2015 Inspiration

“If we are conscious as decision makers about designing for people, and including people and place in the designing process from the very beginning, we can be successful and we can make the changes that are necessary -absolutely necessary- for our cities to grow in a more sustainable and intelligent way.” Raphael Clemente, Executive Director West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, 2015 participant

In 2015, 8 80 Cities designed and hosted the 8 80 Copenhagen Study Tour, funded by the Knight Foundation. The four-day study tour in Copenhagen, Denmark, included one one-day excursion to Malmo, Sweden. All 28 participants –city leaders from 13 US “Knight” cities– arrived with clear plans for improving public life and sustainable mobility in their cities.

Giving people a change of scenery has the effect of getting them to think outside the box and Copenhagen is the perfect setting to do so. And we wanted these Knight Cities representatives to think creatively about how to improve the public life of their cities.

Today we share this video as a way of reflecting on the importance of improving our cities based on the needs of their people.