many possible cities

Industry City, a major centre for cultural production in New York, La Friche la Belle de Mai, an ex-tobacco factory in Marseille that has been converted into a multifunctional public space, and Kings Cross, a London borough which has become a new hub for culture and creativity. Comparing urban regeneration strategies put into action in these three international cities.

With Kendall Tichner (Industry City, New York), Johan Nicolas (La Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille), Adam Thorpe (UAL – Central Saint Martins, Design Against Crime, London). Moderates Marco Tognetti (LAMA – Developing change)

Kendall Tichner

Urban Planner ‘Industry City’, New York

With a passion for urban planning and agriculture, Kendall spent 10 years transforming abandoned factories into bustling campuses for creatives and entrepreneurs. She launched Industry City and Mana Contemporary and consults on other urban mega projects, including Ponce City Market and Chelsea Market. She is the founder of the Collision Project, an art platform that facilitates queer and marginalized artists to exhibit large-scale work in public spaces. Kendall lives in Los Angeles, where she is working a new space for urban agriculture called Wild Captives while continuing her real estate consulting. She is a photographer, artist, and plant enthusiast.

Johan Nicolas

Deputy director de La Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille

Johan Nicolas, 47 years old, is deputy director in La Friche La Belle de Mai. He’s graduated from Institut d’Etudes Politiques d’Aix en Provence and have a master of cultural organization management. Since 1996, he works in different territorial contexts and different organizations that cross cultural, social and local development issues. He joined la Friche la Belle de Mai in 2008. He is in charge of financial management and human resources. He participates in the coordination of the governance and the strategic thinking on the development of the place and the project.

Adam Thorpe

Professor UAL – Central Saint Martins, co-director of the Design Against Crime Research Centre, London

Adam is Professor of Socially Responsive Design at Central Saint Martins College, University of the Arts London (UAL). He is Co Director of the Design Against Crime Research Centre and Coordinator of the UAL DESIS Lab (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability). His research activities are practice-based and explore the role of design in meeting societal goals and challenges.

He is Principle Investigator of the Public Collaboration Lab, a public social innovation lab focused on service, social and policy innovation at a local level. The mission of the lab is to leverage the synergies between the operational objectives of local government and the learning objectives of design education so as to support citizen engagement and collaboration in finding place based solutions to local challenges. He has written extensively on open and participatory socially responsive design processes.