What brings energy, personality and vibrancy to cities, towns and mixed-use development projects?

At the heart of every great New Urbanist community master plan sits the classic Town Center.

The Urban Symposim will be held at the Thompson Hotel, Toronto, April 19 and 20, 2012.The Symposium will open on Thursday at 1pm for onsite registration with sessions scheduled from 2-5pm, with a working dinner and discussion at the Thompson Hotel

Dozens of business leaders gathered at Rochester's Radisson Hotel Wednesday afternoon to get ideas from outside experts on how to make Rochester a Great City.

Live Work Learn Play takes the time to get to know the operators, working with them to build their concept to ensure that destination establishments are being created.

Ever wonder what magic is needed to transform a charming historical downtwon back into a vibrant mainstreet attracting jobs, tourists and residents in the 21st Century?

It's a small wonder that Rob Spanier, vice-president of Live Work Learn Play Inc. in Toronto, is becoming known around North America not just as an implementer of ambitious community transformations, but as a motivating power in decaying cities.

Glassboro and Rowan applied and got a number of grants for planning, and then the town bonded for money to buy the properties, razing them over the next several years.

“Universities are realizing now if you don’t create this atmosphere, this vibrancy, your university is not going to be as attractive as it ought to be,” said Richard Martz, director of LiveWorkLearnPlay (LWLP) in Montreal.

The location and day of the week were recommended by Live Work Learn Play, with whom we worked to assemble a redevelopment framework for our center city. We are grateful for its foresight and the success that has ensued.