Luisa Bravo joins Green Building Convention speaker lineup
Public space activist Luisa Bravo will tackle a critical question in shaping the cities of tomorrow: "Who owns the city?" at the Green Building Council of South Africa's (GBCSA) upcoming Green Building Convention, 2-4 October at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town. Bravo will unpack the concept that when we talk about public space - intended to be a space for democracy, social justice and equity - we are also talking about people.
Image source: research.qut.edu.au
“We are honoured to welcome Bravo to the convention and we believe that she will bring exceptional value to our delegates on this pertinent issue.
“Space and people are strongly intertwined. Whatever we are building, it is with the view of creating spaces for people to live, work, learn and play in. That is why great emphasis will be placed on people at this year’s convention,” says GBCSA CEO Dorah Modise.
In addition to her work as a public space activist, Bravo is a global academic scholar, educator and social entrepreneur. She has more than 15 years’ experience as an urban planner and designer with a specific focus on public spaces. Her expertise is grounded in extensive academic postdoctoral research and teaching in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Australia.
Bravo is also the founder and president of City Space Architecture, a non-profit organisation, that aims to study, make, share and spread public space culture. She frequently collaborates with the UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme and her lecture “Stand Up for Public Space!” has also been included in the UN-Habitat Global Urban Lectures series (2017) – one of their most shared online outreach initiatives.
“It is our collective responsibility as the built environment sector to shape cities of tomorrow that are greener, healthier, sustainable, inclusive and vibrant. The convention is an opportunity to learn and share how we go Beyond and effect change for the benefit of people, who are ultimately at the heart of what we do,” Modise added.
