From Arts to Placemaking: What Burning Man Can Teach Us About Great Cities

Given growing concerns about Coronavirus, this April 16^th event has been postponed. We are committed to rescheduling this event and will keep all current ticket holders updated on our plans. If you are holding tickets for this event, they will be honored when the event is rescheduled.

Every year, a massive urban design experiment occurs in the desert about a hundred miles north of Reno, NV. Black Rock City, home to 70,000 Burning Man participants, is one of the largest cities in the state—for nine days, at least. This temporary community is built from the ground-up, and subsequently dismantled, each August for a week-long festival of music, art, and self-expression.

The City’s design features essential infrastructure—including a bike- and pedestrian-friendly street grid—community services, and distinct neighborhoods filled with music halls, art installations, and public gathering spaces. While the creation of Black Rock City involves rigorous planning in the year leading up to the festival, Burning Man residents are heavily involved in the imagining and creation of the community.

What can local leaders and planners learn from a city that remakes itself every year? Join the BU Initiative on Cities and the BU Arts Initiative on April 16, 2020 from 6:00-7:30pm at WBUR CitySpace for a panel discussion featuring staff, artists, and past residents of the Burning Man project, as they share their experiences and perspectives on the dynamic nature of Black Rock City.

Featuring:

Victoria Mitchell, Associate Director at the Burning Man Project

Aaron Taylor Kuffner, Artist

Marlon Williams, Assistant Director, Public Sector Innovation at Living Cities

Tiziana Dearing (moderator), Host of Radio Boston