Brookings will present new data for each study area on foot traffic, retail amenities, and retail leakage. Brookings will also present qualitative findings related to destination placemaking, with a particular focus on uplifting arts, culture, and history.
This virtual session aims to:
See inside the “Main Street” approach and be able to articulate the principles in theory as well as challenges in practice.
Understand best practices for strengthening existing cultural and historical assets.
Connect placemaking solutions with the challenges discussed in earlier sessions (crime, homelessness, parking).
Passcode: qZ6s=J!J
Guest Presenters:
Jha D Amazi - Principal, MASS Design Group
Jha D leads a portfolio of projects including the Public Memory and Memorials Design Lab, where she leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to shaping spaces of memory that confront historical injustice and imagine futures of repair. By designing memorials, monuments, and public spaces that honor untold stories and histories, she believes we can create opportunities for learning, dialogue, action, and joy. Since joining MASS, Jha D has led some of the firm’s most iconic and culturally resonant projects, including The Embrace, a memorial to Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Boston Common, and the Gun Violence Memorial Project, a traveling installation honoring lives lost to gun violence. Her design leadership continues to elevate the national conversation about how monuments and memorials can embody love, accountability, and community action.
Christopher Kroner - Principal, MASS Design Group
Christopher Kroner believes that design is for everyone and sees architecture and urban design as a daily practice of outreach. His work explores ways of regenerating the urban fabric using both new construction and adaptive reuse.When he joined MASS in 2017, Christopher co-founded the Hudson Valley Design Lab in Poughkeepsie, which harnesses the unique assets—physical infrastructure, cultural heritage, and local leadership—of smaller cities to propel their revitalization. For the last several years they have operated a storefront design center on Main Street in Poughkeepsie that has worked to foster collaborative partnerships of young people, civic organizations, and public leaders, and to build spaces that promote economic development, youth empowerment, and environmental resilience.
Isaac M. Cooper – Founder & CEO, IMC Financial Consulting
Isaac M. Cooper is the founder and CEO of IMC Financial Consulting, LLC, a Birmingham-based firm redefining what accessible wealth management looks like for individuals and communities across all income levels. Grounded in the company’s core philosophy—Exposure. Education. Execution.—Cooper leads a national team that builds generational wealth strategies rooted in practical application and cultural relevance. Cooper is also the architect behind the IMC Financial Freedom Project, one of the country’s leading financial empowerment initiatives. Originally launched in Birmingham City Schools, the project has now expanded to four states and is supported by major financial institutions. It serves K–12 students, faculty/staff, and parents or caretakers, using culturally relevant curricula aligned with state standards. Beyond business, Cooper has demonstrated lasting civic leadership. He served as the youngest- ever Chair of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a designated National Monument, and continues to serve as Chair Emeritus.
Jason Foster - President and CEO, Destination Crenshaw
In his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Destination Crenshaw, Jason is responsible for the nonprofit's administration and operations, the construction of the project’s parks, open space, and infrastructure, and the organization’s finances. He also serves as the organization's point of contact for public agencies and key community partners. Jason holds a B.A. in business administration and finance from Howard University and an MBA from the Metropolitan College of New York. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (Beta Chapter), a founding member of the Beta Chapter Alumni Association (501(c)3), and the Beta Chapter Investment Club. Jason is also a member of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board and UniteLA board.