In May, the City of Boston brought together designers, community leaders, developers, city officials, and academics in a unique two-day event, the IDeAS: Innovative Design Alternatives Summit. The kick off featured a plenary panel focusing on how innovative design can contribute to the quality of life in Boston, and was followed by a day-long summit at which Andrea Leers was a panelist on the “Who We Are” session.

The summit helped initiate an inclusive, interactive visioning process, to imagine the collaborative planning process, and to learn how citizens and visitors will experience Boston’s physical and cultural environments in the years 2020 and 2030.

IDeAS has emerged in response to the design challenge raised by Mayor Walsh in his December speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, in which he encouraged developers and the design community to “reach beyond [their] comfort zone” and “take design to a new level” to build inspiration into Boston’s emerging urban landscape.

Organized by the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and Boston Society of Architects (BSA), the events are free and open to the public. Interested attendees are encouraged to register for one or both days.