My Take-away from 2014 Fall National Town Builders Association Conference

From October 24 to 26th 2014, I attended the National Town Builders Association conference for the first time. I was very glad to be there. I was able to meet experts and successful professionals in the town building and development field. I am also grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to the conversations and the ways of thinking that are different from my background in terms of viewing community building. I have been trained to think from the sociological function and aesthetic point of view. The peers at the conference presented their knowledge, insights and experience in real estate investment, political implementation, team building, and so on.

I have been to and presented at several national academic conferences. And now I am thrilled to have the opportunity to listen and learn from the other side of the story: the professionals and practitioners. Academia is a great environment to extract theories from experiments or consider a specialized field in an "ideal" environment. On the flip side, the professionals are the practitioners, who view things realistically and make things happen. They put budget and a strong team together, and conquer obstacles along the way. Each side, academic or professional, has its pros and cons.

Academic Visionary Thinking vs.
Professional Puzzle-solving Thinking
(graphic by author)

It was a great opportunity to learn from this group of experts and professionals. I am also excited to continue working on the project at Hot Springs Village with our own Placemaking team members, and those who will join and assist us in the future.

Group Picture of Fall 2014 National Town Builders Association Conference