What Placemakers Need to Unlearn: Why Regenerative Places Demand a Different Mindset
Regenerative placemaking is an approach to shaping places that prioritises long-term social, cultural and environmental health, not just short-term activation, footfall or commercial performance. It looks at how places can continue to give back to the people and communities who use them over time, rather than extracting value and moving on.
In this talk, Maryline Esteves explores why many well-intentioned placemaking efforts struggle to deliver lasting impact, and what needs to shift for places to truly regenerate. The session looks at the mindsets, behaviours and assumptions that quietly hold places back.
🔍 Who This Sessions Is For
This is a practical, reflective conversation for urbanists, developers and place leaders who want to design places that last, not just places that launch.
👤 About the Expert Speaker
Maryline Esteves is a strategist and placemaker working at the intersection of people, brand and place. Through her practice, Cura, she works internationally to create places that are socially, culturally and environmentally regenerative.
She advises developers, local authorities, BIDs and architects on people- and planet-positive placemaking, from early vision and strategy through to activation and long-term stewardship and measurement. Her work focuses on regeneration that builds lasting social and cultural value alongside commercial success.
🎤 Moderated by Anastasia Sukhoroslova, Founder & CEO of All Things Urban
With over a decade of experience in the urban sector, she works on urban careers, learning programmes, and expert-led conversations with professionals and institutions worldwide.
🌍 About All Things Urban
This session is organised by All Things Urban, a leading global career and knowledge platform connecting urban professionals, organisations and institutions working across planning, placemaking, mobility and urban transformation. Through talks, courses and community-led events, All Things Urban creates space for critical conversations about how cities are shaped, and for whom.
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