Providence is experiencing a rebirth, culturally and economically. This smaller city provides one of the best examples anywhere of how good design, innovative small-scale architecture, creative use of old infrastructure, and an urban planning vision can help smaller cities thrive. We will open the conference on Thursday, October 1st with a dinner and our traditional Member Slide Show (see details below) held in the recently-renovated Providence Public Library. On Friday, we will learn about how the city has evolved and where future planning and development is going. We will then visit specific projects downtown and on the ‘East Side’ at the Rhode Island School of Design and around Brown University. These projects illustrate ways to integrate new architecture into existing contexts; creating new places that make more of what already exists. We’ll host a cocktail party/petcha kutcha with local architects and craftspeople. Friday dinner is on your own allowing you to explore Providence’s terrific array of restaurants. On Saturday we will hear from two very talented local architects about the opportunities and challenges in making a difference in a smaller city. We will then explore highlights surrounding Providence, including visiting a house with Peter Bohlin - who will talk about “Locally Grown” design. Our closing dinner will be held in the RISD Museum. Also Saturday is Providence WaterFire - an urban event not to miss!!