The Placemaking Round-Up
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
The Biweekly Bazaar
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
Editor's Note: Register now for the 12th International Public Markets in Milwaukee, WI, taking place June 12-14, 2025. This in-person gathering will feature inspiring speakers from around the world, networking sessions, mobile workshops, market tours, and more! After that, ticket prices will increase to a late rate—so don't wait! Spots for each workshop and tour are also limited, and our hotel blocks are first-come, first-served.
On Friday, June 13th, 2025, the second day of the 12th International Public Markets Conference, attendees will attend breakout sessions, where they will learn from market practitioners, advocates, and educators from around the world. Our team curates the session themes to focus on the most pressing market issues and exciting strategies applied to markets of all types and sizes.
The Call for Proposals cast a wide net and welcomed submissions on any topics related to markets that recognize the transformative influence of public markets. It attracted 55 proposals from eight countries, and the final topics provided a snapshot of some of the most important trends in the world of public markets today.
Each session will include a Q&A segment, offering an excellent opportunity to spark lively discussions within the group. This year’s conference in Milwaukee, WI, will include 10 panel sessions, three skills workshops, and three “short talk” lightning round sessions that capture the issues that matter most to our audience. In particular, four key trends emerged from the proposals:
Read on to learn more about how these key themes show up in the work of market leaders around the world.
As cities of all sizes face the growing challenges of equitable economic growth, inclusivity, and community cohesion, public markets must keep up with the pace. To be successful, markets must intentionally learn from, and adapt to, their changing neighborhoods to ensure they are continually supporting their communities physically, socially, and economically. In several conference breakout sessions, we will see how some markets are responding to their changing contexts so that the market and the community can prosper together.
Public markets often face challenges with shifting audiences and population growth—ongoing and evolving elements of urbanization. Cameron Dale, Manager of the Kitchener Market in Ontario, Canada, will take us through ways in which he and his team are navigating growth and densification, particularly in an area undergoing rapid redevelopment. Key topics that will be addressed are strategic stakeholder engagement, crisis management, customer loyalty, vendor retention, and leveraging growth opportunities to attract new customer types, all while strengthening your market’s role in the community.
Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, WA, recently conducted a master planning process to ensure financial sustainability for its thriving nine-acre historic community of farmers, shop owners, restaurateurs, craftspeople, buskers, residents, social service providers, and operations staff. The panel of speakers will consist of Sulin Carling from HR&A, Allegra Calder from BERK Consulting, Evan Bourquard from Mithun, and Rachel Ligtenberg, the new Executive Director of the Pike Place Market Preservation Development Authority, who will share how they plan invest in Pacific Northwest food life to support farmers, re-attract locals, and improve tenant curation and programming.
ByWard Market, one of Canada’s oldest public markets, is embracing transformation to stay relevant in today’s evolving urban and economic landscape. A presentation led by the Market’s General Manager, Melanie Anderson, will explore how it has adapted its operations, programming, and public spaces, after drawing on lessons from various studies. Learn how ByWard is addressing challenges such as heritage preservation, vendor diversity, stakeholder engagement, and community-driven innovation. London's Borough Market, a historic site dating back a thousand years, has also adapted to sustain relevance and continue thriving, transforming from a struggling wholesale market into a popular food destination. Shaun Johnson from Borough Market in London will cover how the Market attracts millions of visitors annually by blending traditional vendors with modern food offerings, and drives visitorship through social media.
With the pressing day-to-day demands of daily operations, market evaluation often gets knocked down on the list of priorities for public markets. However, markets of all ages, shapes, and sizes need data to both inform internal practices and communicate impact with external audiences. This is the topic of the skills workshop led by Amanda Edmonds, owner of Beehive Strategies and founder of Michigan-based nonprofit Growing Hope, and Amanda Shreve, Executive Director of Michigan Farmers Market Association. The workshop “Market Evaluation Planning” will explore how markets are assessing their impact and using data to better understand their value. Participants will use data collection templates and tools to sketch out their own evaluation plans, and give feedback to others. Discover how collecting and analyzing data can help your market communicate its worth to the public, streamline operations, and allocate resources more effectively.
In the session, “The Big Picture: Maximizing Impact and Insights Through Evaluation of Market Systems,” we will learn how data can help us curate vendors, products, and services, uncovering opportunities for growth and better serving the community. As part of the session, Kristin Krokowski, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Farmers Market Association and Commercial Horticulture Educator at the University of Wisconsin Madison Extension, will share how understanding Milwaukee County's demographics and data collection reveals the unique strengths and identities of its farmers markets.
Market managers must keep pace with the dynamic nature and the complex needs of their vendors and customers. We’ll take a look at some new tools and techniques that effectively address these needs, enabling businesses to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
John Bird, Director of Market Management and Operations of the Corporation for Findlay Market in Cincinnati, OH, shares the inner workings of the Findlay Market Shopping App. The app is an innovative platform designed to provide equitable food access by supporting SNAP benefits and partnering with community organizations. Learn how it supports underserved communities while driving sales for local farms and merchants, and discover how small businesses can leverage it to expand nutrition assistance programs and maintain product control.
Gina Cassara, Market Vendor Manager, will lead a short talk on a few programs that Boston Public Market has been implementing to streamline operations for sales reporting and marketing. She will share why the market chose to implement these programs and the pros and cons of each system.
Sharing your market space with community partners is a great way for a market to become a true community destination that is mutually beneficial for all. Bryanna Johnson, Market Manager at Lawrenceville Farmers Market in Pittsburgh, PA, will present on how they have fostered relationships with outside community partners to welcome the use of their space for outreach, turning the market into a multifunctional gathering space that allows a rotating selection of community partners to share resources and provide education opportunities to shoppers.
With the onset of more frequent natural disasters, public markets, especially those in open-air settings, need Emergency Action Plans.
Join Taylor Choy, Chief Operating Officer at Chicago's Green City Market, and Kim Zeuli, CEO of The Feeding Cities Group, in a workshop on creating an effective action plan for open-air markets. The session will explore how markets can tap into their existing strengths to play a critical role in response and recovery, and it will equip market organizers, vendors, and stakeholders with the knowledge and resources to respond confidently in the face of all types of emergencies, from severe weather to handling active assailants. This skills workshop will also explore ways markets can partner with other local institutions to play a key role in community resilience and sustaining food systems following a disaster.
Click here to see the current conference schedule for featured speakers, breakout sessions, social events, and more—check back as we add more to the schedule!
Chock full of information, these sessions are just a portion of the packed three-day event. Breakout sessions are “sandwiched” between the first and last days of the conference. The conference will officially kick off on Thursday, June 12th, at the historic Pritzlaff Building, with an energizing opening plenary, and will close on Saturday, June 14th, with a reception at the exciting Zócalo Food Truck Park! In between, attendees will enjoy an opening reception at Milwaukee Public Market and venture out on mobile workshops and tours, exploring a dynamic network of public markets and spaces.
We're excited to reconnect with market leaders, advocates, organizers, government officials, and educators to explore how these themes and topics will intersect with the work of our conference attendees. And we look forward to these conversations strengthening our shared commitment to building a fair food system, inclusive economies, and social cohesion through public markets.
We’re looking forward to meeting you in Milwaukee! Be sure to register for the 12th International Public Markets Conference soon!
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