Constituting the public realm of a region: Placemaking in the bi-national Niagaras

Reconstituting the public realm of a region requires changes in the way it is imagined. This can be done through the use of professional skills to present images and analysis, creative forms of agency able to act in such a realm, and representation of alternative futures for public consideration. The regional public realm is a collective and abstract consciousness as well as a concrete reality. Working at this scale means maintaining a conversation between the imaginai and the material, and between professional and local knowledges. It requires the construction of loosely collaborative partnerships and the adept use of professional skills to selectively organize attention to possibilities for action.