April 30, 2019.    Boston: City as an Experience

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In addition to their roles as centers of industry and power, cities are also centers of human activity. From Austin’s SXSW to New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail, cities are increasingly finding their role as a platform for events, and building their brand as an instigator of celebrations.

 

Never before have creation and promotion experiences been so crucial to urban living, as these events are increasingly being used as a recruiting tool and in the production of a global identity, in addition to bettering the quality of life for its residents. In this session, we investigate how Boston is serving as a platform for events and experiences, big and small.

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Oct. 9, 2018.     Food

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While its original role was as a port, the Boston Seaport today is a vibrant neighborhood, filled with culture, people, and, of course, food. The third session of the salon series is a discussion on the ways in which we get our food today. Farmers markets abound throughout the city and restaurants tout their local food bonafides, but getting food to people where they need it, when they need it, in an economical way, and avoiding food waste, remains a challenge. 

 

In this salon, moderated by Cynthia Graber, host of the popular Gastropod podcast, the participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses in the current food landscape. Can technology solve our local food delivery and waste problems? Can companies do so while ensuring nutritious food for the people who have the least access to it? Where does the current system fall short, and what opportunities lie ahead?​

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May 24, 2018.    Urban Mobility​

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In its history, Boston has served as a laboratory for

mobility solutions. It was home to America’s first

Subway and ambitiously buried an Interstate highway

while it was still in use. Its historical ports and sailing

ships made the city a hub of trade, and its modern

parks and paths make us “America’s Walking City.”

Yet, how does Boston prepare for the transportation

challenges of the future when its first roads were laid

nearly 400 years ago? In the second session of The

Design Salons at Echelon, we investigate how Boston

will survive and thrive in light of technological and

social change, and question how the city will continue

to serve as a laboratory for creative mobility solutions.

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Jan 24, 2018.    Water: A Pipeline for Innovation

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Boston has long relied on water for its economic, social and physical vitality. From Long Wharf’s colonial stretch into the Harbor for an economy based on trade and shipping; to the damming of the Charles and the filling in the modern footprint of the city to create the spaces in which we live work and place; to research and startups that leverage water as a source of innovation and engineering marvels, our relationship with water has formed our identity in many ways. Water has been - and continues to be - a source of inspiration and change. 

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