Ali Butcher knows the built forms of our cities expose something about our values and priorities. In his TEDxJacksonville talk,  Redefining Space: Creativity and Sustainability in the City, Butcher first examines the shared historical narratives of Jacksonville and Vancouver, BC, and then charts where the cities’ values and growth patterns have diverged.

Butcher challenges us to pursue a new urban fabric for Jacksonville: one where public art is enshrined in our development policies; where transportation planners reevaluate the primacy of the car; where innovative, sustainable design and a sense of connection are prized; and where we reconnect our minds and bodies into the landscapes that inspire and sustain us.

Butcher challenges us to pursue a new urban fabric for Jacksonville: one where public art is enshrined in our development policies; where transportation planners reevaluate the primacy of the car; where innovative, sustainable design and a sense of connection are prized; and where we reconnect our minds and bodies into the landscapes that inspire and sustain us.

About Ali Butcher

Alasdair (‘Ali’) Butcher is a geographer, historian, and city enthusiast from Vancouver, Canada. After graduating from the Geography Department at the University of British Columbia he took his passion for urban topics to the streets, founding Vancity Detours and guiding people through the lesser-known neighbourhoods and histories of the city.  In 2011 he joined with Tour Guys Vancouver, a collective of story tellers, history nerds, and pop-culture buffs who revel in exposing locals and visitors alike to Vancouver’s unique brand of urbanism. He is particularly interested in how the changing physical form of the city reveals the changing values and priorities of its inhabitants. In his spare time he enjoys hiking mountains, eating off-cuts, and fostering a psychotic whippet Chihuahua.

About TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)