Mini Summit 2026 The Power of a Pilot

The virtual part of Mini Summit 2026 took place on June 24th, 2026. This session was hosted by Kenzie McRae from Federation of Calgary Communities Good Places Project. Session Overview: In this session, participants explored the potential of community-led placemaking initiatives in fostering community connections and resilience. Participants worked through an ideation exercise and envisioned ways to build community capacity by piloting fresh ideas. Participant Key Takeaways: The power of identifying places to connect with others. The definition of a pilot and how a pilot can apply to people's work. Observing people's behavior (example people moved temporary chairs into areas of shade under trees) can be as valuable as asking people directly. A pilot allows space for this observation that people are interested in comfort, shade and flexible spaces they can move. Pilots create great evidence for future funding, allow adaptation based on community feedback and learning what works before large investments. It is inspiring to hear how small projects/small changes can have big impacts. Ex. temporary community spaces, book clubs, outdoor gathering areas, public seating, programming that activates existing spaces Community transformation doesn't always require large investments. Small, accessible ideas often create lasting impact. There are some great resources available for inspiration like the Placemaking Playbook https://goodplaces.calgarycommunities...