Over fifty years ago, the Downtown Mall was created as one of the nation’s longest pedestrian malls, transforming the center of Charlottesville into a vibrant civic and cultural gathering place. Over the decades, the Mall has become the heart of the city—hosting festivals, music, restaurants, protests, celebrations, and everyday life—while also facing moments of profound challenge, including the Unite the Right rally.
As the Mall approaches its 50th anniversary, this conversation brings together Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders, Leslie Lynn Smith of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and Paul Beyer of the Tom Tom Foundation to reflect on the past, present, and future of this iconic public space. Together they will explore how the Downtown Mall has fostered community across generations, how it has responded to moments of crisis, and what opportunities lie ahead for the next fifty years of civic life in Charlottesville.
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Note: This Summit session is ticketed.
Please purchase your
tickets on Humanitix. You will then receive an email from Sched with login information that allows you to make your personal schedule.
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A special thank you to our sponsors: The 14th Annual Tom Tom Festival is presented with the University of Virginia, Virginia Tourism, R.L. Beyer Custom Homes, Ludwig Kuttner, and The City of Charlottesville
