31 Big Questions for 2021 Regarding People + Place

In 2020 we learned we can’t keep avoiding the big questions around social justice, climate change, and the future of our land, towns, and cities.

It was a challenging year for everyone. We learned that the big questions our society has been avoiding for decades could not be delayed any longer. The silver lining to all of the pain and tragedy is that more people are waking up to the multitude of challenges we face. People are looking around and asking, what can I do? How can I help? To start is easy. Take a look at all of the people who have been working on identifying solutions for these big questions long before many people cared about them. The next step is to figure out how you can contribute your skills and talents to begin tackling these questions.

7521 kicked off the year with 31 big questions regarding people + place for 2021. On January 2, 2021, 7521 began posting a photo each day on its instagram account (@7521photography) to highlight 31 big questions that will affect people + place in 2021 and beyond. These questions will guide 7521’s exploration of these topics throughout the year through the lens of urban planning and design, photography, and research. Along the way, specific questions will be explored further in collaboration with others in a cross-disciplinary effort.

The 31 big questions 7521 will highlight and explore in 2021

1. How can we reverse the separation of nature and cities for the sake of the climate, the planet, and our lives?

2. Will we go back to polluting our air as we did in pre-pandemic times?

3. How can we ensure sustainable and renewable infrastructure is equitably distributed to informal settlement communities?

4. How can we re-think the planning and design process so it is community-focused and collaborative?

5. What new forms of community engagement will be created and implemented in 2021?

6. How can we make effective types of space and place transformation transferable to other cities and communities?

7. How can urban farms continue to transform communities and build up civic engagement?

8. What role will microgreens and greenhouse agriculture play in feeding our growing populations?

9. How can communities increase biodiversity and rebuild ecosystems?

10. How can more communities connect rural agriculture systems with urban systems?

11. How can we focus more on post-wildfire recovery efforts?

12. How can we focus more on post-covid-19 recovery efforts?

13. What can we do to keep our small businesses in business?

14. How can we honor the people and business that were lost during the pandemic?

15. How can we build on the legacies of the places we lost?

16. How can we continue to share the stories of everyday people during the pandemic?

17. How can we honor MLK and support BLM in 2021?

18. What is my role in advancing anti-racism practices in 2021?

19. What is my role in advancing Asian representation in 2021?

20. How can we get back to creating dynamic public spaces?

21. How can we incorporate elements of place in a still socially-distant society?

22. How can we foster all-important spaces for communities to gather?

23. How can we retain placekeeping and support equitable development even in the midst of rapid growth?

24. What is the future of our urban centers?

25. What is the future of our small towns and neighborhoods?

26. What is the future of our roads?

27. What is the future of our transit systems?

28. What is the future of air travel?

29. What is the future of rail and cargo?

30. What is our action plan for transforming spaces to better represent people + place?

31. What impactful stories of people + place are we going to tell in 2021?

8 Categories

The questions are sorted into the following eight categories:

1. Cities and nature

2. Existing places

3. Future of transportation

4. Growth and equitable development

5. Local businesses

6. Personal stories and storytelling

7. Placekeeping and public spaces

8. Planning, design, and community engagement

How you can support and contribute to these questions

These questions cannot and should not be tackled alone. There are already many organizations and institutions researching these questions. 7521 will explore these questions alongside others throughout the year. If you are interested in supporting and contributing to these questions, reach out here. Collaboration and cooperation are essential if we are to identify and foster solutions that fit the parameters of each city, neighborhood, and community. At the heart of these explorations will be people + place. #PlanGreatCities