Sherry Kafka Wagner, leader in the field of urban design and the development of public places visited Santa Fe on October 30, 2012. Wagner spearheaded the massive River Walk project in San Antonio, Texas: a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, weaving through five miles of downtown San Antonio, and constituting a public park open 365 days a year. Lined by bars, shops, and restaurants, the River Walk engages both residents and visitors in the very fabric of the city.

Based on such examples as the River Walk and New York’s High Line, a public park built on an historic elevated rail line on Manhattan’s West Side, Wagner presented a workshop and a talk on The Long View, exploring ways to sustain community support for transformative urban projects over the extended periods—sometimes decades—necessary to their realization.