BIO
Lindsay Fischer is a Placemaker and Urban Planner working in the realm of public space and urban design. She holds a Masters of Planning from the University of Calgary (2014) as well as a Masters of Science in Urban Placemaking and Management from Pratt Institute (2019). Fischer has been widely recognized for her accomplishments and commitment to public realm design in both Canada and the United States. She was the recipient of both a Mayor’s Urban Design Award (2015) and a National Urban Design Award (2016) for her work on The Bench Project, which she co-founded. Fischer also secured a $300,000 innovation grant from Calgary’s City Council to design and build a “pocket park” along a popular mainstreet. Completed in the fall of 2019, this project was recently recognized by the Mayor's Urban Design Awards with an Honourable Mention. In 2018, she was selected as the Architectural Fellowship for the Public Realm at Perkins Eastman as a direct result of her accomplishments in the field. This position allowed her to further develop her graphic and visual communication skills. Fischer maintains a professional membership with both the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Alberta Professional Planners Institute.
ARTIST
STATEMENT
Lindsay Fischer works at the intersection of placemaking, urban design and planning. Inspired by creative solutions to engage populations and quality designs that lead to improved urban lifestyles, Fischer focuses on “lighter, quicker, cheaper” responses to issues currently facing cities in North America. Her work on The Bench Project highlights her commitment to community-oriented design solutions. This project incorporated the design, creation and anonymous dissemination of classically constructed benches to local businesses across Calgary. The brightly colored benches included “love notes” to their new owners, encouraging them to adopt the bench that was “made for you with love,” which was tagged on each bench. Other tactical urbanism projects, including actions such as covering a public tree with candy canes during the holiday season, hanging “Get Well Soon” balloons on trees that had broken in a heavy wind storm, and posting “Did you see this?” posters with tear-able “Yes” tabs, show Fischer’s playful approach to engaging local residents in a way that provokes thoughtful consideration of their urban environment, while still being light-hearted and approachable. In producing these moments of joy, Fischer’s work draws attention from the media in addition to local residents. Her work has been covered by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the Huffington Post, the Monocle, the Calgary Herald, CTV, and Metro Calgary, among others.