Guillermo Bernal is the Director of Lugares Públicos, a Mexican nonprofit organization who conducts community outreach programs in public spaces that create more strong and sustainable communities.

He is a Fellow of Project for Public Spaces and Fundación Placemaking México. Guillermo is frequently invited to conferences and seminars around Latin America to speak about Placemaking and Community Sustainability and has conducted more than 30 participatory urban planning projects in Mexico. Guillermo has a master's of science degree in urban studies from the Free University of Brussels.

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Latin America’s public spaces are ones of contrast. There are places that support strong local economies and cultural traditions, but ubiquitous new developments have arisen that do not tap into these local treasures, aiming only at engagement with the larger global market.

Guillermo supports the creating of the Placemaking Latin America Movement. A network of advocates that share values to create places from the people. The network share experiences and knowledge for creating sustainable places around the region.

Test a broad range of programming ideas; some ideas will work some will not. The important part of Placemaking is the process, not the result. Creating a successful place is more about feeling than a technique, but be methodical and have principles.