Presentations and Workshops
Systems Change Strategies for Regeneration
Matt Biggar, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of Connected to Place, presents and facilitates workshops on shifting power, transforming land use, and resetting culture to change systems. The Place-Based Systems that emerge shape how we live and regenerate nature, community, and local wealth in the process. Nonprofit leaders and staff, government leaders and staff, community advocates, educators, business leaders, and anyone interested in making our regions, cities, and communities sustainable, just, resilient, and thriving will come away with ideas and insights to advance their important work. See the presentations and workshops #1-3 for more details.
Place-Based Collaboration
Matt presents and facilitates workshops on developing, implementing, and adapting Place-Based Collaboration using examples from coalitions, collaboratives, and collective impact initiatives that we have helped develop, implement, and evaluate. To address the complex problems we face today, we can no longer afford to waste time in silos. Place-based collaboration brings together social sector, community, and other stakeholders to build collective power and change systems. Through a shared vision, aligned systems change strategies, and other essential conditions, place-based collaboratives equitably improve communities and the quality of life within regions, counties, and cities. Matt helps audiences learn how to build, implement and adapt these collaboratives for maximum engagement and systems-level impact. See presentations and workshops #4-6 for more details.
Speaking Engagements
Making Place-Based Systems Change Happen (co-presenter). San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative. May 2024.
Making Place-Based Systems Change Happen (Panel). Collective Impact Action Summit. May 2024.
Place-Based Systems Change: Regenerating Nature, Community and Local Wealth. Well-Being Economy Alliance of California. February 2024.
Keynote Panel. Environmental Youth Leadership Summit. San Mateo County, CA. October 2023.
Transportation Systems Change Strategies. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, CA. September 2023.
Shifting Power, Culture and Land Use for Collective Well-Being. Burlingame Rotary, Burlingame, CA. March 2023.
Systems Change and Streets. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, CA. March 2023.
Systems Change Strategies. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, CA. September 2022.
Building Community Authority in Place-Based Collaboration. Collective Impact Forum Podcast. September 2022.
Built to Win: From Collaboration to Impact. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, CA. June 2022.
Strategic Place-Based Collaboration. San Mateo County Safe Routes to School, CA. December 2021.
Planning for Collective Climate Goals in San Mateo County workshops. Thrive Alliance, San Mateo County, CA. September, October, and December 2021.
Designing Place-Based Systems for Collective Well-Being and Designing Community-Led Systems Change. University of San Francisco School Department of Art+Architecture, Design Program. October 2021.
Place-Based Collaboration. Animal Conference, Oklahoma City, OK. August 2021.
Place-Based Systems: A Framework for Local Climate+ Planning and the Role of Collaboratives. San Mateo County Regionally Integrated Climate Action Planning Suite (RICAPS), CA. June 2021.
Taking Local Action and How Strengthening Connections to Your Place is Better for You, Your Community, and the Environment. Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA. March 2021.
Living Locally: How Strengthening Connections to Place is Better for You, Your Community, and the Planet. Citizens Environmental Council. Burlingame, CA. September 2020.
Place-Based Collaboratives, 2015-2019
Matt presented at the national Collective Impact Convening, Children & Nature Network International Conference, North American Association for the Advancement of Environmental Education Conference, California Outdoor Engagement Coalition Gathering, Stanford University Social Ecology Lab, and Presidio Graduate School of Business. Topics included building strategic networks and collaboratives, research insights on collective impact, elements of effective place-based networks and collaboratives, and cross-sector partnerships with school districts.
Behavioral Science, Sustainability and Transportation, 2013-2017
Matt presented at the Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (3 times), Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative, and North American Association for the Advancement of Environmental Education. Matt led a workshop at SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, and a webinar for Net Impact. Topics included how social context, community design, education, and other conditions shape our everyday life choices; and how these choices and lifestyles are influenced by different human needs, past experience, and competency in performing specific behaviors.