2025 put me back in touch with global perspectives on placemaking and cultural infrastructure; perhaps the first full year of seeing the cultural scene return to something like normal since COVID, where we no longer worried about the number of people in a room and screens and outdoor spaces weren’t our only cultural venues. The work varied from laser‑focused problem‑solving to city‑wide cultural engagement and new models of arts commissioning. On reflection, the travel and the work itself have shaped a set of principles I’m carrying into 2026.