The document discusses creative placemaking and how it can strengthen communities. Creative placemaking involves using arts and cultural strategies to shape the physical and social character of neighborhoods. It can drive economic development and new investments, seed civic engagement, build community resiliency, and contribute to quality of life. Some ways it can achieve these outcomes include anchoring neighborhoods with cultural institutions, activating public spaces, planning spaces, and "fixing" vacant or blighted areas. Successful creative placemaking requires partnerships between arts organizations, local governments, and other community partners. Examples of funded Our Town projects demonstrating creative placemaking impacts are provided.

1. Jason Schupbach
Director of Design Programs

2. our town
local government
THE ARTS AND
PLACE?

3. our town
local government
Jobs
Transit
Safety
Enviro
Schools
Businesses

4. our town
local government
SOCIAL OFFERINGS

5. our town
local government
SOCIAL OFFERINGS
OPENNESS

6. our town
local government
SOCIAL OFFERINGS
OPENNESS
AESTHETICS

7. our town
local government
Jobs
Transit
Safety
Enviro
Schools
Businesses
Arts

8. our town
local government
Jobs
Transit
Safety
Arts
Enviro
Schools
Businesses

9. our town
local government
CREATIVE
PLACEMAKING

10. our town
local governmentIn creative placemaking, partners from public,
private, nonprofit, and community sectors
strategically shape the physical and social
character of a neighborhood, town, city or region
around arts and design activities.
- Markusen, A. & Gawda, A (2010) Creative Placemaking

11. Strengthening
Economic
Development
Seeding Civic
Engagement
Building
Resiliency
Contributing to
Quality of Life
Drive economic
development
Drive new
investments
Create new
access points to
participation
Connect
community
Create stewards
of place
Shared sense of
the future of a
place
Help re-establish
normalcy
Generate new
community assets
Provide psyco-
social relief
Create new
amenities
Increase access
Increase
attachment to
place
WHAT CREATIVE PLACEMAKING CAN DO

12. Anchoring Activating “Fixing” Planning
Acting as the key
institution in a
neighborhood
Provide
community
identity
Generate area
foot traffic and
business
Bring the arts
(visual and
performing) to
public spaces
Make public
spaces more
attractive,
exciting, and safe
Re-imagine use
of spaces
Beautify vacant
and blighted
spaces
Connect people to
opportunities and
one another
Engage
community
stakeholders
Solicit community
input and
suggestions
Rapid prototyping
and iterative
design
HOW CREATIVE PLACEMAKING CAN DO IT

13. our town
local government
NEA’s $$

14. our town
local government
PARTNERSHIPS

17. OUR TOWN
Community Mural Project - Dave Lowenstein Artist, Sioux Falls Arts Council

18. our town
local government
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
+
ARTS ORGANIZATION

19. Our Town Grants

20. 374 partners
5 State Arts Agencies: OR, WV, NC, DC, UT
28 Local Arts Agencies
151 arts partners
our town FY13 partnersOur Town FY14 Partners in 66 Grantees

21. Our Town FY14 151 Arts Partners
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Visual Arts
Traditional and Folk Arts
Theater & Musical Theater
Music & Opera
Museum
Multidisciplinary & Presenting
Media
Literature
Local Arts Agency
State Arts Agency
Design
Dance
Arts Education
Artist Communities

22. Nonprofit Organizations:
• Senior Citizen Organization
• Arboretum
• Development/Community Reinvestment
• Environmental
• Historic Preservation
• Land Planning (Main Streets)
• Libraries
• Religious
• Recreation/Tourism
• Scientific
• Youth Development
Education:
• Private K-12 schools
• School districts
• Universities/Colleges
Government:
• Non-arts local, state and federal
agencies (transportation, housing,
parks, etc.)
Local businesses:
• Banks
• Construction firms
• Farms
• Galleries
• Hospitals/Health Care
• Newspapers
• Energy Company
• Restaurants
• Real Estate Developers
Other:
• Business Associations
• Business Improvement Districts
• Foundations
• Hotel Association
Our Town FY14 Other Partnerships

23. Our Town FY14 Project Types
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Asset Mapping
Creative Industry
Community Design
Creative Entrepreneurship
Cultural Facility
Public Space
Cultural District Planning
Festival/Performance
Other Arts Programming
Public Art
Total 66

24. ArtsQuest SteelStacks
Bethlehem, PA
Levitt Pavillion Courtesy of ArtsQuest, photos by Ryan Hulvat

25. ArtsQuest SteelStacks
Bethlehem, PA
The Bridge by Elena Colombo Courtesy of ArtsQuest, photos by Ryan Hulvat

26. ArtsQuest SteelStacks
Bethlehem, PA
The Bridge by Elena Colombo Courtesy of ArtsQuest, photos by Ryan Hulvat

27. Nashville Opera Association
Nashville, TN

28. Harmony Center
Milwaukee, WI
Rendering, La Dallman Architects

30. Wormfarm
Farm Art – Dtour Reedsburg, WI

31. Wormfarm
Farm Art – Dtour Reedsburg, WI

32. Wormfarm
Farm Art – Dtour Reedsburg, WI

33. Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park
Wilson, NC
our townA collection of Vollis Simpson's whirligigs. Photos courtesy of Burk Uzzle

34. Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park
Wilson, NC

35. our town
CultureBlocks
Philadelphia, PA

40. Q + A
POP at DanceAfrica DC 2013. Photo © Enoch Chan