Our Friday update here at kickstART farmington highlights some great articles we’ve read this week dealing with art, creative placemaking, and building great communities. You’re sure to find some inspiration to make your life and our community even better!

1. On Partnerships Between Business and the Arts: Employee art shows, concerts, or other artistic challenges … are a great way to involve employees and show businesses that the arts are a breeding ground for innovation and problem solving in both individual and team settings.

2. Designing Urban Spaces for People: (U)rban areas … need to be redesigned around a new set of values, one that … accommodates automobiles in an environment dominated by people. It is people that create value.

3. Getting Back on Our Feet and Moving: Public art on the theme of walking serves as a reminder to take a stroll. Artists design crosswalks, trail signs and gateways to walking paths that capture people’s imaginations. 

4. On Older Buildings and Neighborhoods: Established neighborhoods with a mix of older, smaller buildings perform better on a range of economic, social, and environmental metrics than do districts with larger, newer structures.

5. Cheer on Reading in Dallas is a cool initiative to install 50 Little Free Libraries in that city. We love books and libraries and would love more of this in our community.