We highlight here 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!
- How to Create Vibrant Public Spaces: Encourage picture worthy places – ByWard Market’s “Ottawa” sign is extremely popular among tourists and has contributed to creating a new plaza with moveable seating and opportunities for small-scale events.
- The New Wave of Smart Cities: These new smart cities are getting communities and universities involved, alongside big companies and city authorities. This has helped shift the focus of smart-city projects onto the needs of residents.
- The Dignity of Local Community: We make policy without asking the people most impacted by the policy…. Looking at the poor, the homeless, and saying, “Here’s a way to become more like me.” Rather than, “Maybe I could restructure society to value what you value more”.
- How Cities Help (and Are Helped) by Bees: When it comes to bees, it is important to remember that there is a wide range of species. The native ones (often stingless), are the ones that we should be most concerned about protecting because they pollinate their surroundings the most.
- From Pop-Up to Permanent: Through a community engagement process, the vision grew into a permanent square located at the corner of Grand River, one of downtown’s five radiating arteries, and Cass Avenue. The park serves as a gateway to downtown, and includes a circular open lawn that is the largest in downtown Detroit—giving residents and workers room to run, play, relax, and recharge.
