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!

• What Makes a City Lovable: “A great walk evokes all sorts of memories, emotions, and random associations. The sensory memory of the feel of a place under your feet, the smell of its air, the tinge of the lighting, associated with the people you’ve known and loved there. A walk through a lovable city brings out the love in us.”

• Ten Trends to Impact the Arts in 2020: “Artist collectives are forming powerful political bodies, which are eliciting great work and manifesting political, organizational, and field shifts.”

• Can Art Fight Fake News?: “’Is there anything stronger than fear?’ The audience responded popcorn-style, shouting out suggestions: love, grief, loss, and anger.”

• Britain’s Bold Plan for High Speed Rail: “While the use of the fastest tracks all the way has not yet been fully confirmed, high-speed rail could revolutionize north-south travel in England, shaving an hour off the journey time between London and Manchester and tripling the current capacity of trains along the route.”

• Legalizing Play in City Streets: “It makes absolutely no sense to have this ordinance on the books which criminalizes the behavior of children that is extremely natural.”