Recently, “placemaking” has become a buzzword among policy makers, foundations, and community activists. As public institutions reduce their involvement in the arts, culture, and education, private stakeholders have stepped in to address communities’ needs for inclusive public spaces. These spaces, ranging from small children playgrounds to entire arts districts, are ideally conceived in dialogue among communities, public policy agents, interested businesses and non-profits, and others. This panel will discuss how to activate “creative placemaking” initiatives, and how to balance communities’ mobilization (or lack thereof), the top-down approaches of policy-makers, and the profit drives of urban developers.
Panelists: Dr. Ann Markusen (University of Minnesota), Victoria Rogers (Knight Foundation), Roberto Rovira (Florida International University).
Moderator: Dr. Ariana Hernandez-Reguant (Tulane University)