Programs
Arts and Culture
Arts and culture plays a crucial role in supporting our vision by providing an organizing force for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to work towards strengthening neighborhoods, by revealing the authentic character of communities, and by connecting citizens with decision makers to collectively pursue smart, equitable policies and projects.
What is creative placemaking?
Creative placemaking or placekeeping is an approach that deeply engages the arts, culture, and creativity, especially from underrepresented communities, in planning and designing projects so that the results better reflect and celebrate local culture, heritage and values.
Creative placemaking isn’t just about beautification. It’s a strategic approach that integrates arts and culture into the planning and design of transportation infrastructure.
Healing divisions and building power
Smart Growth America champions creative placemaking because it fosters:
- Meaningful Engagement: Move beyond traditional public meetings! Creative approaches spark dialogue, particularly in underrepresented communities, ensuring diverse perspectives are heard.
- Community-Informed Design: Local voices and cultural knowledge are incorporated into the design process, resulting in transportation infrastructure that’s user-friendly and reflects the community’s character.
Systems change through culture and creativity
By integrating art and culture, creative placemaking fosters:
- Enhanced Public Spaces: Transportation spaces transform from purely functional to welcoming and vibrant public areas that promote community pride.
- Equitable & Inclusive Systems: Creative placemaking leads to transportation systems that are accessible and cater to the needs of all.
An ongoing process
Creative placemaking in transportation fosters stronger public engagement, creates more equitable and inclusive systems, and ultimately enhances community well-being and a sense of place.
Our technical assistance programs are designed to be collaborative and engaging, and we collaborate with communities of all sizes.
