Jonna McKone profiles various public art projects across the U.S. and Canada, showing that participation in such projects indicates that some residents are taking an increasingly vested interest in the cities they live in.
City dwellers seem to be taking the welfare of their communities into their own hands more than ever these days, as indicated by a slew of "do-it-yourself" campaigns popping up from Portland to New York. Many of the programs aim to get residents to care about their city by involving them directly with changes to the built environment. Some city governments have even started offering small grants to local groups and organizations wishing to beautify and revitalize micro-areas with meaningful artwork, street furniture, or landscaping:
"These types of projects are tactile, unlike a lot of abstract digital tools. What we can really see and grasp with our urban hands is what makes an immediate difference, especially in high-crime neighborhoods or areas with vacant buildings. The Project for Public Spaces says good public spaces - from markets to corners to intersections - jump start local economies, encourage volunteerism and tourism, attract investments, lower crime rates, improve pedestrian safety and public health, increase the use of public transportation and improve the environment."
FULL STORY: Public Art, Public Space and Great Places
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
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