Can outdoor concerts transform a neglected place into a beloved city center? "Creative placemaking" is trendy now, but Levitt Pavilions, a national non-profit, has been making places vibrant by building outdoor concert venues for seven years now.
Site Specific spoke with Liz Levitt Hirsch, board chair for Levitt Pavilions and the President of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, about the organization's revitalization strategy. "In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, we helped transform the nation’s largest brownfield — on the grounds of the defunct Bethlehem Steel — into an incredibly vibrant arts campus," says Hirsch in the article. "What was once dirt and weeds and prohibited from use, is now a state-of-the art performance venue and a grassy lawn that the community uses throughout the year. And in Arlington, Texas, the Levitt has brought record-breaking crowds to the once-dormant downtown area. So many people visit the Arlington pavilion each year—over 120,000 people during the concert season alone---that numerous businesses and restaurants have popped up to support the foot traffic. It’s been a boon for the local economy."
Hirsch says that pavilions are currently in development for Denver and Houston.
FULL STORY: Using Music to Create Community
Creative Placemaking a Boon for Underserved Communities, Report Says
The work of Chicago urban planner and developer Theaster Gates provides a proof of concept in a new report from the Urban Land Institute.
Communicative Arts Academy: Rebuilding Compton for Artists and Community Life
In the 1960s-70s, a group of artists called the Compton Communicative Arts Academy renovated buildings across Compton and transformed vernacular, underutilized structures into venues for and objects of art.
Creative Placemaking's Role in Enhancing Community Safety
Efforts across the country show that these projects have the added benefit of improving community safety.
The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.
Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.
Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.
Denver Makes ADU Rules More Flexible
The city hopes adjusting its regulations for accessory dwelling units will make the process more affordable for residents and help ease the city’s housing crunch.
Illinois Legislators Pass Controversial I-55 Road Expansion Legislation
Legislation to enable the addition of express toll lanes on Interstate 55 in the Southwest Side of Chicago, opposed by environmental justice advocates, cleared the Illinois General Assembly last month.
What Is ‘Arterial Rapid Transit?’
Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.
Caltrans
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
