Introduction

Working on creative placemaking projects is as much about the journey and the process as it is about the end result. We know that when artists and culture bearers work in partnerships with local governments and community development organizations that there are impacts on all levels of development with increases in: community voice and trust in project processes, community economic development, place vitality, equitable solutions to entrenched problems, and many others.

We also know that road to get there does not always follow the traditional orientations and processes that are followed by municipalities and community development organizations. In many ways, this is where their power lies - but it’s also where the process of creating these partnerships can feel confusing or challenging. In these pages we outline many of the project steps that have been identified and as critical steps along the way. We’ve pulled together some of the top resources in the field that can help you navigate these areas of practice as well. Since every creative placemaking project is different, there is no “one stop guide” that one can pick-up and follow, but there is a vast amount of experience and reflection available from creative placemaking practitioners that can be tapped into, and that can serve as guideposts along the way.

Enjoy the process of co-creating community projects with new partnerships - that’s where the magic lies.

Links to Networks and Key Organizations

If you’re looking to network with like-minded practitioners, here are some good places to connect:

The field of creative placemaking is continually growing and developing. If you’re interested in diving in deeper, here are some additional organizations to follow who share a similar focus on this particular intersection of practices: