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As a new year begins, so does an opportunity to create a vibrant, new gathering spot in your community. This is an updated re-post from the very early days of the blog. It is an introduction to placemaking and hopefully will encourage you to become engaged with a project in your neighborhood.
Do you know a spot in your neighborhood that could use a little love and TLC? Maybe it’s an empty lot with overgrown weeds, or a beloved park or waterfront that has lost its luster and where no one goes anymore because there is no reason to go. Or, perhaps it's even an underused alley or street. If so, would you like to turn things around? Then Placemaking is for you.
NAR looks at Placemaking as the transformation of an unused--or underused--public space into a vibrant place for the whole community to gather, relax and have fun. Neglected spaces become welcoming, safe, enjoyable places that residents will return to again and again. Placemaking creates places where we can sit and relax; take our dog for a walk; eat our lunch; read a book; take our kids to play; have a cup of coffee; meet friends; or simply smell the flowers. Placemaking can transform an unwelcoming site to a beloved community spot by making it come to life.
Placemaking enriches our social and personal lives. It can impact our sense of place, local identity and quality of life. Placemaking creates the kind of places where people feel a strong stake in their communities and a commitment to making things better. And, it can help to spur the revitalization of other areas in the neighborhood, making your neighborhood a great place to live, work and play.
The National Association of REALTORS® supports Placemaking and believes it has a positive impact on real estate. We have created a Placemaking program to encourage our state and local REALTOR® associations, and their members, to engage in Placemaking activities in their communities. The program includes a guide, series of webinar, blog and grant.
This blog will delve into Placemaking in more detail; describe the various types of Placemaking activities; and report on examples of Placemaking across the country and within the REALTOR® community. We hope you visit us often and let us know when you engage in Placemaking in your community and the impact those activities had on your community.
So, take a look around your neighborhood to what lots, open spaces, alleys, streets and waterfronts can be transformed to change things around.
This was a great project (placemaking) that brought together REALTORS®, builders and contractors. The project made a huge difference for the Community Gardens and was greatly appreciated. Thank you for believing in this project! Jennifer Roche, Governmental Affairs Director, Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS®
