June 25, 2021 • Grant: Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, Community Foundations of Canada
July 8, 2021 • Webinar: Centring Equity and Resilience in Canadian City Parks, Park People
August 1-7, 2021 • Event: National Farmers Market Week, Farmers Market Coalition
September 19, 2021 • Award: 2021 Farmers Market Celebration, American Farmland Trust & Farmers Market Coalition
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Atlanta's Peachtree Experiment. One of Atlanta's most iconic downtown thoroughfares will host a new shared street study. With traffic reduced from four lanes to two, and a range of amenities to be added, the new design will aim to be equally welcoming to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Planners hope to use the Peachtree Shared Demonstration Project as a way to refine their ideas before committing to larger projects. (Urbanize)
Small Town Placemaking in Michigan. Governor Whitmer announced funding for transformational projects in multiple cities in Michigan. Included in the initiative is a multi-million dollar revitalization of the waterfront in Houghton, a city of about 7,500 residents in the state's Upper Peninsula. With a focus on placemaking, the project seeks to make the downtown waterfront a center for community events, performances, and a farmer's market. (MEDC)
Restaurant Accessibility in the Spotlight. As eateries across the country welcome patrons back, advocates say the time is right for greater ADA compliance. Historically, restaurants have fallen short in multiple ways, such as by failing to offer large-print menus, fully accessible restrooms, or adequate accommodations for the mobility-impaired.
However, during the pandemic, many restaurants responded nimbly to complex and evolving guidelines, making significant adjustments to their operations. Many built entirely new spaces. Writer Peneliope Richards argues that this response proves that the sector could do a better job of accommodating all guests. (Eater)
New Report on Parks Equity. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report on disparities in parks access. While many people spent more time in outdoor spaces during the pandemic, the report found that as many as 100 million Americans lacked easy access to a nearby park. Furthermore, those parks that are available to marginalized groups are often smaller with fewer amenities. (Trust for Public Land)
New Ideas Coming to Gary. The city of Gary, Indiana, has seen its fair share of revitalization projects—many of which fe ll short of their goals. However, a new generation of creative placemakers are eschewing the marquee projects and sports stadiums of years past for an approach that draws on the city's existing identity. (Next City)
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As always, here is a roundup of 10 inspiring placemaking ideas from the week:
- This list of 11 ideas for lighter, quicker, cheaper placemaking (Social Life Project)
- These artists in Minneapolis creating healing and community using funds diverted from policing (Next City)
- A delivery hub in Seattle that offers a zero-emissions solution to last-mile service (Fast Company)
- A proposal to open NYC's unused private courtyards to the general public (Urbanize)
- These placemaking fellowships focused on the arts and community engagement (UNC)
- A new market in Toronto focused on Afro-Caribbean food (BlogTO)
- A reminder that many of the trendiest ideas in placemaking have been around for a long time (Strong Towns)
- A volunteer-powered healing garden in San Francisco (Next City)
- A piece about the ways neighborhoods sometimes ignore the rules to make more vibrant communities (Strong Towns)
- This exhibit at the Venice Biennale questioning a culture of perpetual optimization (Azure)
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