4 Reasons to Adopt a Creative Placemaking Approach in your Urban Renewal Program

  1. Local Economic Development.
    Creative placemaking helps to contribute to the local economy during the building phase of the project by involving locals in the process. Local materials are sourced and local tradespeople and artists are engaged to help create the outcomes. The engagement and participation of locals is part of the way in which authenticity is created.

  2. Community Buy-In.
    By speaking with the community and looking for ways to unearth local stories, history and culture we create bonds and create advocates of community members who become involved and attached to the process. The local community can make or break any public realm project and creative placemaking helps to bring the community deep into the process in a positive and fun way.

  3. Artist Professional Development.
     By seeking the involvement of local artists and makers in the delivery process we directly support local arts communities both financially and professionally. Opportunities for mentoring young artists can often also be created.

  4. A Tourism Destination.
    Creating public places that feature interesting, creative expressions of local history, culture and identity are rare but when done well, and promoted, they become destinations that people want to go to and they become places that people like to spend time in and therefore spend money in. This helps to create sustainable communities.

Creative placemaking generates income for communities and offers a return on investment.

What is Creative Placemaking?

POMO has developed a definition of Creative Placemaking that is guided by the process that we put into practice in all our work, for us Creative Placemaking is the process of drawing on local history, culture and the physical qualities of a place to guide the creation of outcomes in the public realm.

The outcomes are therefore unique to the place in which they exist and linked to the stories, people and culture of those areas. The process almost always involves collaboration with community members, stakeholders, artists and local tradespeople and makers. The outcomes tell the story of places in a range of creative ways, some are practical and fully integrated with the fabric of the place and others are more traditional and can look more like public “art”.

Communities can see their own stories and history come to life in their township through this process and this fosters crucial support and buy-in from locals.

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