Sunday, April 28, 2013

Slumlords have their own view of placemaking.


An appropriate thought for the conclusion of a week that saw Carl Malysz land a new job further up I-65 might well be brief contemplation about the legacy of the top-down England years in New Albany, as compared with the grassroots neighborhood revitalization emphasis described below.

Are we making progress is recovering from the Hizzoner years? Or is the legacy of the Battered City Syndrome just too great?

Why True Neighborhood Building Requires the Dedication of a Few 'Zealous Nuts', by Fred Kent (GOOD HQ)

What we share with our neighbors is place: the magical, intangible quality that is created when people interact around a tangible space, be it a park, a street, or a vacant lot. At the Project for Public Spaces, we advocate for citizens to be included more directly and meaningfully in the process of shaping their neighborhood’s public spaces. We believe that a neighborhood can only reach its fullest potential when everyone who lives, works, and plays there feels welcome to contribute to the life of its public spaces ...

... Detroit is struggling, but this is bringing out the best in the citizens who have chosen to stay. What we are seeing there today is neighbors realizing, en masse, that they can’t wait any longer for someone else to turn things around, and they are taking action to create the kinds of neighborhoods that they want to live in, with or without official permission. They are thinking Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper, and working together to accomplish ‘quick wins’ today that will build the social ties and momentum needed to transform the city tomorrow.

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