Creative Placemaking
Creative placemaking is another “evolving field of practice that intentionally leverages the power of the arts, culture and creativity to serve a community’s interest while driving a broader agenda for change, growth and transformation in a way that also builds character and quality of place” (Artscape, n.d., para 1). The benefits of this approach include engaging community residents, enhancing public space and contributing to a healthy and sustainable community (Artscape, n.d., para. 2).
Creative placemaking can be defined as a “strategy to improve community well-being and prosperity” that also fosters the conditions needed for communities to “define, draw attention to and distinguish themselves on a global scale” (Artscape, n.d., para. 2). The Project for Public Spaces (n.d.) further explains:
“Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximise shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.” (para. 1)
One of the many approaches to creative placemaking includes some aspects of cultural mapping. As Artscape describes, “municipal cultural planning and mapping evaluate existing community cultural assets and identify how they can be used to address local priorities and needs.” This approach to creative placemaking uses cultural activity as “a resource for development by engaging consultation and participation of community members” (Artscape, n.d., para. 19).
Community assets are a focus of this approach. These include assets that “are both physical and knowledge-based such as local programs, facilities, unused space, artists, galleries, venues, organisations and community groups.” Being aware of these resources in cultural planning ultimately “allows the public to better understand the total reach of creative activity and design a plan that integrates culture into city-building both economically and socially” (Artscape, n.d., para. 19).
Exploring creating a sense of place
ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11 ∞, which translates to “Telling the stories of this place”, is the name of The Indigenous Art Park which is creating a sense of place in a community in Treaty Six Territory in Canada. This project was approached in a new way, aiming to further reconciliation. It has been recognised by the Creative City Network of Canada (2021), received an Award of Excellence for Public Art in 2019, and was also named by the Americans for the Arts (2019) Public Art Network Year in Review program in 2019.
The project is the result of more than six years of collaborative work between Indigenous communities in and around Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton), the City of Edmonton municipality, and Edmonton Arts Council. Located in the historic Queen Elizabeth Park, the six artworks created by contemporary Indigenous Turtle Island (Canadian) artists express the stories of “this place,” namely Edmonton’s River Valley, which “has been a gathering place for peoples of many nations for millennia” (Edmonton Art Council, 2019, para. 2).
The art pieces and the stories that live within the park truly create a sense of place, telling the stories of the Indigenous communities and the land in and upon which the park sits. Sanjay Shahani, Executive Director of the Edmonton Arts Council, noted that projects like this “are important signposts in our collective journey toward reconciliation,” adding that “artists have always been in the vanguard of profound social change … These six artists have not only inscribed an indelible mark on our city’s landscape but also made a significant contribution to this conversation” (Edmonton Arts Council, 2019, para. 3). Creating a sense of place that is truly welcoming and inclusive involves challenging our traditional processes and practices, and being open to other ways of doing things.
The Edmonton Arts Council has shared a variety of resources on their website, and we encourage you to do some exploring to learn more about the artists, the curation and the engagement processes for creating this wonderful park (See link 3:4 https://publicart.edmontonarts.ca/IAP/).