The purpose of this program is to support creative placemaking projects that contribute toward the livability of communities and help transform them into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. The program allows artists and community development practitioners across the nation to collaborate on local efforts to enhance quality of life and opportunity for existing residents, increase creative activity, and create a distinct sense of place. This program specifically intends to build and disseminate creative placemaking knowledge more broadly by expanding the capacity of artists and arts organizations to be more effective entrepreneurs, and to work more effectively with economic and community development practitioners.
Projects should address community challenges to livability such as public health, safety, blight and vacancy, environment, job creation, equity, local business development, civic participation, or community cohesion.
Projects must reflect the following:
  • Involvement of the organization’s membership, as appropriate
  • Systematic approach to building knowledge about creative placemaking for the organization and the broader field
  • Clearly defined systems that provide for the management of new ideas, documentation, potential for learning, and sharing of technical assistance programming
  • Clearly defined audience for technical assistance, and delivery of technical assistance
  • The appropriate arts and/or place-based experts to provide the service included in the project
  • Artistic excellence of the arts organization or artists involved with the project

Project activities may include:

  • Community workshops for the integration of arts and cultural activities that address local challenges and priorities, including artist involvement and leadership in the processes that empower local residents
  • Mentorships
  • In-person or remote training opportunities and convenings
  • Technical assistance and capacity building for members
  • Research, policy analysis, and decision support tools that help to build a creative placemaking knowledge base