Creative Placemaking by: CreativeJunkFood

CreativeJunkFood Brings Creative Placemaking to Ward 7

Ward 7 Speaks!

The local artistic team, CreativeJunkFood (CJF) has designed a neighborhood-scale, resident-driven, place-based creative placemaking project at three locations in Ward 7 through a grant made possible by the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED). The Team has chosen three locations in Ward 7, one of which is a Department of Parks and Recreation property: the triangle park at the intersection of Blaine St., Brook St, and Division Ave NE. The goal of this project is to create engaging interactive experiences that are equity-focused. CJF uses art to promote community purpose, address community issues, and fulfill community needs. The aim to make an impact. These activations are sensible, applicable, and accessible. CJF wants residents and participants to have fun, learn something, and foster a new appreciation for their neighborhood.

In May and June, CJF met with community stakeholders, long term residents, and neighborhood organizations to get a better sense of the community. Three of the people on the project team live in Ward 7, but these installations to speak for as many residents as possible. CJF created a community survey to gather initial thoughts about the neighborhood, and promoted it through organizations they were familiar with. Here’s what residents during the initial survey:

• Ward 7 is full of vibrant communities, with rich histories and strong neighborhood pride.

• These neighborhoods deserve access to fresh food, health and wellness resources, and cultural development.

• We can show pride in our communities by keeping the streets and parks clean and supporting the local economy.

• There is a desire for more community events and opportunities to celebrate one another.

• Members of these communities feel neglected. They want their messages to be heard, their lives to be seen, and their contributions to be valued.

Installation for all three projects will occur at the end of August, with activation events happening at the end of August through early September. This project has been made possible by the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED), as a part of a broader initiative engaging stakeholders and residents in developing a Comprehensive Community Development Model in Deanwood, Lincoln Heights, Richardson Dwellings, and Capitol View neighborhoods. CNHED’s mission is to foster just and equitable community development solutions that address the needs and aspirations of low-and moderate-income residents by convening, advocating, and educating diverse stakeholders. This work is funded by the District of Columbia Office of Planning, the Office for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the Kresge Foundation.

Activation events are occurring between August 24 and September 30, 2020.

Click this .url to view project updates. https://www.ward7speaks.com

CreativeJunkFood, LLC

info@creativejunkfood.com

1888 Savannah Pl. SE Washington, DC 20020

www.creativejunkfood.com

Project Team: CreativeJunkFood is managing this project in collaboration with Deborah Jones, Executive Director of the Ward 7 Business Partnership, Tina Whitlow, Co-founder of The Whitlow Foundation, and Sarah Cappo, Community Engagement Consultant.

Creative Placemaking

Creative Placemaking: Creative placemaking is the intentional use of arts and culture to shape the physical, social and economic future of communities.

Current Projects

The DC Office of Planning (DCOP) has received a grant from the Kresge Foundation to undertake creative placemaking and civic engagement activities in select neighborhoods throughout the District. OP’s grant, “Crossing the Street: Building DC’s Inclusive Future through Creative Placemaking” is designed to promote community-building in neighborhoods that are experiencing rapid demographic and social change; to engage residents in conversations on the future of the District as OP embarks on an update of DC’s Comprehensive Plan; and to demonstrate or test select placemaking recommendations articulated in OP’s neighborhood plans and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) transit corridor studies and livability studies.

Check https://www.ward7speaks.com to view project updates and keep in touch!

WHY DOES THIS PROJECT MATTER?

Creative Placemaking uses public spaces in ways that improve quality of life and community awareness through dynamic interventions. It leverages the power of the arts and culture to serve a community’s interests while contributing to broader social efforts to promote public transformation and build quality of place.

Through arts-driven engagements, communities are able to offer messages. These activations allow an opportunity to address issues of social justice and economic equity while increasing awareness for health, safety and security. Neighborhoods develop new opportunities for communal gathering and create a sense of common identity and shared culture. These projects encourage recreation and relaxation, introduce energy and vibrancy to streets, and contribute to environmental improvements.

The success of creative placemaking is dependent upon open collaborations between artists, residents, citizen groups, governments, private investors, and non-profit organizations.

For more information about Creative Placemaking go to:

https://planning.dc.gov/page/creative-placemaking

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