How Do You Bring a Place Back to Life?
December 2015
BACKGROUND:
In April of 2015 GHC hosted the Next Big Thing workshop, which brought in residents, architects, artists, and urban designers from around the country to collaborate on small, scalable projects that would improve the look, feel, and practicality around the neighborhood. Having completed all the projects in our first How-To Guide, compiled after the AIA conference in 2012, the Next Big Thing allowed us to prepare and compile a new How-To Guide for the next few years to come.
NEED:
After completing all the projects in the first How-To Guide, we knew it was time for the next steps by hosting the Next Big Thing and creating a new guide to further beautify the area and engage the community.
WHAT WE DID:
The guide outlines 10 projects and tactics to connect with and beautify the community. It includes detailed instructions concerning supplies, potential partnerships, and cost, a sketch of what the completed project may look like, and a picture of where the project could happen. From community movie nights, to bike repair stations, to home repair and landscaping, there’s something for people of all backgrounds in the community to participate in.
VISION:
Our intentions with this new guide are to empower the community with the knowledge that small changes can happen, and they can make a big impact. The guide aims to encourage local artists to collaborate with residents to inspire renewal in the neighborhood.
