Community Progress Launches National Creative Placemaking Database

Washington, D.C. – Today,  Center for Community Progress, America’s leading resource on landing banking and vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties, announced the launch of its new Creative Placemaking Database. The growing database features creative placemaking projects from across the nation, project impacts, and the lessons learned. This database was made possible thanks to the generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Kresge Foundation. 

“The creative placemaking database highlights the important work of grassroots leaders and organizations who are reactivating vacant spaces through arts, culture, and creative placemaking. It serves as a timely reminder that creative leaders exist in all of our communities and have to power to bring about impactful change. We are excited to share their inspirational stories with others in the field.” – Dr. Akilah Watkins, President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress. 

This new resource provides practical information on successful creative placemaking projects, including initial costs, duration, project types, and new uses. Project leaders shared the impacts of the projects on their communities and the lessons they learned along the way.  

As we shared in our recent publication,  The Saving Power of Community Creativity, community-based organizations using arts and culture are providing critical support to disinvested communities across the country. The database validates the impacts of these leaders and their creative placemaking projects, and to inspire other community leaders to embark on their own creative placemaking projects.  

“Community Progress is thrilled to offer this new resource for leaders who work tirelessly to combat the challenges of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties through arts, culture, and creative placemaking. Our hope is that the projects highlighted in the database will inspire new ideas across the country and continue to build relationships between artists, residents, and local government.” – Courtney Knox, Vice President and Director of Leadership and Education at Center for Community Progress 

Visit the Creative Placemaking Database to learn how community leaders are engaging residents, setting revitalization goals, and reactivating vacant spaces.  

Community progress would like to extend a special thank you to Barrio Alegria  for their partnership and support.  

Feature Photo: Credit Reading Public Library

Submit your creative placemaking project:  

Community Progress is gathering more information on creative placemaking projects from across the country to serve as inspiration and a resource for those looking to implement their own creative placemaking projects. 

Today, the Creative Placemaking Database has over 25 projects and is still growing. Community progress invites you to share your work by submitting your creative placemaking project via the database. Submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.  

Join the Creative Placemaking Webinar: 

On November 18^th, 2021, join Community Progress’ webinar, Creative Placemaking: New Tools for Empowering Community-Led Revitalization. Learn how to leverage your existing community assets and draw inspiration from resident-led projects to spur healing, hope, investment, and the physical transformation of vacant spaces and structures through creative placemaking.  

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About the Center for Community Progress 

Founded in 2010, the Center for Community Progress is the national leader for building strong, equitable communities where vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties are transformed into assets for neighbors and neighborhoods. Today, Community Progress has affected change in more than 48 states and seven countries through leadership education and collaborative systems, policy, and practice reforms. Simply, we work to transform “Vacant Spaces into Vibrant Places.”