Enablers: The True Economic Engine by Nick Arnett

 
I had a great conversation the other day regarding the importance of place in terms of economic activity. While getting lunch with an old friend, they asked me in a doubtful tone, “can placemaking really spur economic growth, or is it just another feel-good idea?”
 
Economic development professionals, urban planners, architects, and individuals from related fields across the globe are beginning to realize the important role place plays in the economic development and growth of a location – be it a neighborhood, city, or an entire region. Placemaking marks a new era in the way we approach the growth and development of a city, and a new way in which we view the role “community” plays in the global competition for talent.
 
I typically break placemaking down into two categories:
 
Placemaking – The broader of the two; refers to the development, implementation, design, and management of a space largely guided by individuals who interact with the space on a routine basis. Project for Public Spaces (PPS) gives a great summary:
 

(Placemaking) involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them.”

 
Placemaking hinges on two major process: the formation of a vision based on collection of input from individuals who interact with the space regarding their needs, dreams, and aspirations for it, and the transformation of that vision into action. When people who have a vested interest in a space are given the opportunity to shape its future, you’re essentially insuring that the given space is relevant to the lives of the people who utilize it.
 
The action phase of it can take a number of different paths, depending on who’s guiding the conversation. For example, if a developer opens dialogue among individuals effected by a space to create a vision for a development in that area, the action phase of it will be carried out by the developer once the visioning process is complete. However, a powerful and more sustainable transformation can occur when you implement some sort of “enabling feature” into the place you’re looking at.
 
A perfect illustration of this can be found in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During my recent visit there, I came across a fascinating duo that I’ve mentioned a number of times on this blog – CreateHere and CoLab. Nestled into a storefront on Main Street in the historic Southside neighborhood of Chattanooga, these two forward-thinking groups were incubators of innovation, inspiration, and creation – they helped lead the charge in the Main Street transformation. Whether it was planned intentionally or not, something was clear during my visit there: these two were responsible for much of the change that has occurred in the Southside neighborhood over the past five years. Businesses that lifted off through CoLab’s plethora of resources filled in store fronts throughout a five to ten block radius, and traces of CreateHere’s programs were found all throughout the neighborhood – everything from artistic elements made possible by MakeWork and Arts Move to signage for festivals celebrating the historic heritage and bright future Main Street has.
 
Though I’m not sure of the date, it’s obvious that dialogue opened up sometime within the last decade regarding the future of Main Street among people with a vested interest in the poverty and crime-stricken area of town. Ideas were shared, dreams were published, and a vision was born. The needs, aspirations, and dreams for Main Street were brought under one umbrella that gave it a guiding force – that vision compiled by people who had a passion for Main Street helped orchestrate the action that took place there. Yet the vision set for it wasn’t the only force at work; having “enablers” that believed in Main Street like CreateHere, CoLab, and the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga allowed the Southside community to not only reimagine itself, but also recreate itself. Hopes and dreams were processed through the enablers, and the output was the actual implementation of a vision set by lovers of Main Street.
 
The second, more specified form of placemaking is known as creative placemaking. This form of placemaking involves the creation of spaces that stimulate creativity and collaboration; in turn, they spur economic growth where implemented. In a study for the National Endowment for the Arts, Ann Markusen defines the term below:
 

Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.

 
Sounds great, but what kind of consequences can be seen from practicing this in terms of economic growth? Does it really spur economic activity within a community, city, or region? Does it really “improve local business viability?”
 
At one point, I was among the skeptics – until I was able to see data supporting the case for creative placemaking as a tool for economic development. The study I referenced above illustrates this argument elegantly, and gives supporting evidence to back it up. One of the most important factors that this practice brings to the table is the incubation of innovation. In other words, these “creative elements” provide a creative, collaborative space where “two half-good ideas can come together.” A video Craig Crook showed me a few months back, entitled Where Good Ideas Come From, describes this process to a perfect tune.
 
During a radio interview on “Place Matters” with Dr. Katherine Loflin a few weeks ago, I described a local example of creative placemaking in Fort Wayne by way of utilizing already “socially-charged” infrastructure: our trails system. While conducting a study with students from the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne Trails executive director Lori Keys discovered that people are nearly eight times more likely to greet you with a smile on the trails than they are on the streets of downtown Fort Wayne. Lori went on to tell me how Fort Wayne Trails uses public art & sculpture to encourage social interaction on the trails and stimulate creative conversation.
 
Though placemaking and creative placemaking are two very different terms with different meanings, the two go hand-in-hand. Creating spaces that are relevant to the lives of the people who interact with them is more critical now than it ever has been in the past given that Millennials (individuals between the ages of 12 and 30) choose a place first and a job second when looking for a place to locate to. Creating a space that is relevant to them and giving them the means to keep it relevant is critically important to attracting and retaining talent. Creative placemaking insures that the dialogue about the space continues, a city’s creative potential is expanded, and its innovative capacity is enhanced.
 
The emotional connection between people and where they live is a critical factor to keep in mind when attracting talent. Enabling a community to keep their space relevant to their lives is the only sure way of developing a community that can be competitive on a global scale regarding the development, retainment, and attraction of talent.
 
To read more about Nick’s 12 Cities 12 Months project, visit his website here.