Placemaking on the Plaza
- Larry Uri
- Apr 20, 2016
- 2 min read
Not so long ago, the corner at 6th and Broadway in downtown Concordia seemed destined to become a display lot for gravestone monuments. Those plans were not set in stone, and the monuments found a better resting place at another downtown location. The corner, which was laid bare by a 1999 fire that destroyed five storefront buildings, now rises again as Broadway Plaza.
The philosophical underpinnings of this renewal are grounded in the concept of placemaking. Google this term, as I did in March of 2014 when I first saw the word, and you will quickly land on the site of the Project for Public spaces, where you will find this definition:
“With community-based participation at its center, an effective placemaking process capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, and it results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people's health, happiness, and well being.”
Part of my work as your city manager is to dream of what might be. The Project for Public Spaces site lit up my dreamspace. More from them:
[Placemaking] is a crucial and deeply-valued process for those who feel intimately connected to the places in their lives. Placemaking shows people just how powerful their collective vision can be. It helps them to re-imagine everyday spaces, and to see anew the potential of parks, downtowns, waterfronts, plazas, neighborhoods, streets, markets, campuses and public buildings.
I already felt “intimately connected” to the 6th and Broadway corner because for ten years I had my place of business across the street. From my desk, I could look out my window at the patchy grass and the peeling wall. Often my attention drawn by a traveler who was using the lot to walk their dog. While the dog did its business, I would congratulate myself on the upscale quality of my view.
Broadway Plaza will still accommodate traveling canines (with doggie doo bags), and it will have a few other amenities as well. How did we decide what should go there? In the spirit of placemaking, we asked you! The more than 100 people who attended a tent party on site in June of 2014 were asked to list ideas and then to vote for the ones they most favored. The top choices were a stage with proper wiring, bathrooms, a water feature with dancing water, a move screen, and a clock. Keep your eye on 6th and Broadway in the next few weeks, and you will see all of these and more take shape.
I love how this post highlights the importance of creating vibrant community spaces where people can actually gather and connect. Last summer, I was so busy with work and studies that I barely had time to visit our local plaza, and I even thought about how nice it would be to pay someone to do my online class just so I could get outdoors for a bit. It’s so essential to have these spots where we can take a break from our screens and enjoy the world around us!
I liked how you described the plaza changing from a plain cut-through into a place where people want to stop. During a packed term I used Take my online calculas class so I could attend more evening meetings about our own campus courtyard. We added chalk games, benches, and plants, and slowly students stopped rushing and started hanging out there. Your story shows that thoughtful design can turn empty space into a community, one change at a time.
The way you described placemaking on the plaza made me picture that empty space slowly turning into a real hangout spot with color, seats, and people talking. During one busy science term I leaned on Online Lab Takers and Helpers so I could join more late meetings about changing our own campus courtyard. Watching a plain square fill with art and games was so cool. Your post shows how small design choices can invite people to feel they belong.
I really liked how the article showed the history of the empty corner becoming a lively public space through community ideas and action, since it made placemaking feel personal and real. That part reminded me of a group project I did in school where we redesigned a courtyard and I used CIPD Assignment Help to manage the stress of writing up my section while working with others. It made me see how community effort can really change a place for the better.