Case studies are based on projects by MAPC and other public, non-profit, and private organizations in Massachusetts, New England and throughout the US. They are divided into three themes for cultural planning, creative placemaking, and public arts & culture. Use
Creative Engagement
What Is Creative Engagement? OVERVIEW Creative engagement is an approach to community engagement that uses creative tools and artistic experiences to help diverse stakeholders imagine new approaches to planning processes and spark creative problem solving. Creative engagement can touch every aspect of the planning process. It may frame
Case Study: Neighborways Somerville: Art in Crosswalks
Overview: Formed in 2015, Neighborways is a volunteer organization that convenes community members to open a dialogue about safety in neighborhood streets, brainstorm site-specific creative solutions to problem areas, fund and implement these ideas, and maintain pavement paint. The group
Socially Engaged Art & Civic Practice
Socially Engaged Art and Civic Art Practices OVERVIEW Since the 1960’s a proliferation of practices have been born into being that describe different ways of improving physical places through social interventions. The wealth of words like placemaking, placekeeping, public design,
Public Art
Public Art OVERVIEW Public art is any type of art intended for public spaces or the public realm. It is typically created by artists who “endeavor to generate dialogue with the community, at times about the issues central to their
Tactical Urbanism
Tactical Urbanism OVERVIEW Tactical urbanism refers to the approach of implementing short-term, low-cost, and scalable demonstration projects that test alternatives to infrastructure, design, and uses in the public realm. This term was coined by planner Mike Lydon and is grounded
Cultural Planning
Cultural Planning OVERVIEW Cultural planning is a place-based planning process that generates a vision and action plan for strengthening and growing arts and culture assets. Cultural plans may include goals and strategies that address topics including: social cohesion; community engagement;
Case Studies
Case Studies The content in this Toolkit is grounded in the experiences of people who are working to develop and implement a wide range of arts and culture-related plans, programs, policies, and projects in different parts of the country. The
Community Development
Community Development OVERVIEW Art in the public realm intersects with the built environment in both expected and novel ways. It can react to current conditions, arise from public- and private-sector led revitalization and redevelopment, and engage with the civic issues
Case Study: Intersections Residency Program of the Portland Regional Arts & Cultural Council
Overview: The Regional Arts & Cultural Council (RACC) in Portland, Oregon has operated an artist residency series with the Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC) since 2012, part of RACC’s public art residency program, Intersections. In this program, an artist