11-20 October 2019 is Placemaking week and we're super exciting to see more placemaking activations in Auckland thanks to the NZ Place Making Website!
Placemaking, beautification, community clean-ups, and community development go hand in hand!
So, what is placemaking?
“Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, Placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, Placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution." - From Project For Public Spaces
And what is an activation?
Any activity or infrastructure that enriches the space, making it more alive and people friendly. Activating is about making spaces inclusive, memorable, unified, innovative and entrepreneurial. Most activations are either physical (e.g. art, installations and community resources) or events (e.g. street theatre, music and food).
Most of our placemaking activities consist of community planting and gardens, murals and art or construction of items by out Boomer Business members. We've done some environmental education activations in Manukau civic square too!
See below a few examples!
Interested in activating a public space near you? Let us know we may be able to help!
Or check out these awesome links:
Placemaking Week: www.facebook.com/NewZealandPlacemakingWeek
Community Recycling Centres: www.makethemostofwaste.co.nz/recycling/community-recycling-centres