Creative Placemaking
APPLY: National and District Councils are invited to submit Statements of Interest to participate in ‘Art in Place,’ a new global program to foster deeper connections between art and real estate. Submissions due by October 1, 2022. Learn More
Creative placemaking approaches help build strong, healthy cities by promoting the integration of arts and culture in community revitalization.
ULI’s Creative Placemaking Project is being undertaken as part of the Building Healthy Places Initiative. The project is developing resources about effective creative placemaking strategies which are being widely distributed among ULI member and partner networks; embedding creative placemaking strategies in ULI programs, including the Healthy Corridors project; and advancing efforts by ULI members and District Councils to utilize creative placemaking approaches in development projects.
ULI is grateful to the Kresge Foundation for its support of this project. (Read more about the ULI partnership with the Kresge Foundation.)
“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.”
-Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa
ULI Creative Placemaking Publications
ULI Creative Placemaking News
Introducing ‘Art in Place’
Summer 2022
Launching in fall 2022, this new ULI program will support District and National Councils foster deeper connections between artists and real estate.
Michael Spies’ Gift Supports New ULI Effort to Involve Artists in Real Estate
May 12, 2022
With the help of a $350,000 gift from former global governing trustee Michael Spies, ULI is launching a program through which artists will be introduced into the early stages of project developments.
5 Steps toward Implementing Creative Placemaking
October 19, 2017
Discover five key steps to fostering unique, culturally rich, and economically thriving places, while also enhancing your business and brand, in this Urban Land article by Juanita Hardy.
Recap: Workshop on Creative Placemaking in Raleigh
August 30, 2017
This standing-room-only workshop, facilitated by ULI members, staff and local stakeholders, focused on the integration of Creative Placemaking within transit expansion projects in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.
Report: Workshop on Creative Placemaking in Detroit
August 25, 2017
This presentation and report, entitled, “Making Space for the Place”, explores how to best use open space to create a place for the community to connect with the Henry Ford Health System and to promote health and wellness in Detroit.
Best Practices in Creative Placemaking at Spring Meeting
May 3, 2017
This presentation of best practices in Creative Placemaking attracted a standing-room-only audience and was facilitated by ULI Senior Fellow, Juanita Hardy, at the ULI Spring Meeting in Seattle.
Interactive Map and Guide for Creative Placemaking in Seattle
May 1, 2017
Discover the context of development for Creative Placemaking projects in Seattle with this interactive map and PDF guide of 19 diverse and innovate sites: 12 in the city center, and 7 in the surrounding neighborhoods.
10 Best Practices for Creative Placemaking
April 26, 2017
Learn ten best practices to implement art and culture in real estate development, in ways that uplift and enliven, attract and connect people, promote health, and catalyze economic development in this Urban Land article by Juanita Hardy.
Four District Councils Win Creative Placemaking Grants
February 22, 2017
Four ULI district councils have received grants to support creative placemaking projects that will use arts-based strategies to strengthen the connection between health and the built environment.
Roundup: Creative Placemaking at ULI’s Fall Meeting in Dallas
November 9, 2016
The 2016 Fall Meeting in Dallas featured a lot of excellent Creative Placemaking content.
District Council Creative Placemaking Opportunities
November 9, 2016
ULI District Councils can apply for two collaborative creative placemaking opportunities.
Creative Placemaking Resources
Interested in undertaking a creative placemaking project? Explore the resources below:
Events, Books and Articles on Creative Placemaking
Creative Placemaking Leadership
Juanita Hardy
ULI Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking
Juanita Hardy is ULI’s Senior Visiting Fellow for Creative Placemaking. She has decades of experience in business and in the arts as a nonprofit leader, trustee, collector, and patron. Hardy is the former Executive Director of CulturalDC, a nonprofit committed to making space for artists and art organizations and fostering cultural and economic vibrancy in communities through creative placemaking.
Read the Urban Land Q&A with Juanita Hardy
National Working Group
ULI is grateful for the insights and input of members and partners participating in the Creative Placemaking National Working Group. The Working Group members are providing advice and counsel on the ULI Creative Placemaking Program.
Want to learn more or get involved? Please email [email protected].
Creative Placemaking
Creative Placemaking describes a comprehensive community development approach that intentionally embeds arts, culture, and community-engaged design into strategies to revitalize and stabilize communities.
Within the context of the Building Healthy Places Initiative, arts and culture are viewed as essential elements to creating holistically healthy neighborhoods and cities.