Creative Placemaking
Transforming spaces to foster wellbeing
Creative placemaking is a method of bringing together community members, artists, arts and culture organizations and groups, community developers, planners, and others to reimagine a place through an arts and culture lens. Community members are at the heart of any creative placemaking endeavor and the process is just as important as the product.
Placemaking on Billings’ South Side
In 2016, Healthy By Design began exploring creative placemaking as a community health improvement strategy on the South Side of Billings. With a grant from the Kresge Foundation, our Coalition members worked with neighborhood residents and other stakeholders to create a local process for creative placemaking and to identify potential arts and culture projects to revitalize this historic neighborhood through increased walkability, sense of community pride, and access to daily needs.
A resident steering committee, local artists, city government, and resident selection committees worked together to create the following:
- A neighborhood slogan, brand, and entryway signage: South Side – the Bright Side of the Tracks
- Electrical box wraps designed by artists of diverse mediums and ages
- A colorful mural at the South Park Pool celebrating the neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage
- Neighborhood walking routes and podcast episodes celebrating historical and community landmarks
- Sidewalk poetry placed in front of various neighborhood residences
Since this initial foray into creative placemaking, Healthy By Design has expanded this effort to include the creation of safe routes to schools sign toppers for 4 area elementary schools. As part of the 2020 – 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan, we are seeking more opportunities to leverage the creativity and artistic talents of our community to create welcoming, accessible public spaces to build neighborhood and social connections.
