13 minute read
UNIFICATION THROUGH PLACEMAKING
PRESTON JANCO, MPA, CZO
Preston Janco is the Town Planner/Zoning Administrator for the Town of Forest City. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science and a minor in history from Coastal Carolina University. He earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Liberty University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in international relations. Preston has close to 5 years of local government experience and takes pride in advocating for the betterment of his community.
ABSTRACT
Unification through Placemaking focuses on placemaking as a tool for unifying the community. The world is becoming increasingly divided and is leading to conflict and violence. By researching the planning structures of Savannah, Paris, and Forest City, and analyzing how the act of placemaking can lead to unification within the community, division can disappear. These three municipalities were able to create a unified community by following proper steps to placemaking. Savannah was created to be a grid-like city where urbanism and nature exist in harmony. Paris has invested heavily in an art based society and has been consistently implementing modern planning techniques. Forest City has embraced its Hallmark movie like appearance and invested heavily in a landscaped Main Street, the Thermal Belt Rail Trail, and an outdoor amphitheater named Pavilion of Parks Square (POPS). For that success to occur the community entered a realm of social cohesion that is only possible through placemaking.
INTRODUCTION
Communities across the globe are experiencing a great amount of division that appears to be worsening each day. What if communities could be united by a notion as simple as the redefinition of the word “place?” The word “place” may be understood by most as a general location of average importance. However, what if the word was interpreted differently? Let’s substitute the word “place” with the “placemaking” which is defined as the process of designing and shaping public spaces in a way that enhances their overall quality, functionality, and appeal to the community. It involves transforming various types of spaces, such as parks, streets, squares, and waterfronts, into vibrant and engaging environments that encourage social interaction, cultural expression, and a sense of belonging.
Placemaking should be used such that it incorporates all community members regardless of political beliefs, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, or other identity. When one thinks of Savannah, Georgia, Paris, France, or Forest City, North Carolina they likely do not imagine an average city. Savannah is viewed as a distinguished and historic city, the film location for the movie Forrest Gump, and a well-planned city where history, nature, and urbanism exist in harmony with one another. Paris is a historic European city with a modern planning structure that contains some of the greatest culinary minds of the world, world-renowned art, and historic structures. With a population of 7,000 people, Forest City is not nearly the size of Paris or Savannah. Despite its size Forest City has been a stand out town with heavy investment in its placemaking status. The town has earned the title of “Christmas Town” and it has a beautifully landscaped Main Street that is reminiscent of Hallmark movies.
Placemaking is one of the most important tools planners can use. Successful placemaking may be different for every community but one thing that stays consistent in their accomplishments is that the community is united. The art of placemaking can be wielded to create community unification despite its political, economic, and cultural differences, ultimately creating a future worth fighting for.
COMMUNITY DIVISION
It is no secret that the world is facing an unprecedented amount of divisiveness, so much so that it feels as if the sense of community has been lost (Wrobel, 2016). The average American can see how political division increasingly leads to violence. Families and friends are at odds with each other, which has caused a rift in the community. According to Dimock and Wike:
Eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values, and roughly nine-in-ten – again in both camps – worried that a victory by the other would lead to “lasting harm” to the United States.
(2020)
This kind of thinking is difficult to reverse. If someone truly believes that opposing ideals threaten their very existence, how do you convince people to be united again?
The United States is not the only country facing division. The international order is facing an increase in division and conflict. According to the United Nations, “conflict and violence are currently on the rise” (United Nations, n.d.). This conflict and violence is different from the conflict of the past. The world is not faced with multi-national conflicts where every developed and developing country is mobilized for war. Instead, fragmented conflicts and crime rates are causing most of the violence around the world (United Nations, n.d.). This is a terrifying fact to accept because there is not just one war that needs to end for the conflict and violence to be resolved. Instead, there is a sickness within communities around the world that needs to be addressed in a variety of methods. Placemaking could be one of those methods.
PLACEMAKING COMMUNITIES
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
To truly understand the placemaking structure of Savannah, one must go back to the roots of this exceptional southern city. General James Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah and one of the original urban planners in the United States, intelligently designed Savannah (Erwin, 2003). General Oglethorpe designed a grid-like system where every block had its own town square and parks, a perfect blend of urbanization and nature, a grocery store, pharmacy, and any other daily necessity. The design was exceptionally different from other colonial towns because it focused on a repeated block pattern to connect neighborhoods, city squares, and streets (American Society of Engineers, n.d.). This early planning led Savannah to be known as one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the world while preserving its one-of-a-kind history.
Savannah is not just known for its planning structure, but also for its focus on the arts and historical preservation. Savannah is home to one of the top art schools in the United States, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This city also has a strong historical preservation foundation, the Historic Savannah Foundation. This organization was started by a group of seven women who were disturbed by the number of historic buildings being torn down for lackluster developments such as parking lots (Historic Savannah Foundation, n.d.). These seven women rallied together with their own capital to buy up historic properties (Historic Savannah Foundation, n.d.). In 2024, this organization acts as a non-profit to mobilize consistent community funding to continue the original mission of preserving Savannah’s history by further expanding its portfolio of 400 saved historic buildings. Without this organization the history of Savannah may have been lost and their exceptional locality that revolves around history may not exist (Historic Savannah Foundation, n.d.).
PARIS, FRANCE
Paris is by far the largest and oldest city in this article. The Paris that everyone knows and loves today grew out of the modernization of the Second Empire (Choi, 2023). This was a period where they truly started to recognize their historical importance and began to implement modern planning techniques to preserve their history while modernizing the city. Paris is also known for its distinguished culture and art. This is due to the federal government’s funding of the art industry, which they have committed to invest in since World War II (Berman, 2019). This investment has led to the flooding of Paris with “art studios, galleries, theaters, and interdisciplinary spaces” (Berman, 2019). Having these types of spaces to entice social cohesion is one of the most important aspects of placemaking.
The city is also known for its success in placemaking triangulation. Paris layers land uses in such a way that they complement each other in public areas (Project for Public Spaces, 2008). Some examples of these triangulation areas include the location of cafés next to parks, walkable areas, and small retail shopping establishments (Project for Public Spaces, 2008). This is represented in Figure 2, with chairs being placed around a park. This provides an enriched culture that residents and tourists can thrive on and generates a small-town feel despite its population of more than two million permanent residents.
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA SMALL TOWN, DEEP ROOTS
To most, Forest City, North Carolina may appear to be a typical small Appalachian town. However, this is a community that has distinguished itself through placemaking. Despite its small stature, it should be viewed as a competitor to Savannah and Paris. Forest City is renowned for its historic mill town society that has a beautifully landscaped Main Street reminiscent of the small towns in a Hallmark movie. When you enter Main Street, the historic and well-preserved buildings stand out, the colors from the perennials lining the center of the street are exceptional, and the picturesque brick smokestack from the abandoned Florence Mill can be seen towering over the historic buildings. As you approach the mill you will notice an outside amphitheater called Pavilion On Park Square (POPS) as well as a section of the 13.5 mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail which connects to all of its surrounding communities.
Forest City is also known as a “Christmas Town” due to its annual Christmas light ceremony which lasts the whole month of December. Leah Heather described the event as follows:
Their historic downtown is like something from a Christmas movie -- including carriage rides, ice-skating, hot chocolate, and boutiques with illuminated windows full of unique gifts. They offer classic Americana like a soda fountain, vintage decor and charming architecture.
(2022)
Forest City has been successful so far in its placemaking structure but placemaking is always evolving. The municipality is looking to apply for a grant to fund a housing needs assessment and to establish a redevelopment commission. If this is accomplished, Forest City will be able to address its housing crisis by bringing affordable workforce housing and repairing blighted properties. They are also looking to establish a social district on its Main Street. A social district is a legal area in which a customer can carry alcohol from store to store, which has been shown to increase economic development opportunities. None of these feats would be possible without the unification of the Forest City community. Community groups, social groups, nonprofits, businesses, local government, state government, and the federal government all came together with their individual resources to create the Thermal Belt Rail Trail and Pavilion on Parks Square. Additionally, the community works with each other every year to update the landscaping on Main Street and bring new resources forward such as the idea of a social district, establishing a redevelopment commission, and applying for grants to bring affordable housing to the area.
PLACEMAKING AS A TOOL FOR UNIFICATION
Division and the placemaking methods of three notable municipalities have been discussed. How can we use placemaking as a tool for unification? Akbar & Edelenbos (2021) say:
Place-making’ (as a process) is defined as an activity of integrating various actors’ viewpoints and functions in order to transform urban spaces; by not only viewing place as static spatial aspect and designing the physical form but also taking into consideration the social processes that construct places.
By this definition, placemaking can only occur through the integration of differing viewpoints. That is a significant step towards unification. Society views opposing ideas in a negative way. The rise in violence and conflict throughout the world can be attributed to divisive ideas. The standards of implementing placemaking requires opposing ideas to be up for discussion. Opposing viewpoints are a strength whenever community members are discussing the future of their town. An influx of ideas can form placemaking structures that may have never been considered otherwise.
Placemaking can peak anyone’s interest in a community because it can be centered on “economic development, community development, transportation, healthcare, and other fields to advance local growth” (Vey & Love, 2023). Characteristics like these affect everyone. Everyone needs quality healthcare, a strong job, and reliable transportation to get to work and amenities. These are three undeniable characteristics that can unite anyone in a community. It is proven that placemaking increases the likelihood for community empowerment (Akbar & Edelenbos, 2021). The community can feel empowered when they work with each other to plan for the betterment of their future. The Historic Savannah Foundation empowered the community to preserve its own history. The Forest City community felt empowered to channel strong investment to projects such as Pavillion on Parks Square and the Thermal Belt Rail Trail. Additionally, making your community a destination, supporting small businesses, promoting the arts, and encouraging innovation and tourism can all be aspects of a community with a successful placemaking structure (SOAR, 2022). Savannah, Paris, and Forest City all have these characteristics. The act of placemaking in these locales led to the unification of their respective citizens.
CONCLUSION
Savannah, Paris, and Forest City are all great examples of how society can embrace placemaking to create community unification. When placemaking is used as a planning tool the community must unite to be prosperous. Successful planning can bring amenities that can empower a community such as an outdoor amphitheater, a rail-trail, preservation of history, and preservation of the arts. Savannah, Paris, and Forest City have also encouraged social cohesion, encouraged civic structures, and built a welcoming environment. Considering the impacts of placemaking on the local-level, as demonstrated here, imagine the strides toward social unity that could be made if placemaking was scaled up even more. Division would be a thing of the past and everyone would realize that their differences are what unites them into something great and unbreakable. Listen to your urban planners because we may be able to get us close to world peace.
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