New London Landmarks


Creative Placemaking in New London

CREATIVE PLACEMAKING for the Riverside Park Neighborhood is led by New London Landmarks, with the City of New London and a coalition of Riverside Park Conservancy, the Neighborhood Alliance and all who care about Re-Connecting this area of New London with the City. This project is made possible by a grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Office of the Arts.

Get current news about Creative Placemaking by visiting the New London Riverside Art website: http://nlriversideart.org.

Visit also the Creative Placemaking in New London blog.

WHAT IS “CREATIVE PLACEMAKING”?

According to the National Endowment for the Arts:

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.

In turn, these creative locales foster entrepreneurs and cultural industries that generate jobs and income, spin off new products and services, and attract and retain unrelated businesses and skilled workers.

This is the challenge New London Landmarks has accepted with a $100,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Office of the Arts.

Riverside Park before and after space was opened up

Already change is taking place! During the winter the City’s Public Works Department and volunteers have cleaned, trimmed, limbed up trees, cleared brush and opened up spaces in the park allowing clear views of the Thames River.

The new Winthrop Magnet School is open and students are enjoying a truly beautiful modern classroom building filled with light and great new facilities.

Creative Placemaking from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Goals

Revitalization by creative initiatives that animate places & spark economic development

Desired Outcomes:

LIVABILITY = public safety, community identity, environmental quality, improved transportation

DIVERSITY = collaboration between civic, non-profit and for-profit partners (U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College and the neighborhood)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

looks at small, modest scale investments
Animate the neighborhood and Hodges Square with changes reflecting this unique neighborhood
Re-use vacant space
Animate the neighborhood with cultural activity

A new identity for this historic neighborhood