https://cityrepair.org/
More to come for City Repair
City Repair Project
From the CR website. “City Repair is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit that works with local residents and leaders to turn ideas into action. We center projects that honor the interconnection of human communities and the natural world through artistic and ecological placemaking. We provide support, resources, and opportunities to help diverse communities reclaim the culture, power, and joy that we all deserve.”
One of City Repair's first interactions with the authorities is a good way to introduce the group's spirit and initiative. A group of neighbors in Portland began modest interventions at a quiet residential intersection where they live, a tea stand, a little play space for kids. These simple constructions flanked the intersection. Before long, someone had the vision to paint a mural on the intersection. They went to the city to explain what they wanted to do and why and the city told them no. So they did the painting anyway. When the police responded to an alert to the action, they said we are not going to arrest anyone here for doing this. Now there is an agreed protocol for what is known as 'intersection repair” and the city boasts about the projects.
The basic idea for City Repair is to empower people to reclaim public space and build community for the good of humans and the environment. There are many dozens of street paintings in Portland now and unknown dozens more here and there in other cities in Oregon, including Eugene and elsewhere in the country.
City Repair is a practitioner of “place making.” Place making in this regard refers to the planning, design and implementation of a project intended to be visible to the public by a person or group, with the purpose to improve urban vitality and create a bond to the placemaking site. A place making project is almost always artistic, creative and shows people care about the location. A place making project builds community. For City Repair, place making is also about reclaiming public space for people and to diminish the domination that cars have over the urban landscape.
A painted intersection does not eliminate cars but it normally slows them down while the enhanced location creates a point of interest for people to gather and create more interventions like an informational kiosk, additional art work, narrowing the intersection to slow cars down even more and perhaps inspire community building initiatives in other locations.
City Repair also organizes the yearly Village Building Convergence. From the CR website -
“The Village Building Convergence, is an annual collaboration and cross pollination of neighbors, groups and civic partnerships to transform our city. It has been a catalyst for positive change in communities since its inception. By bringing people together and empowering them to take action, the VBC aims to create vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhoods.”
The Village Building Convergence is place making on proverbial steroids. Projects and educational happenings take place all over Portland. There are site tours, workshops, music, kids activities, art projects, community design activities, work parties, cultural exchanges, installations of all kinds.
City Repair also encourages natural building, permaculture, has been a big help with housing for the homeless. The T-Horse is a mobil tea house intended to bring people together. City Repair is active with Pollinator Pathways and ephemeral placemaking.
Contact me Donate to the Primer
City Repair Project
From the CR website. “City Repair is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit that works with local residents and leaders to turn ideas into action. We center projects that honor the interconnection of human communities and the natural world through artistic and ecological placemaking. We provide support, resources, and opportunities to help diverse communities reclaim the culture, power, and joy that we all deserve.”
One of City Repair's first interactions with the authorities is a good way to introduce the group's spirit and initiative. A group of neighbors in Portland began modest interventions at a quiet residential intersection where they live, a tea stand, a little play space for kids. These simple constructions flanked the intersection. Before long, someone had the vision to paint a mural on the intersection. They went to the city to explain what they wanted to do and why and the city told them no. So they did the painting anyway. When the police responded to an alert to the action, they said we are not going to arrest anyone here for doing this. Now there is an agreed protocol for what is known as 'intersection repair” and the city boasts about the projects.
The basic idea for City Repair is to empower people to reclaim public space and build community for the good of humans and the environment. There are many dozens of street paintings in Portland now and unknown dozens more here and there in other cities in Oregon, including Eugene and elsewhere in the country.
City Repair is a practitioner of “place making.” Place making in this regard refers to the planning, design and implementation of a project intended to be visible to the public by a person or group, with the purpose to improve urban vitality and create a bond to the placemaking site. A place making project is almost always artistic, creative and shows people care about the location. A place making project builds community. For City Repair, place making is also about reclaiming public space for people and to diminish the domination that cars have over the urban landscape.
A painted intersection does not eliminate cars but it normally slows them down while the enhanced location creates a point of interest for people to gather and create more interventions like an informational kiosk, additional art work, narrowing the intersection to slow cars down even more and perhaps inspire community building initiatives in other locations.
City Repair also organizes the yearly Village Building Convergence. From the CR website -
“The Village Building Convergence, is an annual collaboration and cross pollination of neighbors, groups and civic partnerships to transform our city. It has been a catalyst for positive change in communities since its inception. By bringing people together and empowering them to take action, the VBC aims to create vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhoods.”
The Village Building Convergence is place making on proverbial steroids. Projects and educational happenings take place all over Portland. There are site tours, workshops, music, kids activities, art projects, community design activities, work parties, cultural exchanges, installations of all kinds.
City Repair also encourages natural building, permaculture, has been a big help with housing for the homeless. The T-Horse is a mobil tea house intended to bring people together. City Repair is active with Pollinator Pathways and ephemeral placemaking.
Contact me Donate to the Primer