Placemaking
market district ~ midtown ~ monroe-adams ~ gaines st. ~ contact
The concept of place is a bit abstract. It is difficult to describe, and yet you know it when you are there. An area with a "sense of place" usually includes retail shops and places of employment, plenty of people on the move or stopping to chat, a public park or square, and possibly some planned events or activities. But, a place is more than a sum of its parts, and typically has a shared character, personality, or identity. While no place is like any other, one common element runs through each - its people! No one knows more about a place than the people that live there, experience it everyday, and make it their own.
Tallahassee has several burgeoning districts that everyone can easily identify. With that in mind, the City Commission identified Placemaking as a top priority for several areas of the community - Gaines Street and All Saints, Midtown, the Market Square area, and South Adams. In the coming year, Planning Department staff will work with community groups, neighborhood associations, and other governmental agencies to assist all parties in creating a plan to turn ideas and dreams for each place into a reality. This project is collaborative. It is cooperative. And, it is forward looking. These areas already have an identity; but what will they be in the coming years?
We hope placemaking will allow citizens to make extraordinary improvements, both big and small, in their communities. It will provide an outlet for proactive and positive change. New sidewalks, shade trees, or improved StarMetro service can only do so much. As such, Placemaking is not just the act of building or fixing up a space, but a whole process that fosters the creation of vital public destinations: the kind of places where people feel a strong stake in their communities and a commitment to making things better. Simply put, Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's existing assets, inspiration, and potential, ultimately creating good public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and well-being.
Check these pages for regular updates! If you have questions, comments, or would like to get involved, please contact Cherie Horne or Zach Galloway at 850.891.6400 or email us at: Placemaking.