Placemaking
Working together to reimagine public spaces and create places where many feel a sense of belonging
A great place is somewhere people want to gather – where there is a sense of belonging and connection to nature and one another.
How we make this place is more important than the end result. In fact, with placemaking you might say that there is no final result because placemaking is an ongoing process. Placemaking must bring together people from a variety of backgrounds and abilities to determine how the place is shared and used. A great place compels people to come back again and again.
What is the difference between Placemaking and Placekeeping?
Placekeeping is a form of engagement that prioritizes ecological, historical and cultural relationships relating to the care of a place. It unsettles shared public spaces to bring Indigenous histories and futures into focus.
We recommend this popular and key resource on civic-Indigenous placekeeping available at no-cost on the Evergreen Resource Hub for download in full or in part.
Civic-Indigenous Placekeeping and Partnership Building Toolkit
By Tanya Chung-Tiam-Fook, Evergreen 2021, 169 pages
The history and future of cities in Canada are interwoven with Indigenous peoples and their lands, rights, systems, identities and futures. This Toolkit is intended for all those who are interested and passionate about Indigenous worldviews and truth and reconciliation. It will be especially useful for community leaders, practitioners, staff from municipalities and civic and cultural organizations working in the spaces of placekeeping, city building and reconciliation and who want to strengthen their relationships with Indigenous partners.
In the toolkit you will find context, teachings, tools and approaches for community engagement.