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City Share: Community Design+Build Friday, October 07, 2011

Please join us at noon on Wednesday, October 12th for City Share at CreateHere.

City Share is a conversation-based speaker series focused on sharing creative solutions to community issues and giving community members an opportunity to dialogue with individuals from around the country using web-based video projection.

Dan Harding is an Associate Professor of Architecture Design+Build and serves as the Director of the Community Research and Design Center (CRDC) as well as studioSOUTH at Clemson University. He is also the founding partner and Principal Design Director of Intrinsik Architecture, a full service architecture, planning, and design+build practice based in Bozeman, Montana.

Even though Dan Harding, left, has only been teaching at Clemson (since 2009), his students have already received national accolades for their work involving spaces that connect people to themselves, others and nature.—Clemson University

As Director of the CRDC and studioSOUTH at Clemson University, Harding provides opportunities for his students to work collaboratively with communities to design and construct solutions to real needs within the community. Engaging the community in the design process both fosters personal relationships between students and clients, and allows the community to take ownership of the built work.

By using a multidisciplinary approach, Harding is bringing planners, architects, builders and researchers together to create better designs and solutions. This multidisciplinary approach also enhances the ability to work on projects at different scales, emphasizing the importance of understanding each project’s connection to the larger community.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 12th at noon for a conversation with Dan Harding regarding his professional practice, community efforts, sustainability, and the nature of a design+build praxis.

Lunch will be provided by Sweet Peppers Deli.

RSVP on Facebook or Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Posted by Dave Walker
Chattanooga STAND: Placemaking in Our Community Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts published a paper on creative placemaking, saying, “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.” The paper presents several creative placemaking examples in different types of American cities, providing their methods toward success and the challenges each encountered in creating an artistic place. But placemaking can take many different forms. For instance, this past week, Chattanooga STAND served as a platform for two placemaking events.

First, on Wednesday September 28, Stand and CreateHere hosted Jennifer Pahlka at City Share: Code for America. And then on Saturday, Chattanooga STAND brought together Chattanoogans to rebuild the Roy Nelms Park in St. Elmo after its gazebo was destroyed in the spring storms. These events were inspiring in their messages and in that they provided opportunities for different parts of our community to come together and work toward challenges in our community.

Jennifer Pahlka is the cofounder of Code for America, which joins young programmers with governments to develop projects that make government more efficient and engaging. As she spoke via skype to a room-capacity crowd, she presented several innovative apps developed by programmers for Code for America, such as an app that allows community members to Adopt a Hydrant in order to assist fire departments by digging out fire hydrants after snow storms and an app called Reroute.it that offers transportation choices to commuters, hoping that they’ll choose a more eco-friendly route or method of transportation once they can see the efficient route for several different modes of transportation. If you missed City Share: Code for America, you can watch it here.

Chattanooga-architect David Barlew recently blogged about the lecture:

Listening to Pahlka describe the different apps, it becomes clear that Code for America has been very successful in developing innovative ways to solve a wide variety of problems ranging from the serious (life-safety concerns) to the cultural (public art). “Experimentation is critical to success,” she explains. She goes on to note that one must not only encourage experimentation but also have a tolerance of failure if one hopes to be successful in innovation. She explained how a strictly linear design process fails to produce the kind of creative solutions necessary to tackle most problems. This notion is familiar to architects, who frequently employ a circular design process in developing design solutions. Design rarely goes from start to finish along an unobstructed, smooth continuum. Instead, various approaches are applied to the problem until an effective solution is reached. On a building project, this process takes place regardless of the size or scope of the assignment as issues of life-safety, cost, materials and assemblies must always be addressed. Pahlka later continued this line of thinking, saying that citizens have a role in allowing government to experiment.

Pahlka has created an innovative model for community members to participate with their government in bettering their communities and making them smarter. When people gathered at CreateHere for City Share, they too became a part of placemaking, listening and sharing ideas that are specific to Chattanooga, and with trial and development will eventually make our city greater.

And when several hundred people gathered throughout the day Saturday to take part in rebuilding the Roy Nelms park, they participated in a different form of placemaking, but were equally as effective, transforming the space, making it more inviting and more useful. As Chattanooga’s Director of Parks Bob Sayles told Nooga.com, “The park will be much better than it was. That can be the beauty of a tragedy that sometimes brings people together and this is one example of how that works. These are very special citizens working to put all this back together.”

For more photographs from the day, click here.

Frankie Pope, daughter-in-law, of Roy Nelms wrote, “Roy would be so proud of what all joined together to rebuild the park. I think he would have been so pleased to see, not only young workers, but all of the children that are growing in St. Elmo.”

The all-day event began with a story in the Times Free Press reported. Then as community members joined with Partners of the Project: Osteen Construction, City of Chattanooga Parks and Rec, St. Elmo Neighborhood Association, Chattanooga STAND, and The Grounds Guys, and Sponsors of the Project: Nooga.com, Strauss Company, Ivy Academy, Bi- Lo, Pasha, Blaire Foster, Niedlovs, New Binkley Brothers, TN Hustlers, Gerle Haggard, The Barn Nursey, Deep Roots Landscaping, The Tool Barn, Suntrust, Coke, Brooks, Moore, & Associates, the day quickly progressed to raising a new gazebo, landscaping the park, and installing new park benches, a picnic table, a bird bath, and a bike rack. The event also featured local musicians, food, yoga, and activities for children.

What began as a challenge identified by Andrew Kean at an emerging leaders group roundtable hosted by Chattanooga STAND, led to conversations with the city parks and rec and with the St. Elmo’s Neighborhood Association and with local businesses and residents. STAND was active in linking thoughtful leaders together to make this project a success, but it can easily be replicated for another project with a different need.

In both instances of placemaking this past week, Chattanoogans reached out to learn from each other and take small steps to improve our community, and this provides great hope.

Opportunities for Placemaking Next Week

Next Wednesday, October 12th, Chattanooga STAND plans to kickoff Open Chattanooga (#openCHA) between 5:30-7:30 with pizza and beer at CreateHere. Please share your ideas, resources, and thoughts here prior to the event, so Chattanooga STAND can identify overlapping ideas and government needs in order to build teams ready to create new solutions at the event.

Chattanooga STAND hopes to see these teams segue into the ‘social innovation’ track of 48hour Launch and share their ideas at the pre-event pitch night on Novemeber 3rd from 6pm-9pm. As mentioned at City Share, Chattanooga STAND is sponsoring the social innovation track this year and excited to put forth $2,500 to the winner, and encourages those interested to utilize the STAND data/results for idea generation.

For more information, please visit the Chattanooga STAND website.

Posted by Dave Walker
MakeWork: Sustainability Monday, October 03, 2011

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use.
- Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Every few months MakeWork Grantees get together for their Sustainability Sessions at CreateHere. This year we are using a new roundtables format where everyone brainstorms, shares experiences, and strategizes together. The meetings are not just about completing a successful project during their grant cycle but cultivating a stronger and more meaningful career.

Our last roundtables meeting opened with a creative show and tell. Bicycle wheels, journals, sound bites, Vimeo clips, and ceremonial vases delighted and entertained. The breadth and quality of work being produced this cycle is truly inspiring. Our artists have also committed to five new collaborations and several studio tours. Important topic discussed during our session included marketing strategies, promoting inter-disciplinary collaboration, and creative frustrations. Visit MakeWork to learn more about our Grantees and our ongoing projects.

MakeWork Grantee Christie Burns from CreateHere on Vimeo.

Our grantees have a full schedule, and are also prepping for a MainX24 showcase, where work will be exhibited at CreateHere and Track 29. Read our artists’ blogs for details and updates.

Posted by Dave Walker
Broken Windows Brigade Quick Thought: A Citizen’s Responsibility Friday, September 30, 2011

American communities and their local Police Departments tend to agree that with today’s government budget limitations, crime prevention must include a city-wide, collaborative strategy. Because police officers are occupied almost entirely by reacting to crime-in-progress, prevention is left to a few investigators, and local citizens. We musn’t forget Democracy is not a “spectator sport;” it requires active participation and extra effort to keep it healthy. We must perpetually, habitually engage in the democratic process by exercising our rights and sharing our passion for positive social change.

The Broken Windows Brigade led a conversation Monday evening with a group of East Chattanooga residents to discuss strategies for self-organization, to create positive momentum in their neighborhood and a voice for their “forgotten” neighbors. These locals, many of them having lived on Wheeler Avenue for 30+ years, have seen East Chattanooga rise and fall, and are ready to restore the district to its former civility. Though they jokingly question their ability to make a difference because of their age, they have a great deal of experience are determined to try to improve their home - to lead by example.

Because their neighborhood (and most of East Chattanooga) is dealing with several social issues, including crime, the group explored a standard process for progressing from collective concern to noticeable change. They hope to raise awareness and gain support for current challenges by regularly sharing their concern and immediately acting toward true solutions. Similarly, they recognized that “good” communities are not necessarily smarter than “not-so-good” ones, they just have a superior process of maintenance and growth.

Commtting to a continual process of self-improvement, as a community, is the essence of local Democracy - an ideal requirement of American citizens - which can solve many problems including crime.

Posted by Dave Walker
Education Events: Girls Inc. Celebrates 50 with Pure Gold & Battle Academy’s Annual Battle Banzai Thursday, September 29, 2011

How do you celebrate 50 years of inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold?
Join Girls Inc. of Chattanooga at Pure Gold on Friday, October 14, 2011. The black-tie optional, dinner and dance event will be held at The Chattanoogan beginning with hor d’oeuvres at 6:00 p.m. Guests will also enjoy dinner, dessert and a fun photo booth in which they can try on styles from the sixties through the present.

Dinner will feature a presentation about Girls Inc. of Chattanooga’s 50 year history, including speakers from past decades and original poetry inspired by Girls Inc. of Chattanooga’s message, written by Dr. Gail Dawson and read by real Girls Inc. girls. Following dinner, the celebration will also feature live music by The Malemen Show Band and a live auction featuring big ticket items from local businesses.

The Chattanooga affiliate of the international Girls Inc. organization was founded on February 15, 1961. Since then, the organization has served over 23,000 girls in the Hamilton County area. Recently, Girls Inc. was chosen by 88 national experts as one of nine top youth serving organizations in the country by Philanthropedia from 178 organizations.

Tickets and tables to Pure Gold can be purchased at www.girlsincofchatt.org or by clicking here. VIP tables of eight are $1,500 and include one free mixed drink for each guest, a bottle of champagne for the table and a ¼ page ad in the event program. Reserved tables are $1,000 and individual tickets for open seating are $100. For more information about Girls Inc. of Chattanooga or Pure Gold, please call (423) 624-4757.

Battle Academy to Host 3rd Annual Fall Festival
Please join Battle Academy at Battle Banzai: Our World’s Journey Begins on Main Street November 5th from 10 am – 3 pm. The fall festival will have something for everyone, including arts, music, games, food, presentations and a silent auction! Proceeds from the festival will help support the school’s arts education program, field study experiences, and provide educational materials. Sponsorships are available and donations for the silent auction are needed.

Battle Academy is located on the corner of Market Street and Main Street at 1601 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. For more information, please call 423.209.5747 or visit the Facebook events page or visit Battle Academy’s www.battlerockets.com.

Posted by Dave Walker