Downtown Worcester Placemaking Action Plan + Implementation Strategy

Worcester, Massachusetts

Client: Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District

Year: 2020-2021

Project Categories: Planning, Placemaking + Downtown Districts, public art

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) brought on Civic Space Collaborative to create the ”Downtown Worcester Placemaking Action Plan + Implementation Strategy.”

The planning process consisted of three phases:

  1. ‘Gather’: a review of past plans, emphasizing existing placemaking ideas, events, and opportunities.

  2. ‘Engage + Connect’: steering committee meetings, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and community surveying.

  3. ‘Synthesize’: Prioritize and recommend opportunities to pursue in the short- and medium-term.

A three-part art installation was used to engage the public in the planning process and development of project recommendations. CSC and several local partners put out a Call for Art to enliven four storefront windows across from the prominent Hanover Theatre. The initiative tested the use of public art for public engagement in a creative way while adhering to best practices for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Art Installation

A three-part art installation was used to engage the public in the planning process and development of project recommendations. CSC and several local partners put out a Call for Art to enliven four storefront windows across from the prominent Hanover Theatre. The initiative tested the use of public art for public engagement in a creative way while adhering to best practices for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.