Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Dear colleague,

Leonardo Vazquez
In late 2012, Rutgers University effectively shut down the Arts Build Communities initiative by eliminating all the staff positions associated with it (including my own.)

We were doing important and fruitful work, so we've decided to continue it through The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking.

We are continuing to:

  •  help community and civic leaders build their capacity to do better creative placemaking;
  • provide practical research to help leaders, community stakeholders and their advisors make more informed decisions about community and economic development through the arts;
  • offer thought leadership -- from the op-ed page to the podium on the stage to the strategic conversation -- to promote better creative placemaking.
There is a lot going on.  We're working on a creative placemaking plan in Long Beach Island, NJ. We are training community coaches to work throughout the state of Louisiana.  And we are promoting creative placemaking in New Jersey through the influential tool of Sustainable Jersey certification.

As we continue with our work, and bring partners into the consortium, we'll use this temporary site and our newsletter to let you know.  If you'd like to subscribe to our newsletter, please click here.

Thanks, and I look forward to continuing our work together.

Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
Executive Director
The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking