Engaging the Whole Neighborhood: Innovative Creative Placemaking and Historic Preservation

Creative placemaking and historic preservation are both powerful tools for community revitalization. Creative placemaking is a people-first practice, using arts and culture to enhance the lives of residents who work and play in the neighborhood. At its best, historic preservation protects structures that are important to the history and culture of a community while serving the needs of current residents. In North Philadelphia, the Friends of the Tanner House are tapped into both practices to transform a dilapidated historic rowhome into a revitalized cultural hub. Through an expansive resident engagement strategy and thoughtful partnerships, Friends of the Tanner House is turning the historic Henry Ossawa Tanner House into a site of family-centered artistic, intellectual, and cultural programming. Their work serves as a powerful model for other organizations looking to go beyond stabilization to turn vacant structures into anchor institutions. Join this webinar to: • Understand the resident-led creative visioning process that made this neighborhood scale creative placemaking effort possible • Learn how to build neighborhood partnerships and hear from Tanner House partner Strawberry Mansion Learning Center • Hear about the unique engagement and logistical aspects of creative placemaking work that involves historic preservation Speakers: • Christopher R. Rogers, Co-Coordinator, Friends of the Tanner House • Kevin Upshur, Founder & President, Strawberry Mansion Learning Center