About
"Join the Conversation!: How Placemaking Conquered Community Development"
In urban planning and design, the concept of placemaking emphasizes community participation, diversity, and everyday residents’ role in producing place, often through artistic interventions in public spaces. This project examines the emergence of placemaking as a field of professional expertise in Detroit and nationally. It argues that placemaking resolves a key tension in the practice of urban planning and within Detroit’s efforts to publicly engage communities in urban development. The urge to involve the community in decision-making comes at a time when urban inequities have gained prominence in public discourse. Placemaking aims to resolve this tension by symbolically elevating the local histories and affective ties of longtime residents, while promoting market-aligned economic development. The book project contributes to specific debates around urbanism, city planning, and community participation. More broadly, it examines the tension between institutional priorities that stress democratic legitimacy and authenticity amid the powerful role of markets in local decision-making.
Jacob Lederman is an Associate Professor of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology at the University of Michigan-Flint.
