Creative Placemaking And Building Community Power In Parks with Mathew Clarke

In this episode, Raven Nee and Helen Solomon interview Mathew Clarke, the director at the Design Trust for Public Land. They discuss equity and community engagement, as well as the underlying power dynamics that shape traditional modes of engagement. They break down the historic paradigms and challenge the meaning of community engagement. They discuss a park in Wenatchee, Washington as an example of building community power and the unexpected outcomes that come from a participatory and equitable process. Tune in to hear more about equitable community engagement in parks!

Highlights from the Conversation:

• Equitable community engagement
• Building community power versus empowering communities
• Race, gender, background, identity
• Respecting the agency of communities 
• Parks are a conduit for building community
• 10-minute walk to a park
• Engaging with the physical space, building connections
• Fear of gentrification and deportation as barriers
• Protecting vulnerable communities
• Fostering self-awareness: to know what privileges we rest on

Guest Mini Bio:

• Matthew Clarke is the current Executive Director at the Design Trust for Public Space and former National Director of Creative Placemaking at the Trust for Public Land. 
  • As an architect and planner he advocates for the development of diverse public spaces and equitable communities
  • He also authored “The Field Guide for Creative Placemaking and Parks”
• Keep up with Mathew on his Linkedin

Learn More!

• Check out the case study from Wenatchee, Washington
  • Kiwanis Methow Park Project  
  • Watch the video (3 minute watch): Parks for People–Wenatchee Valley
• Case study in Washington, D.C.
  • 11th Street Bridge Park
• Learn more about tools for building community power from the Urban Institute

Credits:

A special thanks to Mathew Clarke. Voice, research, and interview credits to: Raven Nee and Helen Solomon. Intro and Outro voice: Alex Davis. Produced by: Raven Nee.