INCLUSIVE PLACEMAKING

A case study on Tom Lee Park by Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation. Made possible with support from Reimagining Civic Commons.

“Public spaces become meaningful places from the actions of the people who use them. Although public spaces cannot force people to engage with each other, great ones, such as equitably designed and programmed parks, can nudge people toward shared public life. Toward this end, many local communities are aspiring to develop places as common ground that create opportunities for conviviality and social mixing. In the United States, this potential for conviviality and social mixing in cities is often hindered by the inequities in access to high-quality public spaces along racial and socioeconomic lines.

This case on the design and opening of Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee captures the Memphis River Parks Partnership’s (Memphis River Parks) approach to creating a welcoming, inclusive park for all users and aims to contribute to the conversation on the potential of public spaces for advancing equity, prosperity and belonging.”