Every community has different placemaking issues and opportunities that vary in scale and intensity. The Community Vitality + Placemaking Team works with local UW-Extension Educators and communities to diagnose and craft an appropriate placemaking response. Typically, responses are developed to address 3 different scales.
Community (3-day charrette): In some cases, a 3-day charrette is selected because it addresses community-wide issues in a holistic approach. A multi-disciplinary team of 20 professionals stays with host families from Thursday thru Saturday. The team of architects, landscape architects, planners, economic developers, engineers, artists, etc. works with the community to discover a shared vision of the future as well as some methods to realize that vision. Prior to the charrette, a community-wide survey, a youth survey, a teen S.W.O.T. analysis, a market analysis, and demographic analysis are conducted. During the charrette, public participation includes a half-day battery of community presentations, 3 focus groups, site tours, and a community-wide workshop. Fee: $5,000 + team housing and meals.
Area/Neighborhood (1.5-day charrette): Communities who want to target a specific area or neighborhood may not need to devote resources towards a 3-day charrette. In these cases, UW-Extension will work with the community to bring a team of 5-10 professional volunteers. Prior to the charrette, a community-wide survey, a youth survey, and market analysis are conducted. During the charrette, public participation is limited to a visioning session with a focus group and site tours. Fee: $2,500 + team housing and meals.
Site-Specific (half-day charrette): Instances in which the community has identified a singular site for visioning, a small 2-3 person team facilitates a half-day charrette with a local stakeholder group. Prior to the visit, a local UW-Extension Educator conducts a visioning session with those stakeholders. During the charrette, public participation is limited to a half-day workshop with the stakeholder group to develop design alternatives. Fee: $1,000
