Bronwyn Clarke

My application/campaign/project is all about delivering on and honouring a pledge I made in 2013 at the inaugural Placemaking
Leadership Council in Detroit to further the Placemaking movement wherever and whenever I can.  Particularly in Australia. I must stress that this is a personal campaign to be undertaken as a voluntary contributor to Placemaking.

Placemaking focuses on how important it is to place ‘people first’ when enhancing and revitalising community open spaces. The placing of people first in preference to technically driven design based solutions is essential if we are to ‘get it right’ as Placemakers and Place Managers.

My campaign/project, is about covering the costs of getting to the second Placemaking Leadership Council in Pittsburgh from Sydney (Australia) on 8 & 9 September 2014 .  I am a member of the online International PLC Curriculum Task Group, and we are due report on our collective findings re the development of a Placemaking Degree Course, initially for the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, however, the likes of which will act as an international model for Placemaking into the future.

Our community open spaces need to be inviting, safe and flexible to allow all interests, activities and gatherings to be experienced by those who live, work, play and are 'attached' to that community. Placemaking is about creating the 'glue' that holds people together. It is about building social cohesion which creates the 'vibe' of a place. This is a multidisciplinary process which brings together Social,cultural economic and environmentally enhancing outcomes.  This sense of place and attachment to place needs to be nurtured and the surrounding infrastructure must service the particular community's 'sense of place' my community. So one can say..."I love where I live".

In April 2013 I was invited to attend the Inaugural Placemaking Leadership Council in Detroit. Against all odds and at personal expense I took leave from my regular job, which is in fact as a Project/Place Manager for the revitalisation of Lane Cove Town Centre, - a Sydney suburban Village located very close to the City of Sydney (more about this later) and made the six day round trip. It was a decision I will never regret as it was there in the most devastatingly decaying city in the world that i witnessed the most inspirational rebirthing of an economy driven by community passion and innovative entrepreneurship. The full story of the Place Leadership Council can be seen on the Facebook Pages, blogs and website of Projects for Public Spaces, PPS.

As stated previously, it was my pledge to continue the Placemaking discussion wherever and whenever I could. I can solemnly say that over the last 18 months I have done this.

My involvement in the Place leadership Council has resulted in an invitation to become part of the PLC (Placemaking
Leadership Council ) PPS Curriculum Task Group . This international online task group of 26 people from Ireland, UK, Europe, USA, Mexico, Middle America, Australia (2 people) and beyond have been in dialogue over the development of a PlacemakingDegree and Post Degree Course Curriculum, initially for the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, which can be an international model to educate Placemakers of the Future.

The Placemaking Movement is in its relative infancy at the moment and the time is ripe for practitioners with the accumulated ‘on the ground’ mature knowledge of the complexity of disciplines required for Placemaking success, to come together and share the wisdom and advise on methods of disseminating the ‘knowledge’ through educational and vocational channels.  My attendance at the 2nd Place Leadership Council in Pittsburgh on 8/9 September 2014 is the next step is about maintaining the impetus, gaining the support of colleagues and champions and building the case for Placemaking Degree Courses and similar vocational courses around the world.

The budget for  undertaking this project is as follows:

$2240  flights
$1500 acc/food/incl registration $700 to Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place Conference (10-12 Sept) attached to PLC (Meeting 8/9 Sept)
$500 PLC Registration
Total $4240

My skills and knowledge as a Place Manager practitioner are transportable, however I still have an over riding pride and dedication to the work, we, (the Lane Cove Alive Leadership Group Inc Board, plus myself in the role of Project/Place Manager) have achieved over the past 7 years and I would very much like this to continue.  This is why I have chosen to try to raise funds privately through Pozible to cover my expenses to  attend the 2nd PLC in Pittsburgh thus honouring my commitment to the Placemaking Movement whilst bringing value to my Leadership Board Members' considerable pro bono contribution to Placemaking in our community. If I achieve my $ goal I will be attending the 2nd Placemaking Leadership Council, in my capacity as a private voluntary invited member of the Placemaking Leadership Council Curriculum Task Group, (a specially gathered International Online LinkedIn Private Membership Group) which has been exchanging curriculum development expertise on Placemaking since the Detroit PLC.