'Space in Between' contest seeks creative transitional uses of vacant spaces through Aug. 31
Today marks the official start of MPC’s fourth annual Placemaking contest. This year’s is “Space in Between,” which is seeking the most creative and interactive temporary uses of vacant space in metropolitan Chicago, Northwest Indiana, and southeastern Wisconsin.
Why temporary? In recent years, more and more vacant spaces have popped up in communities across the region. Particularly in neighborhoods that bore the brunt of the recession, achieving the ideal use of these spaces may take a while. The "Space in Between" contest re-focuses our energy, creativity and funds on the great potential for meaningful places to exist between a vacant space’s current state and its ideal, finished state. This contest is about the "here and now," not the "maybe someday.” Want more background? Read a blog post I recently wrote, explaining why temporary re-use of vacant space is important.
So–have you worked with your community to infuse life into a vacant place? Between now and Aug. 31, at PlacemakingChicago.com, submit a photo or video of your place and a short (250 words or less) description of how you creatively transformed a vacant space into a community asset – a place where people come to congregate, celebrate or create. And help us spread the word about this contest by sharing this short promotional video: