mark lakeman

Mark Lakeman

I first learned about place-making from Mark Lakeman at his office in Portland. In addition to running an architecture/design business, (Communitecture) Mark co-founded City Repair Project.

City Repair takes a hands-on approach to placemaking by sponsoring the Village Building Convergence (VBC).

Hands-on placemaking programs like VBC provides three benefits:

  1. A live project brings together organizations. (see #1. North Tabor Mandala project, below)
  2. A live project attracts people. (see #2. Beech Street project, below)
  3. A live project motivates action. (see #3. Right To Dream, Too project, below)

City Repair’s mission page explains their philosophy of placemaking:

City Repair facilitates artistic and ecologically-oriented placemaking through projects that honor the interconnection of human communities and the natural world.

City Repair’s history page cites placemaking program:

Our biggest annual program is the Village Building Convergence. Over the past 15 years we have facilitated 1000s of community members in their placemaking journey.

City Repair’s Intersection Repair page feature many of their live projects.

Here are three examples:

1. North Tabor Mandala

Extracted from http://www.cityrepair.org/north-tabor-mandala

2015 Description:

North Tabor Neighborhood Association in conjunction with South East Uplift was overjoyed to bring an intersection mandala into the heart of the neighborhood. In the spirit of their long term goals to bring life, culture, and vibrancy to the community, they worked with the local Portland Montessori School, whose upper elementary school children produced a design of geometric shapes, angles, and patterns.

2. Beech Street Project

Extracted from https://www.facebook.com/BeechStProject/?fref=nf Beech St. Project

 December 2, 2014

Hi Neighbors! In case you missed it our little street made international news. The project and the story are inspiring community builders in Japan!.

January 23, 2016

Japanese group tour PDX Placemaking

Extracted from http://www.cityrepair.org/blog/2016/1/23/japanese-group-tour-pdx-placemaking

group photo.jpg

On 1/16 and 1/23, workers from a Japanese factory visited The City Repair Project and Propel Studio to learn about our design work to serve communities.

We presented on our work and then toured placemaking sites including the Hawthorne Hostel on SE 31st and Hawthorne and the Dialogue Dome/Cob Oven/Grazing Gardens of Portland State University.

3. Right To Dream, Too

Extracted from http://www.cityrepair.org/calendar/2016/2/4/support-right-2-dream-too-at-city-council

Calendar of EventsSupport Right 2 Dream Too at City Council!
  • Thursday, February 18, 2016
  • 2:00pm 5:00pm
  • Portland City Hall1220 SW 5th AvePortland, OR

City Council will be discussing an item titled “SE Harrison Street Vacation and Karl Arruda Zoning Confirmation Letter and Use Agreement for SE 3rd & Harrison” which is to make way for Right 2 Dream Too to inhabit a new space. Please come out to support our villager friends!

Extracted from http://www.portlandoregon.gov/auditor/56674

resolution

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