Placemaking

In August 2005, we planted ourselves in the Enderly Park neighborhood of Charlotte, NC.  We didn't know at the time that we were a part of a wider movement of faith called New Monasticism.

The "Twelve Marks" of new monasticism express the common thread of many new monastic communities.^[9] These "marks" are:

• Relocation to the "abandoned places of Empire" [at the margins of society]
• Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us
• Hospitality to the stranger
• Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation
• Humble submission to Christ’s body, the Church
• Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate
• Nurturing common life among members of an intentional community
• Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children
• Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life
• Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies
• Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18
• Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life

[copied from the wikipedia page]

When we planted ourselves in Enderly park, we thought of ourselves as "relocating to the 'abandoned places of Empire.'"  These days, we talk about ourselves being rooted in the "Good Soil" of Enderly Park.  QC Family Tree's belief statements say, "We believe the people and places surrounding the Enderly Park neighborhood are the good soil in which we desire to be planted.  Because the soil where we are planted bears the wounds of racial oppression, we will always be working against the legacy of racism.  We look to our neighbors for wisdom, guidance, and mutual care.”    

As with any neighborhood, the good soil of Enderly Park is full of wonderful people and resources. As with any neighborhood, Enderly Park is a place that could stand to be improved.  Because the soil where we are planted bears the wounds of racial oppression and economic injustice, the work of healing requires a great deal of diligence and time.  The work of healing also requires our cooperation and engagement.

Several years ago, I stumbled across The Great Neighborhood Book: A do-it-yourself guide to placemaking created by the Project for Public Spaces.  Here's an excerpt from their article on Placemaking:

WHAT IF WE BUILT OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND PLACES?

Placemaking is a quiet movement that reimagines public spaces as the heart of every community, in every city. It’s a transformative approach that inspires people to create and improve their public places. Placemaking strengthens the connection between people and the places they share.

Placemaking is how we collectively shape our public realm to maximize shared value. Rooted in community-based participation, Placemaking involves the planning, design, management and programming of public spaces. More than just creating better urban design of public spaces, Placemaking facilitates creative patterns of activities and connections (cultural, economic, social, ecological) that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. Placemaking is how people are more collectively and intentionally shaping our world, and our future on this planet.

With the increasing awareness that our human environment is shaping us, Placemaking is how we shape humanity’s future. While environmentalism has challenged human impact on our planet, it is not the planet that is threatened but humanity’s ability to live viably here. Placemaking is building both the settlement patterns, and the communal capacity, for people to thrive with each other and our natural world. 

Over the years, we have worked alongside neighbors to build a sense of place on our little corner.  We have created a garden oasis of beauty- our little way of practicing resurrection.  We have created an environment of care for one another- family life.  We look out for each other and try our best to help one another when someone has a need.  We enjoy table fellowship together at Community Meals and other neighborhood events.  Indeed, this place is good soil and there is still more we can do.

Questions for consideration:

What are the ways in which you are working with others to create a strong sense of community in your neighborhood?

How does your life overlap with the lives of your neighbors?

Think about transportation in your neighborhood?  How can transportation create a sense of community?

Are there public spaces in your neighborhood?  How do they reflect your community?  How could they be transformed to create a deeper sense of community?  

In what ways could you refocus your daily routine to regain a sense of place?  

How can you encourage others to regain a sense of place? of community?