Field Notes: Utility Box Covers

Isaac Kremer/ June 26, 2023/ Field Notes, Physical, placemaking, Social/ 0 comments

Utility boxes are among those necessary features of modern life that add little to the built environment – in most cases. Some have been painted, others have been wrapped. They can convert a message artistically or philosophically. In Seattle the boxes were used for neighborhood branding and wayfinding. Recently when I was visiting New Brunswick, New Jersey, I found a

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Field Notes: Ongoing Program

Isaac Kremer/ June 23, 2023/ Civic, Field Notes, placemaking/ 0 comments

Over the last few years I observed how the next town over from where I live has been trying to jumpstart revitalization efforts. The town is Edison and the neighborhood is called Clara Barton. There are a few multi-story buildings but most are single story and spaced out typical of a suburban neighborhood commerical district. In years past planters were

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Field Notes: Pop-up Bocce Court

Isaac Kremer/ June 21, 2023/ Field Notes, Physical, placemaking, public art, Social, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

Never underestimate what some green astroturf and timbers can do to activate an empty or underutilized public space. We loved stumbling across this pop-up bocce court in Millburn, New Jersey. Something else they got right was clustering movable furniture, planters, and public art elements. Altogether it made a nice unexpected outdoor gathering space. Only thing lacking is to get the

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Downtown – Manchester, Vermont

Isaac Kremer/ February 19, 2023/ downtown, placemaking, plaza/ 0 comments

Northshire Bookstore is one of the best merchandized book stores I’ve seen. The store is arranged as a series of rooms to conform with the irregular floor plan of the building. Still it manages to have ample open spaces for displays. Makes it very easy to bump into the perfect book or gift item. Merchandizing with clear product groupings and

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How We Neglected Public Space in the US, and How to Make it Better

Isaac Kremer/ March 4, 2022/ placemaking, tactical urbanism, Writing/ 0 comments

Blame Vitruvius. In his treatise De Architectura around 27 BCE, the three elements critical to architecture were utilitas (function), firmitas (stability), and venustas (beauty). While so easy to articulate, in practice this harmony in buildings and places was and is so hard to achieve. Fast forward to Colonial America. Many prototypes for buildings and plans for cities hearkened back to

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Field Notes: Parklet – South Orange, New Jersey

Isaac Kremer/ September 17, 2020/ Field Notes, placemaking/ 0 comments

This very substantial parklet on South Orange Ave, just over a block away from the South Orange Performing Arts Center provides a nice outdoor seating area near restaurants. The tactical use of large concrete barriers buffers it from nearby parking and traffic on either end. Also, location near a pre-existing bump-out expands the public realm further out beyond the limits

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