Field Notes: Brand Development

Isaac Kremer/ April 22, 2023/ Civic, Field Notes/ 0 comments

Many think of a nonprofit brand about being about a logo and tagline. It’s so much deeper than that capturing perceptions of what a nonprofit stands for, what it does, and how much social impact it is thought to achieve. Peter Frumkin at the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice

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Field Notes: Conversation Landscape

Isaac Kremer/ April 13, 2023/ Civic, Field Notes/ 0 comments

We first became acquainted with the concept of a conversation landscape from the work by the urban designer Jan Gehl. The following quote from the book Life Between Buildings captured the concept well. “Chairs placed close together around a table, such as in sidewalk cafes, help conversations start. Good conversation landscapes can be found in traditional European train compartments. In

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Field Notes: Open Space Technology

Isaac Kremer/ April 10, 2023/ Civic, Field Notes/ 0 comments

Open Space Technology is something I first became acquainted with in 2017. Since that time it has become an organizing principle for every meeting I moderate. The rules are simple: When it starts is the right time. Who shows up are the right people. When its over, its over. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. They are

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Field Notes: Triadic Closure

Isaac Kremer/ April 8, 2023/ Civic, Field Notes/ 0 comments

Triadic closure is an important skill for building strong and resilient networks. As an example, I know Hannah and Ed but they might not know each other. Introducing Hannah and Ed opens the possibility for connection and sharing between their networks. This skill is most powerful in person but introductions may also be done by email. Strong network builders apply

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

Isaac Kremer/ March 4, 2022/ Civic, Physical, 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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Americans Return to Main Street – Review of Main Street’s Comeback by Mary Means

Isaac Kremer/ March 2, 2022/ Civic, Economic, Physical, preservation, Social, Writing/ 0 comments

By Isaac D. Kremer To purchase: Means, Mary. Main Street’s Comeback: And How it Can Come Back Again. HammonWood Press. 2020. The story of the revival of historic downtowns across the US is inextricably tied to Mary Means. In her role as Field Director for the National Trust for Historic Preservation covering the vast Midwest region of 10 states, she

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Marketlands – Winnipeg, Canada

Isaac Kremer/ September 12, 2017/ Civic, placemaking, plaza/ 0 comments

Market Lands is a project of the Centre Venture Development Corporation, meant to facilitate public private partnerships in downtown Winnipeg. Some interesting pre-vitalization activities occurred on the site. A shipping container complex provided space for community engagement to occur. Pavement painting with red arrows drew people towards the containers, and enlivened the paved area around them. A design competition was

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UWSA Bike Lab – Winnipeg, Canada

Isaac Kremer/ September 12, 2017/ Civic, placemaking/ 0 comments

The University of Winnipeg Student Association Bike Lab is an on-campus location for students and community members. The lab is inside of two conjoined shipping painters that are artistically painted on the outside. A glass door between the containers provides entry. Established in 2011, the Bike Lab hosts workshops for all skill levels and is open for cyclists to drop

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