Visit to Baltimore – Baltimore, Maryland

Isaac Kremer/ November 29, 2024/ Field Notes, Physical, public art, Social, storefront, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

Baltimore has a distinctive character with rowhouses lining many blocks. This self-serve pop-up to sell fresh flowers is an interesting way to activate public spaces and provide a service, while earning some revenue. We wanted to try an ice cream place but it was closed. So we tried the best chocolate covered berries in Baltimore. Was fun to have a

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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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Field Notes: Parklet

Isaac Kremer/ April 10, 2023/ Economic, Field Notes, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

A parklet is not only a physical intervention but also an economic one. To transform a parking spot on average of 250 to 400 square feet into a place for people allows getting a greater return on investment. Various studies have shown that spending by parklet users can boost revenue at neighboring businesses by 2x or 3x. This spending is

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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: The BOB – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Isaac Kremer/ August 28, 2019/ Economic, Field Notes, placemaking, plaza, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

The BOB – which stands for “Big Old Building” – is a go to social and entertainment venue in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have creatively repurposed the space with dining, indoor and outdoor entertainment, and the new 20 Monroe Live space for up to 2580 people. The outdoor beer garden is more open than others we’ve seen and feels

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