Dare to Be Great

Isaac Kremer/ March 31, 2014/ preservation, tactical urbanism, Writing/ 0 comments

The lessons I’ve learned as a downtown manager over the past 15 years could easily fill a book, or probably several. But if I had to distill everything down to a simple message, it would be this: Take risks, and make mistakes. Be open to unexpected surprises along the way. Dare to be great every day. My career often seems

Read More

East End Bazaar – Charleston, West Virginia

Isaac Kremer/ November 21, 2013/ Economic, Field Notes, market, Physical, plaza, Social, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

Just a few blocks away from the Capitol Market in Charleston is the East End Bazaar. While it doesn’t look like much, this market space serves a valuable function supporting farmers and makers. The low-cost and temporary looking structures here are the exact opposite of the Capitol Market. Both serve an important function contributing to the social, economic, and civic

Read More

It’s Good To Be Here – New Orleans, Louisiana

Isaac Kremer/ November 12, 2013/ Field Notes, Physical, public art, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

Application in Kentucky Building on this model it was applied in Middlesboro, Kentucky during the Better Block event held there in 2013. Another stencil promoted the event “Build a Better Block Middlesboro.” Finally, the “Greater in the Crater” stencil expressed the fact that Middlesboro is a city that was built in a meteorite crater formed 200 million years ago.

Better Block Middlesboro 2013 – Middlesboro, Kentucky

Isaac Kremer/ October 28, 2013/ placemaking, storefront, tactical urbanism/ 0 comments

Better Block Middlesboro was a community planning event that mobilized over 100 volunteers and attracted more than $25,000 including an award from the Successful Communities Contest which Middlesboro won, that helped to fund this project. In a two month period ideas were rapidly iterated, proposed, refined, and fully implemented to demonstrate to the community that positive change was possible and

Read More

30 Ideas in 30 Days – Better Block Middlesborough

Isaac Kremer/ October 26, 2013/ tactical urbanism, Writing/ 0 comments

This series of articles was first written to coincide with Better Block Middlesborough in October 2013. It has since been published here in full to show 30 different ideas to help make places better. Managing the Event #1: Think Incrementally #2: Build a Better Block #3: Encourage Public Participation #4: Temporary to Permanent #5: Pre-vitalization #6: Leverage the Power of

Read More