COMMITEE AGENDA: 4/24/17 ITEM: D (4) TO: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC FROM: Kerry Adams Hapner DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Angel Rios, Jr. SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: April 10, 2017 Approved /s/ Date 4/13/17 Kim Walesh SUBJECT: CULTURAL URBAN ACTIVATION & CREATIVE PLACEMAKING RECOMMENDATION Accept the report of recent cultural urban activation activities led by the City and strategies to create active, special public places. BACKGROUND Placemaking is when cross-sector partners strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood or city. It animates spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired. ANALYSIS Through the Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) division of the Office of Economic Development, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS), and many partnerships, the City has led several placemaking projects aimed at increasing activation in the public realm, connecting neighborhoods and creating new gathering spaces over the past several months. Examples of Recent Placemaking Activities Urban Rooms: Designed by artist Teddy Cruz, Urban Rooms is a new public art project that has been installed at Parque de los Pobladores in the SoFA cultural district. Urban Rooms includes three shade pavilions and a stage that can be activated in a variety of ways by event organizers, SoFA art organizations and creative entrepreneurs along with simple everyday activation by SoFA residents, employees and visitors. This new model of flexible public space includes an innovative design that can be modified to suit a wide variety of programming – from concerts COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE April 10, 2017 Subject: Cultural Urban Activation and Creative Placemaking Page 2 and festivals to convention gatherings, markets, and informal everyday use. The range of possibility created by Urban Rooms will help generate and sustain cultural and economic activity in the SoFA district. Voxel Cloud at The Pierce: A striking, complex illuminated artwork designed by artist Brian W. Brush was formally inaugurated on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. Voxel Cloud is a three- dimensional sculpture with thousands of color-changing LED lights forming a cloud-like shape. The sculpture drapes across the roofline of The Pierce, downtown San Jose’s newest residential apartment building at 2 Pierce Avenue. Serving as a gateway marker for San José’s SoFA Art District, Voxel Cloud is visible to thousands of commuters, residents and visitors driving on Interstate 280, as well as aircraft utilizing Mineta San José International Airport. Voxel Cloud was made possible through a partnership between the project owner/developer, Sares Regis Group of Northern California, Pritzker Realty Group, and the OCA’s Public Art Program. It was supported in part by an ArtPlace grant awarded to the OCA for its Illuminating Downtown initiative. This innovative public/private partnership, ArtPlace grant funds supported the conceptual design of the work and the developer funded the design completion, fabrication, and installation. Lincoln Avenue Art: Two artistic crosswalks, seven murals and ten sculptures were designed and created by multiple artists to enhance the character and appeal of Willow Glen’s Lincoln Avenue commercial district. The art enhancements stimulate the area culturally and help to perpetuate economic activity. This project is a partnership between the Willow Glen Business Association (CBID), the District 6 Council Office and the OCA’s Public Art Program. Young Placemakers: The Young Placemakers pilot program empowers youth to identify neglected spaces within San José and implement a placemaking activation of their own design. Recently launched, PRNS staff will facilitate the Young Placemakers through a guided 10-week course where they will study the theories behind placemaking and will gain professional skills such as marketing, event production, and budget management. These youths will be challenged to identify spaces which would benefit from public life activation, develop a concept, source local youth talent to highlight as part of the activation, and drive implementation of the event. Forty-three youth across the City applied with 23 participating in a formal interview process. Ultimately 16 Young Placemakers were selected to take part in the inaugural pilot cohort. At the end of the experience, Young Placemakers will leave the program with a better understanding of how to engage themselves civically in public spaces through placemaking. Upcoming Activities and Initiatives CityDance: Aimed at increasing active use of Plaza de Cesar Chavez after work, CityDance is an eight-week participatory dance series starting on August 24th. Produced by the OCA in partnership with PRNS, Environmental Services Department (ESD), and the San Jose Downtown Association, the free dance series offers the residential and business community of San Jose a learning and socializing experience through music and dance. The event is an open-air instructional dance series with professional instructors and live bands/DJs and is envisioned as a COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE April 10, 2017 Subject: Cultural Urban Activation and Creative Placemaking Page 3 stylish, atmosphere-driven event with hundreds of participants (estimated attendance of 500 to 1,000 participants), comprised of downtown workers, residents, visitors, students, families and friends gathering in the park to learn a variety of social dance genres, listen to music or simply watch while connecting with others. In addition, to music and dancing, there will be a beer and wine garden and food trucks. To enhance the participatory quality and enthusiasm for the weekly music genres, genre-specific thematic fashion will be encouraged. The event will be conducted every Thursday evening from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm concluding on evening of October 12th. This is the second year of the incubation program which is intended to continue for the next three years. In addition to OCA funds, CityDance is being made possible through the generous support of the Hotel Business Improvement District (HBID) and Team San Jose and the Knight Foundation. Make Music Day: Make Music Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of music making on the summer solstice, June 21. San Jose will join the celebration for the first time in 2017. Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music San Jose is open to anyone who wants to take part. The spirit of the day is that of a holiday: people getting together in their own neighborhoods, creating their own musical events in a do-it-yourself fashion. With the goal of establishing the celebration as an annual San Jose event, OCA will spearhead a marketing campaign around Make Music San Jose and will work with partners to seed music events citywide. OCA is working with the San Jose Public Library and PRNS to facilitate performances at the branch libraries, City parks, and community centers. Outreach will also be conducted to music-oriented and arts-friendly businesses to host performances. Through the national Make Music Alliance, matchmaking software has been developed which will help pair local artists with venues looking for performers. At strategic neighborhood locations, OCA will host Mass Appeals, which are group performance where the public plays along on similar instruments, such as harmonicas or ukuleles. Neighborhood Gateway Galleries: Neighborhood Gateway Galleries is a citywide public art initiative designed to connect neighborhoods and reclaim the space surrounding underpasses and bridges for safe pedestrian use. Phase I of this initiative is being launched in East San Jose. The three underpass locations, I-680/King Road, I-680/Jackson Ave, and I-680/Capitol Expressway, were identified by Vice Mayor Carrasco’s office in response to community input. Additional locations in other San Jose neighborhoods are currently being identified. Community engagement is at the core of the Neighborhood Gateway Gallery initiative. The selected artist for each neighborhood will develop a design strategy for the Neighborhood Gateway Gallery, and will lead residents in participatory design and artmaking workshops, the aesthetic outcomes of which will be incorporated into a final unified design. The artists are selected by an RFQ process and a community review panel. Viva Parks!: Launched in 2015, Viva Parks! is series of free public events focused on health and wellness resources, physical activities, and provides an opportunity for neighbors to strengthen door to door/street to street relationships. Over the past year, nine parks were activated in Council Districts 3, 5, 7, 10. These events averaged over 200 neighborhood residents in attendance per event. In April and June, two more Viva Parks! events are scheduled for activation in Chris Hotts Park in District 10. COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE April 10,2017 Subject: Cultural Urban Activation and Creative Placemaking Page 4 "It's Happening" at St. James Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez: Coming into its fourth year of activation efforts at St. James Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez, PRNS leads efforts to enhance the opportunities provided in both centrally located parks. The St. James Park Urban Activation Grant has allowed PRNS to identify nearly two dozen agencies who will have the ability to provide enriching and engaging activities free to the public starting in June through the summer season.