The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking: September 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

NCCP executive director joins The Ohio State University City and Regional Planning program

NCCP Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez has joined the City and Regional Planning section at The Ohio State University’s Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture as a Lecturer.

Leo is teaching two classes and is directing the section’s new Certification in Creative Placemaking program. He is teaching Arts and Entertainment Planning in the fall semester, and Planning Ethics in the spring semester. Both courses and the Certification program are online.

Leo brings to OSU more than a decade of experience teaching continuing education, graduate and undergraduate classes at The New School and Rutgers University.

He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in community development, economic development, leadership, managerial communications, planning history, planning practice and planning theory.

In addition to his programs in creative placemaking, he has developed programs in coaching, leadership and planning for arts administrators, behavioral health professionals, municipal clerks, public affairs professionals, and urban planners.

Since 2006, Leo has developed nearly 70 continuing education courses and programs in various planning topics, including environmental planning, GIS, and urban design.

Leo has designed and is teaching a leadership and planning program for behavioral health professionals on behalf of the Rutgers University School of Social Work.

New creative placemaking certification program has successful start; to be offered again next year

By Leonardo Vazquez

The new Certification in Creative Placemaking program at The Ohio State University welcomed 21 students in its inaugural year. Thirteen are continuing education students from throughout the United States, while another nine are OSU graduate students, who are pursuing graduate credit in the program.

The diverse (and highly engaged) group includes public policy and arts professionals from Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Dozens more expressed interest in the program.

The response was so positive that the City and Regional Planning section of the Knowlton School of Architecture will be offering the program again next year. The program will be held from August 2014 through May 2015, and will continue to be online.

Registration is now closed for this year’s program, but we expect to open registration for the 2014 Certification in Creative Placemaking by spring.

They are learning from one another and from leaders in the creative placemaking field, including Tom Borrup, author of The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook; David Pankratz, Research Director for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council; Wendy Benscoter, Manager, Shreveport Common; Leland Edgecombe, Principal of the architecture/urban design firm The Edgecombe Group; and Juana Guzman, Principal of the cultural tourism consulting firm I Juana Know.

The program is co-sponsored and designed by The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking.

Learn more about the program or get updates about the program

About The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking

The National Consortium for Creative Placemaking (NCCP) was created to build capacity for sustainable and cost-effective creative placemaking.

Creative placemaking is a new way of making communities more livable and prosperous through the arts, and making them better places for the arts. Creative placemaking is about more than public art or performing arts centers. It is about making places better for everyone.

NCCP provides community coaching, practical research and thought leadership to help cultural and civic leaders build their capacity to do creative placemaking... better

How we add value

The National Consortium provides a wide variety of services in four areas:

Community coaching -- Through this program, we help teams of community stakeholders build clear and cost-effective strategies for creative placemaking, and strengthen their abilities to implement their strategies.

Continuing education -- We provide in-person and online training and learning in creative placemaking. We created the innovative and respected Certificate in Creative Placemaking at New Hampshire Institute of Art.

Thought leadership -- We promote high quality creative placemaking in multiple ways -- from the strategically placed op-ed, to the podium on the stage, to the quiet conversation with key influencers.

Creative Placemaking planning -- We provide a wide range of planning services to strengthen your plan. NCCP works in partnership with the Nishuane Group, which specializes in resolving land use and economic development issues.

We'll have more information on our services soon. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.