“This Place Matters”.
Successful tactical urbanism projects around the U.S. — from parklets to pop-up shops — show that sometimes all it takes to bring a community together is a simple, accessible project. That’s why this month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is once again encouraging people in neighborhoods around the country to celebrate their connections to place through the organization’s “This Place Matters” campaign. (May is Preservation Month.)
“‘This Place Matters’ started in 2008 as a way for people to shine a spotlight on the historic places that played a role in their lives. Basically, it’s like crowdsourcing people’s personal connections to the built environment,” says Jason Clement, director of community outreach at the National Trust. “And the best part — there are zero rules. These can be places that are large or small, nationally significant or personally priceless, historic or maybe just old. They just have to mean something to you.”
The project is simple: Visit the Saving Places website to download and print a sign. Take photos with the sign at the places that matter most to you, and share the photos with others online with the hashtag #ThisPlaceMatters.