A How To Guide

How do you bring a place back to life?  That is the topic of Glass House Collective’s new “How To Guide” which details 10 tactics designed to animate Glass Street and foster community connection.  Each tactic meets a community need identified in Glass House Collective’s ‘Next Big Thing’ urbanism workshop which brought over 100 respected leaders and East Chattanooga residents together to identify low-cost, scalable placemaking interventions.

At the heart of the guide is Glass House Collective’s most essential belief, that the most direct route to creating a new place, a new story, is to empower artists to co-create that place one-on-one with the folks who live, work and play in that place.  For it is artists who are in the business of meaning making.  Their works draw emotions out of viewers.  They change attitudes and perceptions.  They change hearts.  Therefore, each tactic in the “How To Guide” will be executed from the bottom-up by a resident and artist team with the sole intent of making Glass Street cleaner, safer and more inviting.

The guide provides everything residents need to know to fully execute each community action.  There is a detailed list of instructions as well as all necessary tools, materials, and collaborators.  The idea is to make community transformation as achievable, practical, and replicable as possible.  Here is a synopsis:

Tactic: Public Park Wayfinding Signage
Artist: Graphic Designer
Place: Intersections and other right of way locations
Need: Glass St. is rich in natural assets (e.g. Sherman Reservation, a 50-acre National Park, and South Chickamauga Greenway) but these places are not well known to our neighbors and are underutilized
Outcome: Connect neighbors to parks. Provide awareness of accessible public space.

Tactic: Pop-Up Movie Nights
Artist: Love Fellowship Church
Place: Greenspaces along Glass Street
Need: Community building events bringing multiple generations together for food and fellowship.
Outcome: Bring neighbors together.

Tactic: Bike Repair Station
Artist: Rondell Crier of Studio Everything
Place: Studio Everything
Need: Studio Everything is a free neighborhood art studio/gathering place engaging Glass Street youth and adults.  The majority of participants travel there by worn torn bikes which Studio Everything staff consistently help repair.
Outcome: Bring people to the street. Improve present form of transporation.

Tactic: Public Art Gateway
Artist: Visual Artist
Place: Glass Street and Dodson Avenue intersection
Need: Unlike many communities in our city, Glass Street does not have any signage indicating that one has entered the neighborhood.
Outcome: Make a local landmark. Provide a welcoming entryway.

Tactic: Crosswalk Intersection Painting
Artist: Visual Artist
Place: Glass Street and Dodson Avenue intersection
Need: The intersection is highly walked, connecting Hardy Elementary School to a popular restaurant and East Chattanooga Recreation Center, but does not have crosswalks.
Outcome: Slow down traffic. Improve pedestrian safety. Encourage feet on the streets

Tactic: Sandwich Board Signage
Artist: Zachary Reynolds of Woodwise Urban Design
Place: Glass Street businesses
Need: Glass St. hosts a collection of active art nonprofits and neighborhood events but traditional marketing avenues do not reach East Chattanooga residents.
Outcome: Improve communication of activities and events. Activate the streets.  Create more awareness for local businesses.

Tactic: Storefront Improvement
Artist: Visual Artist
Place: A vacant storefront
Need: Glass Street hosts beautiful, historic 1920s style architecture in need of repair.
Outcome: Attract local businesses. Activate empty store

Tactic: Portable Street Furniture
Artist: Zachary Reynolds of Woodwise Urban Designs
Place: Anywhere
Need: The Good Neighbor Network, an East Chattanooga neighborhood association, plans to host a series of pop-up “living room” events to animate vacant properties.
Outcome: Connect neighbors. Provide community gathering place.

Tactic: Tree Planting
Artist: Gene Hyde, Urban Forrester with the City of Chattanooga
Place: Dodson Avenue and Glass Street Intersection
Need: No current streetscaping.
Outcome: Beautify the street. Slow down traffic. Provide a gateway.

Tactic: Home Repair and Landscaping
Place: Residents’ homes
Need: Glass Street hosts a strong housing stock but many homes are in need of repair.
Outcome: Build neighborhood pride. Preserve and increase home value. Beautify the block.

These projects are made possible through support from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Lyndhurst Foundation, and the Tennessee Arts Commission.