Maryland Creative Placemaking Collaborative (MCPC)


  • The Maryland Creative Placemaking Collaborative (MCPC) seeks to weave the independent activities of stakeholders, practitioners, and institutions into a collaborative, unified effort to strengthen communities. MCPC leverages the unique expertise of the University of Maryland — programs in the arts, architecture, urban planning, preservation, transportation, public policy and more — to confront issues including loss of cultural heritage, climate change, gentrification, unequal economic development and lack of public safety. We work locally, but with a national and global perspective. As a land grant and teaching institution, we prioritize the communities around us and the next generation of practitioners who will serve them.


  • - We work collaboratively and across sectors.
    - We honor arts and place-based expertise as equal to academic knowledge.
    - We are committed to social, economic, and environmental justice.
    - We value an open process.
    - We seek to build and strengthen relationships through place-based work.
    - We seek to leverage the talent, resources and knowledge of the university community.


  • "Creative Placemaking is an evolving field of practice that intentionally leverages the power of the arts, culture and creativity to serve a community's interest while driving a broader agenda for change, growth and transformation in a way that also builds character and quality of place." - ArtPlace America.

    MCPC advances creative placemaking in our communities by:

    - Developing academic programs.
    - Supporting place-based creative work, scholarship and research.
    - Hosting cross-disciplinary, cross-sector conversations.


  • The MCPC was established in 2018 as part of the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth. However, its efforts are long-established, with collaborative projects spanning the past decade in communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region. 

People

Maryland Community Placemaking Collaborative is a movement of practitioners, academics, policymakers, and community stakeholders interested in building thriving and resilient communities.