Project Status: Implementation Complete
The Trust for Public Land in Chattanooga, TN, engaged Street Plans to find ways to improve the conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists in a corner of the East Lake Neighborhood through short term interventions.
Street Plans oversaw a community engagement process led by ELLA Library during which input from 90+ residents and users of East Lake Park was received. Based on community feedback gathered in 2019 by ELLA Library for Public Art Chattanooga, the data stated that the East Lake community was interested in a community asphalt art project.
For three weeks in August 2020, Street Plans and ELLA Library hosted Covid-19 safe connection points with community members to educate people about tactical urbanism, and inform people about the upcoming asphalt art project in the East
Using the feedback gathered from the community at these events, Street Plans developed art concepts for asphalt art in the street in front of East Lake Park along 13th Ave at 34th and 36th Street.
The art themes included natural elements from the park and patterns akin to traditional weaving that tie together tradition and cultures from the surrounding neighborhood. Traditional weaving examples from Mayan, Ugandan, Ukara cloth, Appalachian, and Cherokee weaving patterns were all used as inspiration.
A final design was selected by community members in March 2021, and Street Plans then planned and led the implementation of the asphalt art design in April 2021.
