March may be cold, wet and muddy (at least in VT), but it can also be bright, colorful and beautiful. Join your fellow Vermont placemakers for our March monthly meet-up, focused on adding color and beauty to our communities in large and small ways.

AARP VT has teamed up with Community Workshop to provide monthly Placemaking Meet-Ups for anyone working on placemaking or interested in getting started. Each month will feature a different theme, and will be a chance to explore placemaking examples, resources and tools. These meet-ups are a place to share knowledge, problem solve together, get inspired by the work happening across the state, and walk away with actionable projects and ideas.

Placemaking is about strengthening the connection between people and the places they share by reinventing and re-engaging with public spaces so they are once again the central focus of public life. As we grapple with the health and social impacts of COVID-19 on our communities, we will need to find new and creative ways for community members to safely connect with one another. We are all at risk of social isolation and as the winter months set in there is even greater risk for loneliness and isolation. Creating safe, vibrant, accessible public spaces can be one critical solution.

March is the perfect time to think about brightening up our communities, streets and public spaces with color and beauty. Come hear about public art projects, guerrilla tactics, multi-generational beautification efforts and quick interventions to beautify surprising spaces.

Please share with us any projects you’ve been working on that incorporate these elements. We would love to showcase them during our meet-up. Send a picture and short description to Kelly at kstoddardpoor [@] aarp.org.

Meet-ups are free and open to the public and will be held on Zoom. Future calls will feature different themes, and will be held (usually) on the last Friday of the month.