Over the years, communities like New Kensington with its Corridor of Innovation — and additional stakeholders that we’ve engaged with the Smart Growth Partnership from other Westmoreland communities — have generated well over $40,000,000 in value for their communities while also implementing smart growth principles.
Significant public developments included in that dollar amount since our 2015 New New Kensington: A Better Block event are the Corner Launchbox, Wesley Family Services’ facility, a New Kensington Art Center, Knead Café, and a new $5.5 million-dollar Digital Foundry. See our Facebook pages to learn more.
Not included in the $40 million amount and perhaps more impressive are private investor contributions – vacant building acquisition, building renovations, new entrepreneur start-up businesses, and other parcel improvements in downtown New Kensington. Learn more here about that status as of Autumn of 2023:
New Kensington’s small-business owners reflect on how they have succeeded
— TribLive, November 3, 2023
See also —
November 17, 2021 Webinar recording — Tactical Urbanism, Placemaking, and More: Tools for taking quick action to implement your best made plans
PDF of presentation
Here is an additional presentation given to Pennsylvania’s arts communities:
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
“If you missed the Murals on a Mission webinar…, you’re in luck – here’s the recording: https://drive.google.com/…/1OBzGhXVJclD4YWlWNO5nvY…/view
Great discussion by the project partners!
Webinar description: Join community partners from Rivers of Steel, Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County, and Olde Towne Overhaul to hear about the Murals on a Mission project and to learn how the team established a vision and framework to create a successful model for creative placemaking.”
