For my presentation, I told the story of Love Bank Park, a collaborative, community project I am a part of in South St. Louis City, Missouri.  Love Bank Park is community space, basketball court and gathering site for cultural and creative activities – particularly, for youth in the neighborhood. Through my presentation, I tried to convey the importance of activating public spaces through a bottom up approach, in which people are put first. I wanted to convey that what makes a public space is the people who activate it and the projects, events and activities are what shape it.

I was hoping that the essence of what we are trying to do at Love Bank Park could translate across cultural and language barriers.  In a short discussion with a student after my presentation, I was relieved to learn I had crossed that barrier, the story of Love Bank Park connected to this particular student. This student happened to be a police officer, and in our short discussion he pressed upon the importance of spaces like this, for youth and for community.