Start here - The Scenic Route

Start Here

Are you new to arts and culture or creative placemaking? Start here! The seven pages in this brief section offer a short description of the guide, why we made it and updated it, some of the definitions of creative placemaking, explanations of different types of artistic practice, and advice on finding, contracting, and working with artists, as well as some of the pitfalls to avoid.

Welcome — how to use this guide

Read a letter from Ben Stone, Smart Growth America’s director of arts and culture with some brief instructions on how to use this resource. Learn more .

Introduction to creative placemaking

What is creative placemaking? What makes it different from public art? What makes it distinctive? Get the basics in this primer. Learn more .

Views from the field

Transportation professionals, artists, and arts administrators give their advice on how to advocate for this type of collaboration, and how to talk about the benefits of this interdisciplinary work.
Learn more.

The benefits of working with artists

What are the benefits of working with artists on transportation projects? Here we detail the many benefits of integrating into projects from the very beginning. Learn more .

Finding an artist

So now you’re ready to engage an artist to work on your transportation project’s team. But what kind of artist do you need and how do you find one? Learn more .

What could go wrong

Incorporating artistic practice is no silver bullet, and plenty of things can still go wrong. What to know before you go. Learn more.

Put these lessons into practice

How do I get started? Here are three short tips to help you get started, figure out where to begin looking for opportunities, and provide some preliminary steps. Learn more.