November 30th, 2017 a group of 50 Oakland University students from Professor Annalie Campos' Global Human Systems course engaged with the Pontiac Holonomy Incubator and friends at the Crofoot Ballroom to have a dialogue on the critical issues facing cities today, within the context of Downtown Pontiac.
On NEW Ideas
Overview of our time at 4 N. Saginaw, downtown Pontiac (7 years). The initiatives co-created at this site are LIVE & DIGITAL, connected to public places & spaces.
Our works in progress, documented here, have required great RISK! (Still controversial…)
We are participating as a “Demonstrator Project” in the Newham Policy Lab, and London Strategy & Policy Network
We served as a Case Study for a PhD dissertation by Lindsay Oluyede, PhD, AICP, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This covered our work on “Regional Transportation” as applied to our 2016-17 “Design Thinking” & Community Codesign engagement with SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation).
We hosted a video-conference program for the 3rd International Placemaking Week, October 2nd. 2019 that took place in Chattanooga, TN. A result of a three year learning exchange where we’ve explored possibilities around the development of a sister-city like relationship and/or learning exchange.
Serving as one of five originating National Street Service Pilot Cities, funded by Ford Motor company. Credited in the NSS Field Guide for having developed a new model for working with small and distressed urban cities.
AERA Toronto 2019 Conference Presentation: “Trauma and Resilience in Pontiac.” We contributed our “Digital Design Thinking” platform as a programming element to the effort to understand and heal trauma in our community, where pre-pandemic over 80% of children in Pontiac Schools children were suffering.
Our OU / Pontiac Initiative Early Childhood Education (OUPIECE) presented on the "Resilience Screenings Initiative" at the AERA Conference - "Leveraging Education Research in a Post-Truth Era:" bit.ly/2uUQe8i -
Session: bit.ly/ResilienceAERAToronto3 Leave a sticky note here: http://bit.ly/resiliencedesign
The Messy Business of Social Context: Thoughts on the Phoenix Center. A summary of our efforts during the controversial Phoenix Center demolition project.
"Design Walk" a community-based learning, STEAM placemaking program.
As part of the global, open source Park(ing) Day placemaking event, Pontiac celebrated at the intersection of Saginaw and Pike streets and in the "Hub & Grub" development concept for 2 N. Saginaw to serve as a community planning center and eatery.
Ottawa Towers Open House, September 19, 2015
Original Pontiac Plan with vision for the "Project" which became the Ottawa Towers/Phoenix Center/Transportation Center (this concept was originally adopted via a community led campaign that rejected a proposed shopping mall development for the land left vacant due to disastrous Urban Renewal policies of the 1950's)
Mobile Digital Art - Partnership