Announcing The People's Design Library!

buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) is pleased to announce the launch of the People’s Design Library (www.peoplesdesignlibrary.com), a digital library for anyone looking for help in improving their community. Three collections - guides, inspirations, and [bc] publications - provide practical advice and examples of the wide range of resources out there for citizens doing community work. [bc] believes that it is the right of the People to shape their city and wants to equip citizens with the tools to exercise that right and have some fun doing it!

“There are countless design, policy, and organizing guides created by different organizations to help citizens navigate how to make lasting change in their neighborhoods. We created The People’s Design Library to bring these resources together in one place, something that hasn’t been done before,” says Lizzie MacWillie, Senior Design Manager. “If you know of, or have created, a great guide, you can submit a resource to the library! The more people contribute to the library, the better it will be.” Topics covered by the guides posted so far include how to conduct effective community outreach, how to convert underused street parking spaces to a public amenity, and how to map existing neighborhood conditions using balloons and kites. New resources will be posted every two weeks.

The People’s Design Library is the latest project of People Organizing Place (POP), the participatory city shaping initiative of [bc]. POP puts local stakeholders in collaboration with outside expertise to proactively shape their neighborhood’s future. Through POP, [bc] provides accessible tools, expertise and resources like The People’s Design Library to citizens.