NATIONAL OPERA CENTER OF AMERICA'S INTRODUCTION TO CIVIC PRACTICE
Without shared spaces to bridge divides, develop empathy and be pushed beyond the comfort zones of personalized news feeds, democracy will break down. The National Opera Center America lays out it's civic practice responsibilities.

NATIVE AMERICAN CREATIVE PLACEMAKING
That "Placemaking was always known to Native Americans" undergirds a new "Native American Creative Placemaking" report from HAC which examines some Native American creative placemaking efforts while offering a first of its kind interactive map. The paper also notes funding sources and emphasizes that placemaking “offers Native people on opportunity to reconnect with their traditional ways of life” as an antidote to injustices including forced assimilation, trauma in boarding schools, and extreme poverty.

NOTES ON A CULTURAL STRATEGY FOR BELONGING
Work for justice and liberation requires the inclusion of arts and culture. The Haas Institute’s Notes on A Cultural Strategy report outlines a cultural strategy for belonging that centers the leadership, voices, storytelling, practices, and knowledge of people and communities who are marginalized in our society. It offers resources, evidence, case studies, and a workshop module for cultural strategies that are rooted in the Haas Institute's Othering & Belonging framework as well as in many successful models of activism and organizing. Aimed at storytellers, artists, organizers, cultural strategists, funders, and other collaborators who are working to develop cultural strategies alone or as part of organizations and movements, this report offers notes and ideas on how cultural strategies can be developed for the greatest impact.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: DOES UPTOWN CULTURE STIMULATE DOWNTOWN VITALITY?
Performing arts centers have been touted as a strategy for revitalizing downtowns by increasing activities that bring in residents with higher incomes, tourists,arts employees, educated workers, and housing. Despite their popularity, civic leaders have encountered issues. This dissertation compares downtowns with and without performing arts centers.

PLACEBASE PRODUCTIONS
There have been a host of studies in recent years regarding the powerful connection between the arts and community development. Placebase Productions creates site-specific theatre on the conviction that this connection is real. If you are eager to explore how the arts are energizing untapped potential in small communities you can find some recent studies here. 

PLACES IN MAKING
The current diversity and breadth of placemaking projects and processes is both a vindication for placemaking and a challenge for advocates and thought leaders as they seek to hone the placemaking message and develop a collective case for relevancy. How will the placemaking movement channel its tremendous momentum into positive results for communities and places? This research with in-depth case studies begins to answer this question.