The City of Boston has launched a second Public Space Invitational design competition to revitalize space and engage members of the creative community, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced at a Friday press conference.
The first competition took place in 2014 and resulted in nine winning projects built throughout Boston, according to a Friday press release. Among the projects were a tidal vibraphone on the Congress Street Bridge, a light well at South End Library Park and several portable libraries.
Walsh said this year’s invitational would showcase Boston residents’ talent and prove beneficial for the community.
“We are always looking for new ways to provide great city services and engage members of the public, and through this competition, we are building on our mission to create thriving, healthy, and innovative civic spaces across our city,” he said in the release.
The theme of the competition will be “City of People, Places, and Things,” according to the website.
Michael Evans is the program director of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, a civic innovation group that seeks to improve the quality of city services. This year’s invitational challenges reflect society’s increasing globalization, he said.
“The challenges are different [this year], so this time, we have a digital challenge,” Evans said. “These are ideas that are asking people to use technology and sensors in the generally connected world. The other thing that you’re playing with is this idea of the analog-digital interplay that we play a lot with at [New] Urban Mechanics, and sort of just trying to highlight the importance of that.”
The Office of New Urban Mechanics, Boston Art Commission and the City’s Streets cabinet teamed up to create challenges for the competition, the release stated. Rethinking the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Mattapan Station is the bonus challenge.
The competition will accept submissions until Apr. 3, and five city projects with a proposed budget between $1,000 and $9,500 will be chosen in May, according to the invitational website.
“Our hope is that this can tie into some ongoing city efforts,” Evans said. “The other thing that designers and artists and even just residents in general will have [is] an additional opportunity to reimagine their neighborhood.”
Evans said this year’s extended budget would help implement ideas and make teams more stable.
“We have more experience identifying stable teams and talented teams that can see a project through,” Evans said. “We also have a better idea of which ideas will be feasible this time around.”
Several residents said they look forward to the ideas and projects that will come from the Public Space Invitational.
“Places would be more approachable if there was more art,” said Kerrin Hanna, 24, of Brighton. “It’s kind of nice to see people putting effort into their environment, creating what people look at and experiencing these things.
Marc Yanniello, 40, of Brighton, said focusing on reorganizing public spaces would create unity within the city.
“It’s great because it helps unify the parks and makes a better place for kids to run around,” he said. “The [federal] budgets are always tight, so there is always work that needs to be done.”
Fang Yuan, 25, of Brighton, said the invitational is a great way to improve public space.
“It’s awesome that something like this is happening because it brings ideas to the table,” he said. “Whether or not they solve an immediate issue or not, it’s something to look forward to if we want our cities to be better in the future.”
