Community Placemaking: An East WalnutHills Workshop

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the East Walnut Hills Assembly gathered to participate in a placemaking workshop for the neighborhood. Special focus was put on several key sites within the area, with green and public infrastructure being introduced.

What is Placemaking?

Placemaking is making a space welcoming and enjoyable for the community, often created
through collaboration and creative thinking.

Placemaking can be done through implementation of large infrastructure, such as the construction of a park, or the addition of smaller elements, like benches or new lamp posts.

The end goal, however, is always to improve upon a space and make it welcoming to all.

What is a Workshop?

A workshop is a collaborative event held in order to gather information, ideas, opinions, and thoughts from a community or group.

This can be conducted in a variety of methods, but this workshop was designed displaying four different posters, on which participants placed their notes of ideas for the different locations each poster represented.

The Project

The goal of the project itself is to introduce new placemaking developmental inspiration to future neighborhood plans. Each of the listed sites received a proposal based on workshop responses, with each design intending to expand upon East Walnut Hills’ sense of community and inclusion.

Long term goals of these proposals include:

Invigorating the business district
Further efforts toward neighborhood art and beautification
increasing green and public spaces
providing additional housing and residential options

The sites dedicated to these goals include:

The Madison Lot
The Woodburn Lot
The Hoffman School and baseball field
The Woodburn Exchange, Phases II and III

A new park for the neighborhood, featuring:

Surface parking
Dog park
Exercise park

Hoffman School is transformed into an apartment complex. Its parking is supplemented by surface parking bordering the park.

The Woodburn Exchanges: Phases II and III

Phases II and III introduce even more housing to the area. Like Phase I, a sizable parking complex would accompany these structures. On the facades facing Woodburn Avenue, ground floors would be dedicated to business spaces, which would allow for the strengthening of the neighborhood’s business core.

The Designs

Below are some of the designs for the listed sites. Each of these was created with the input of workshop participants in mind. Some have a stronger public focus, while others are dedicated more towards residential or commercial use.

The Madison Lot

Option A: Due to the dual use of this lot both for parking and the monthly farmers’ market, the addition of parking shelters serve both as cover for cars and as stalls during the market. The mural on the asphalt gives the lot a simple and affordable facelift and references the market.

Option B: The introduction of a parking garage would multiply parking spaces in the area. With the bottom floor’s heightened ceiling, farmers’ markets could take place rain or shine, and a muraled walkway through the complex allows for a strong pedestrian flow through the neighborhood.

The Woodburn Lot

Option A: Introduction of bioswale and permeable surfaces in the lot, allowing for improved drainage and a green lot.

Option B: Introduction of a wheat themed mural as a callback to the old brewery adjacent to the lot, adding atmosphere to the area.

The Hoffman School and Lot

A new park for the neighborhood, featuring:
• Surface parking
• Dog park
• Exercise park
Hoffman School is transformed into an apartment complex. Its parking is supplemented by surface parking bordering the park.

The Woodburn Exchange: Phases II and III

Phases II and III introduce even more housing to the area. Like Phase I, a sizable parking complex would accompany these structures. On the facades facing Woodburn Avenue, ground floors would be dedicated to business spaces, which would allow for the strengthening of the neighborhood’s business core.

Q&A

How can I participate?
-If you were unable to attend the workshop, or just have something extra to say, follow this link!
Here you will be able to answer questions and jot down your own thoughts

How can I become a placemaker?
-The easiest way to become a placemaker is to become involved in the community. While this does not guarantee the introduction of new infrastructure, it can lead to a more clearly defined need for it. Tending to community gardens or cleaning up local playgrounds may point out a neighborhood’s need for improved outdoor space.

Are these projects going to happen, and if so, when?

These projects are proposals for developers and planners to look at when thinking toward development. While it is possible some of these designs may be utilized, they are not guaranteed.

Thank you!

To all those who were able to participate in the workshop on April 1, thank you! Your notes and thoughts were incredibly influential in the design process of the sites. Many of your ideas overlapped and agreed with one another – there is a stronger collective desire for public and green infrastructure than some may realize.

To those who were unable to attend the workshop, thank you for taking the time to read this article! Feel free to follow this link to send in your own opinions and ideas for these sites. Your voice is important, and we would love to hear from you.

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