Cities are cauldrons of creativity. They have long been the vehicles for mobilizing, concentrating and channeling human creative energy. They turn that energy into technical and artistic innovations, new forms of commerce and new industries, and evolving paradigms of community and civilization.”  – Richard Florida, “Cities and the Creative Class”

Pitchcraft: a placemaking competition for Downtown Frederick

October 24, 2019, 6-9PM @ New Spire Stages, 15 W Patrick St

Pitchcraft 2019, Downtown Frederick’s second annual placemaking competition, invited creative people from every background, profession and city to pitch an idea that, if physically implemented in Downtown Frederick, will better connect the people and places of our community. Stay tuned for details on Pitchcraft 2020.

• Pitch entry deadline was August 25, 2019. A panel of judges reviewed all submissions and have narrowed it down to the final four, who pitched their ideas in front of a live audience on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at New Spire Stages, 15 W Patrick St.
• Every audience member voted for their favorite pitch and Frederick Photo Ops was announced as the winning project that evening! After the event, Homegrown Frederick announced that they will provide funding for a second project: Flower Downtown Frederick. The cost of each ticket goes directly toward funding the winning idea.
• In addition to an award of funds, the winning person receives guidance from Downtown Frederick Partnership and volunteer advisers to help implement their idea.

The Final Four

After receiving fifteen inspired, creative, unique placemaking ideas from people who love the Downtown Frederick community, our Pitchcraft Selection Committee was tasked with the difficult job of narrowing the pot down to four finalists. These finalists presented their ideas live, on-stage during the October 24 Pitchcraft event. Our four three finalists, listed in no particular order…

Watch the video below to see our first Pitchcraft competition, held October 2018 at the Union Knitting Mills building in Downtown Frederick.

The 2018 competition showcased four ideas, pitched by members of the Frederick community. The winning idea, Frederick Bike Racks in ASL, was pitched by Chanel Gleicher and Tiffany Saccente. Shortly after announcing our first winner, Sue Hough stood from the audience and offered to fund a second project, The Joy of Music, which was pitched by Kathaleen Lucey. Then, shortly following the event, an anonymous donor was so inspired by the community’s creativity that they funded a third project, Candylane, which was pitched by Patsy Dahlheimer and Marie Silverstrim. For an update on these projects, read more here.

What is placemaking? Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community.

Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value.

More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. Flip through the photos below for a few examples of placemaking projects in various communities.