The U.S. Forest Service features our research on how art can help drive environmental progress
We’re excited that our work is featured in a new publication from the US Forest Service, Green Readiness, Response, and Recovery: A Collaborative Synthesis, on how communities respond to and rebound from environmental challenges. Our essay, written with Jamie Hand from ArtPlace, shares insights and case studies from our research into the role of culture in community resilience and adaptation in the face of environmental challenges. It’s a shorter, sharper, better cited take on the full report, available here. We focus on three critical leverage points for environmental progress and corresponding arts and cultural strategies that are helping to drive change in those areas:
- Sparking public demand by making environmental issues personal, emotional and salient; and inspiring people with positive visions of a sustainable future.
- Building community capacity and agency by using art to help build community power and identity; and creating inclusive processes for dialogue and community decisionmaking.
- Enriching and activating the built environment by creating infrastructure that meets a broad range of people’s social, aesthetic and spiritual needs.
There are lots of other great essays and case studies in the volume as well!
