Change Camp Halifax
Yesterday’s Change Camp Halifax at The Hub was an engaging day of conversations. The open-space un-conference asked the question What does Halifax as a vibrant city mean to you?
Participants posted topics for discussion and then attended the talks they were most passionate about. I was particularity interested in #Barrington2010 discussing the future of Barrington Street in Halifax.
Barrington Street has some beautiful historic buildings. However over the past year, a number of these properties have become vacated and left in limbo as properties managers such as Starfish Properties await the right time for development. Some of these properties already have plans and others are awaiting approval. Rather than leave these vacant properties with covered windows, the group discussed creative ways to use them as as transitional spaces:
- flash galleries like Nocturne to display local artwork
- open mic nights for local musicians
- indoor bike parking lot
- venue for buskers
- Christmas present wrapping station
- mini-golf course
- quiet reading space
- display historic Halifax information in store front windows
- flee markets, book sales, bake sales
- Lego competitions inside store front windows
- web cams that create a portal into other cities
The group will continue to discuss the future of Barrington Street on January 9th at The Hub. Checkout the Barrington Street photo gallery; any ideas for creative uses come to mind?
Huge congrats to Emily Richardson on organizing an incredibly successful Change Camp and for The Hub for once again being the perfect venue in Halifax for open-space conservations.