July @ the House

The July 20th Evening @ the House focused on developing creative ideas for the Indianapolis Culture Trail, an exciting infrastructure project that connects people to important Indiana places. Bryan Payne, president of the Central Indiana Community Foundation and The Indianapolis Foundation, led the discussion.

Groups worked in small table dialogues to address the questions: How can we maximize quality of life by connecting places? and What would you like to see on the cultural trail?

These groups generated the following ideas:

- Art that engages thought; not just pretty to look at
- First aid stops
- Pet-friendly – watering spots, bags- Vendors along the trail
- Balance tradition and innovations
- Fun things for young kids – kid-friendly
- Street performers
- Benches set back from trail for people-watching
- Interactive kiosks with maps “you are here”
- Podcasts at locations to deliver info/background
- Public art done by youth
- Murals throughout, not just pockets
- Animals/sculptures for kids to crawl on
- Address brain drain by engaging IUPUI students in ownership of Trail before graduation (e.g. cultural tourism students)
- Create a plan for each neighborhood to engage in trail that makes it uniquely their own
- Education around: bike safety, IPD walks & talks, fitness, something for daycare
- Bring people who live along trail together (e.g. backyard sales, cookouts)
- Shade
- Information on history of places long trail
- Good signage
- Bike racks, bike rental facility
- Visible hospitality and safety presence
- Many public restrooms
- Many refreshment stops
- Antique street-scape panoramas (old view finders) to peek into city’s history
- Juried street performance festivals
- Water fountains
- Drinking fountains
- Have things that appeal to all ages and lifestyles, residents and non-residents
- Visuals must “look” diverse, so people feel welcomed from all backgrounds
- Touch on all senses
- Games
- Playgrounds
- Art installations
- Private places
- Checkers/chess tables
- Watching art being created
- Story-telling
- State performance area
- Sacred parts
- Ice sculpture festival during the winter
- Micro-stores
- Open-air shops
- Side-walk art competition
- Water parks
- Exercise stations
- Artistic take on fitness stations
- Human connectivity
- Spaces that welcome conversation/interaction
- Mini-street performance venues
- Provide incentives or decrease red tape to streamline process for small business or individuals who want to sell goods/services
- Transportation to subs/neighborhoods
- Diverse districts will be highlighted by the connection
- Create ownership by keeping people involved
- Multi-generational interaction
- Open container policy on cultural trail
- Lower income senior housing
- Storytellers re. IN history
- Economic diversity
- Restaurant tour
- Tree steward training
- Skateboard park
- Open air theatres
- Community gardens
- Ability for schools to use the cultural trail for field trips
- Leave the trail unfinished so that generations can add to it
- Easily accessible
- Everyone knows how it works (education those who are on the stops)
- Something for every kind of person: all economic and physical levels
- Think of nodes for low income elderly
- Don’t push people out
- Needs to be clear you can go in for free
- Outreach to businesses so they know the trail
- Volunteers – residents guiding tours/welcome
- Exchanges between neighborhoods: learn about each other
- Free guide