Pop-up shops are coming to the Ped Mall for the holidays. The Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) is hosting its third annual Downtown Holiday Market, and this year it will feature a variety of shops in three temporary structures that will be built in Black Hawk Mini Park. […]
Iowa City wants to know who its most prominent citizens are. Or were. And it wants to know by Nov. 1. As part of the Ped Mall improvement project, two walls will be installed to hide utility cabinets and transformers from public view. In addition to hiding ungainly bits of infrastructure, those walls are supposed to tell “the story of Iowa City.” […]
Before the Iowa City Council voted 5-2 against contributing $50,000 toward The Lens on Tuesday, nearly 20 community members approached the podium to offer support, opposition and questions regarding the Black Hawk Mini Park and public art project planned for the north end of the Ped Mall. Those in favor of the project spoke to […]
While single, I framed a picture of Johnny Cash — an insert from an old record — and hung it in my living room. Later, I got married. My wife and I bought a house. We had different opinions on where (or if, in my wife’s view) we should hang this piece in our new […]
In my previous column, I discussed “place-led governance,” in which urban development considers history, cultural meaning and an inclusive understanding of community members’ use. At the core of place-led governance lies the idea of the commons. For most people, the commons means natural resources such as air, water and soils. Absolutely true—but not sufficient. Current […]
This Thursday at FilmScene, the City of Iowa City unveiled plans for a new public art installation for the Ped Mall’s Black Hawk Mini Park. The art project was designed by internationally known artist and architect Cecil Balmond of the London-based Balmond studio, and is set to be installed in 2017. Photos courtesy of the City […]
This Thursday at FilmScene at 5:30 p.m., the City of Iowa City is inviting members of the public to catch an early glimpse of a new public art project set for installation in the Ped Mall’s Black Hawk Mini Park in 2017. The art installation, developed by internationally known artist and architect Cecil Balmond of […]