Two days ago, I ran a panel at the ACCESS 2025 Economic Growth Conference, put on by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. The room was packed!
The theme of the panel was tactical urbanism: low cost, scalable approaches toward improving public spaces.
Joining me was:
Charlie French, who leads UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development program
Sara Powell, Program Director at the Hannah Grimes Center
Cecilia Ulibarri, Executive Director at Positive Street Art
Sharing the recording here for anyone’s benefit. Many thanks to Lauren Getts and Heather McGrail at the Chamber for inviting me!
Here is a brief summary of our chat in Q&A style!
Charlie French – UNH Cooperative Extension
Q: Who are you and why did you join this panel?A: I lead the community and economic development program at UNH Cooperative Extension and teach at the Carsey School of Public Policy. My work helps towns with economic renewal and downtown revitalization, so tactical urbanism is part of what we do every day.
Q: What is one memorable example of tactical urbanism you have seen?A: Franklin, New Hampshire is a great case. The town had vacant buildings and a tax cap that limited investment. Through a community visioning process, residents reimagined the town with parklets, storefronts, and river access. These small, low-cost changes helped attract redevelopment and created Mill City Park, now a whitewater recreation destination.
Q: How do you handle resistance to change?A: Engage the community early and often. Use temporary pilots like curb bump-outs, parklets, or murals so people can see and experience the changes before committing. When residents see that an idea works, support grows.
Q: What advice do you have for towns connecting recreation and downtown?A: Every town has trails and waterways, but few connect them to businesses. Wayfinding signs, footprints, or parklets can lead trail users downtown for coffee, beer, or shopping. Redeveloping riverfronts can transform them from hidden industrial sites into features of civic pride.
Sarah Powell – Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship
Q: Who are you and what do you work on?A: I direct programs at the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene and run the national Radically Rural summit, which shares ideas for revitalizing small towns and cities.
Q: What is a favorite example of community activation?A: A Vermont town runs a “community college” week where anyone with a skill can teach a class. It allows neighbors to share talents, from crafts to language lessons, and builds connection and pride.
Q: How can temporary projects lead to big outcomes?A: In Keene, temporary student murals paved the way for community-led, large-scale mural projects like the Walldogs. What started as experimental paper murals became part of Keene’s identity, complete with mural walks and scavenger hunts.
Q: What role does engagement play?A: It is critical. Tools like “idea slams” give people a safe space to pitch ideas and get feedback. This builds agency, pride, and stewardship of place and encourages residents to become advocates for their own communities.
Cecilia Ulibarri – Positive Street Art
Q: What does your organization do?A: Positive Street Art uses murals, dance, and other art forms to drive positive change. We co-create projects with the community, ensuring they reflect local needs and values.
Q: How did Positive Street Art start?A: Thirteen years ago, we pitched the idea of temporary art cubes. The community said they wanted permanent public art, so we started a nonprofit. It has since grown into a statewide movement.
Q: How do you activate spaces?A: We hold charrettes to gather ideas, involve businesses and students in painting, and celebrate with unveilings. Our projects have included mural internships for at-risk youth and adults with disabilities, giving them life skills and paid opportunities to share their stories.
Q: What are your guiding principles?A: Collaboration is currency, so involve as many stakeholders as possible. Relationships cannot be transactional, so keep working with partners long after a project ends to build trust and momentum.
The questions, wording, and phrasing in this summary may differ slightly from the original conversation. We provide these summaries to give subscribers a brief, accessible synopsis of the episode. Full episode transcripts are available on granitegoodness.com.
Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to check out our latest good news newsletters for NH or New England.
-Andy
Too many emails from us? Change your suscriber preferences here or email me at hello@granitegoodness.com with any questions.
