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Author Peter Kageyama urges Spokane to ‘love’ the city with small, tactical placemaking
Summary
Author and placemaking speaker Peter Kageyama told a Spokane audience that cities should invest in small, visible projects — murals, swings, chairs by the river, pop-up events — to strengthen residents’ emotional attachment and attract activity downtown.
Peter Kageyama, an author who writes about emotional engagement between citizens and cities, urged Spokane residents and officials to prioritize small, visible projects that build civic pride and downtown activity during a public presentation and Q&A session.
Kageyama, introduced by Council President Betsy Wilkerson, said cities often focus on fixing “potholes” — the purely functional needs — and neglect investments that create comfort, conviviality and “fun.” “Where’s the fun?” he asked repeatedly as a way to prompt officials and community groups to add playful, memorable features to public space.
Kageyama gave multiple examples of low-cost or tactical placemaking that he said produce outsized returns: the world’s smallest park (Mills End Park) and…
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