Ever wanted to look into a crystal ball and see what certain parts of Little Rock could look like in say five, 10 or 20 years? Pop Up in the Rock aspires to do just that — offer a temporary glimpse into a potential lasting idea.
In its fourth year, Pop Up in the Rock is back — this time along West Ninth Street.
Developed by StudioMAIN and Create Little Rock, Pop Up in the Rock is a community development project that focuses on enhancing local city areas with potential.
Co-chair and organizer Chris Hancock delves into the indelible impact Pop Up has left on communities so far and what we have to look forward to for this year’s event in October.
Soirée: Tell us about the process of determining where the next Pop Up event will take place?
Chris Hancock: We are always in search of sites with underdeveloped potential and we invite everyone with an idea to suggest candidate sites for future Pop Up events. Advocates of Pop Up West Ninth began suggesting the site before last year’s Pop Up Park Hill. We receive suggestions via email, Facebook and Twitter throughout the year. Members of Create Little Rock and studioMAIN also make suggestions. All of these ideas are added to a list of candidate sites for future consideration. We’re currently dedicated to the Pop Up West Ninth project but after the event on Oct. 24, we will revisit that list of potential sites. One popular suggestion for 2016 is the River Cities Travel Center by the newly constructed MacArthur Commons. We visit each location and evaluate them based on some general criteria. Sites should meet some, but not necessarily all, of this criteria:
- Accessible urban fabric—Are there buildings safely along the street-edge with opportunity for interaction?
- Prospective community partners—Are there existing businesses, organizations and residents that want to be involved?
- Diverse transportation options—Can we better this block by developing or inputting other transportation modes?
- Ages 8-80 amenities—Is there potential for all age groups and dog owners to benefit from betterment of the block?
S: The goal of this event is to ultimately demonstrate the future potential of a community. Do you think Pop Up accomplishes that, and if so, how?
CH: Pop Up in the Rock aims to inspire long-term impact through short-term demonstrations of what’s possible in an area with underdeveloped potential. Future potential can be illustrated by recruiting local businesses to host Pop Up shops in vacant properties, restriping the street to accommodate all modes of transportation, creating outdoor recreation areas that foster interaction with businesses and people and temporarily installing trees and shrubs to beautify the site. These are just a few examples but each Pop Up event is different and is tailored to the specific potential of each site and the desires of the community.
Although Pop Up events only last a short time, often just one day, the impact of experiencing how a district can be transformed has a lasting impact and contributes to awareness, future investment, and ongoing community engagement. The inclusive planning process gives communities a hands-on role in the development of their blocks. This collaborative process empowers communities to take a leading role in shaping their blocks to accommodate their needs long after the Pop Up event is over. Unfortunately, many good ideas never make it off the drafting table because of the risk of investing funds in a good but untested idea. Pop Up events offer an opportunity to test out proposals in a cost-effective way while also including community input and participation. An example of long-term impact inspired by a Pop Up event is the permanent restriping of South Main to include bike lanes after they were temporarily striped during Pop Up Main Street. Another example, is the city of North Little Rock’s new policy to allow food trucks after we hosted a one-day food truck court at Pop Up Park Hill in 2014.
When considering individual planning or development initiatives such as street striping, landscaping, street fixtures or utilizing vacant properties, it can be difficult to focus on the big picture but a Pop Up event is a fun way to experience the big picture plan in a cost-effective and inclusive way.
S: What are the biggest challenges you face organizing these events?
CH: We rely on a lot of passionate volunteers that generously donate their vision and time. I think one challenge is recruiting enough volunteers to accomplish all of our planning and installation goals. We depend on volunteers with diverse skill-sets. We have seven committees that focus on different aspects of the project. We also depend on volunteers to help us out with some extra muscle on the day of the event to setup/take-down and help manage the beer garden.
Another significant challenge is sourcing in-kind donations. Local companies have helped us out in the past by donating printing services, videography services, tables and chairs, sponsoring recycling services, sponsoring live performances and donating building materials like paint and screws.
S: Why did you decide to get involved?
CH: I was fascinated by Pop Up Main Street (2012) and Pop Up 7th Street (2013). I was inspired to learn more about the two organizations behind Pop Up in the Rock: Create Little Rock and StudioMAIN. While working at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center I learned a lot about the rich history of West Ninth Street which was once a vibrant mixed-use community. Among other things, I learned that jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald performed here, Booker T. Washington gave a speech here in 1913 and L.C and Daisy Bates operated their Arkansas State Press here. I heard a lot of good stories from Phyllis Brown and Kenneth Brown, and museum visitors continually spoke of their desire for West Ninth to redevelop in a way that honored that history while also evolving to reach its future potential as a mixed-use cultural corridor that could foster the entrepreneurial spirit to make Ninth Street bustle again.
I began thinking about the possibility of Pop Up West Ninth and asking for input from MTCC, Dreamland Ballroom, Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation, UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity, Philander Smith College and Coulson Real-Estate. After meeting Chris East, a founder of StudioMAIN and Pop Up in the Rock, I began attending site selection meetings to learn more and explore the possibility of a Pop Up on West Ninth Street. I met a lot of great people that were passionate about taking a hands-on approach to improving our city. Pop Up Park Hill was planned for 2014 and Pop Up West Ninth was planned for 2015. I volunteered to co-chair the Multi-Media & Promotions committee with Lindy Lanford for Pop Up Park Hill (2014), and after that project, Jeff Hough and I were asked to be co-chairs of the Pop Up West Ninth project.
S: What can you tell us so far about Pop Up West Ninth?
CH: We are thankful to have already generated a lot of community input to inform the design process. We began generating community feedback at the 2014 and 2015 Juneteenth festivals hosted by Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
We also hosted a community brainstorming meeting on July 6. We have a wealth of great ideas to choose from and are now working on a consolidated plan. The challenge will be to demonstrate as many ideas as possible with the spaces, materials and resources available. Although the design process is still fluid at this time, a defining theme of this Pop Up is that it will be rooted in the district’s rich history while also focusing on its future potential. One way we hope to honor the past is by finding creative ways to raise awareness of the area’s historical significance. One way we hope to illustrate the district’s future potential is through a partnership with the Regional Innovation Hub to demonstrate 3D printers in a Pop Up Maker Space. Jazz will be a large part of this Pop Up thanks to our partners with the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation. Jazz is a perfect example of both honoring the past and focusing on the future.
Temporary trees will beautify the street edge and there will be vendors, food trucks, Pop Up dining and a beer garden. Thanks to Philander Smith College opening their gate on October 24, pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to use the South State overpass as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge. We will know more details about specific demonstrations as planning continues. The best way to stay up to date is to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
S: How can the community get involved?
CH: There’s a variety of ways to get involved as a volunteer, partner organization or sponsor. Email PopUpintheRock@gmail.com to sign up for our e-newsletter and stay updated on our meetings and progress. Let us know if you’re interested in volunteering to help with setup and takedown on Oct. 24. Businesses and organizations can also get involved by donating services or materials. If you would like to be involved in the planning process you can join one of our committees: Street Striping, Street Fixtures, Tree & Landscaping, Marketing Signage & Graphics, Art & Entertainment, Dining & Vendors, and Multi-Media and Promotions. You can contact us via email, Facebook or Twitter.