INDIANAPOLIS — Big Car Collaborative and Indianapolis City Market are teaming up, starting this summer, to enliven the east side of downtown by connecting two primary public sites: City Market and Monument Circle. A catalytic grant, valued at $220,000 including monetary and technical support, from the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community program will enable both Indianapolis City Market and Big Car Collaborative to jointly implement their plans to engage the community in reimagining these historic sites as key public spaces in the “heart” of Indianapolis.
By building a shared vision through placemaking that connects City Market and Monument Circle in the developing Market East District of downtown, Big Car and City Market will strengthen connections between people and place — generating a greater sense of belonging and inclusion through the co-creation of great public spaces where everyone feels welcome and comfortable.
This grant will further the placemaking work that Big Car is already undertaking in the downtown Indianapolis area. In 2015, Big Car partnered with the City of Indianapolis on Spark, an 11-week test of creative programming and temporary infrastructure improvements at Monument Circle — funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Central Indiana Community Foundation. More than 45,000 visitors enjoyed flexible, public seating and upwards of 399 human-scale programming opportunities. Additionally, 85 percent of visitors reported talking to someone new during Spark. More can be found at www.circlespark.org.