Nonprofits & Activism

Playful, wondrous public spaces built for community and possibility | Matthew Mazzotta

Visit to watch more groundbreaking talks from the TED Fellows. Introducing a new type of public space, custom-fit for communities in need of a shot of hope and wonder. Artist and TED Fellow Matthew Mazzotta takes us across the US, sharing delightful projects that refresh space and place, spark collective conversation and reignite a sense…

Published

3 years ago

June 6, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

Visit to watch more groundbreaking talks from the TED Fellows.

Introducing a new type of public space, custom-fit for communities in need of a shot of hope and wonder. Artist and TED Fellow Matthew Mazzotta takes us across the US, sharing delightful projects that refresh space and place, spark collective conversation and reignite a sense of possibility and purpose in their surroundings.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

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[SHAPE YOUR FUTURE]

For me, public space is political.

I work with communities around the world,

and as we know,
every community has problems.

Some of these problems are solved
through the ballot box

or city hall meetings

or community efforts, like bike lanes
and potholes and school budgets.

But some problems are beyond
the reach of these structures,

like food deserts,

community well-being

and the loss of cultural identity.

These problems cannot be solved
with the existing tool sets.

I believe that public space is the most
potent place to discuss these issues,

because it contains the richest
diversity of perspectives.

And that’s what makes it so powerful.

The existing parks, town squares
and sidewalks are not enough, though,

which is why I’m interested in creating
a new type of public space,

one that’s built by the community
and designed specifically for their needs.

I start by listening

and by setting up
actual outdoor living rooms,

complete with couches, tables,
chairs, rugs and lamps,

as a way of holding meetings
to learn about the issues

directly from the community.

I use this technique to capture
the voices and ideas of people

that might not have time or feel
comfortable in more formal meetings.

So why get someone to sit in a love seat
in the middle of the street?

In York, Alabama,
the residents bear witness

to the abandoned houses
that cover the town,

which are a constant reminder
of the white flight that took place

after segregation ended,

when white homeowners left the area
and let their houses fall into disrepair.

Teaming up with the people of York,

we transformed an iconic, pink-sided,
blighted property in the middle of town

into a new house, called “Open House.”

However, this house has a secret.

It physically transforms into a 100-seat
open-air theater for plays, movies, music

or whatever the community
would like to experience.

And when it folds back up
into the shape of a house,

the image of the reclaimed pink siding
reminds people of the past.

After its opening, the mayor saw
the potential in Open House

and held the next town hall meeting there.

The excitement of this unique
gathering space brought new energy

and gave a fresh viewpoint to collectively
discuss the future of the town.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts,

to highlight the issues of energy,
waste and climate change,

we replaced a garbage can in a park
with an anaerobic digester

to transform dog waste
into usable methane gas.

Burning this methane lights the park

and reduces greenhouse gases.

By slightly changing an everyday
experience in public space,

the Park Spark Project
provokes neighbors to have conversations

about the natural and built
systems around them

and their connection to the environment.

In Lyons, Nebraska, residents
spoke about the loss of social life

as downtown storefronts began
to shutter their doors,

a result of the slow violence
of disinvestment,

which has left many rural downtowns empty.

To address this loss of human connection,

we used an abandoned storefront
to turn Main Street into a movie theater.

The storefront wall is modified
with hydraulics

so that the awning and false front
fold down over the sidewalk

with the push of a button,

providing seating for 100.

As the community came together
to build a storefront theater,

an eccentric postman who makes
sci-fi movies starring his cat

proposed to make a documentary
for the debut.

And so that summer, we turned
downtown into a movie set

and the townspeople into actors

to create the movie “Decades,”
a history of Lyons downtown

from its founding to the present moment.

On opening night, the main street,

which is usually empty after dark,

filled with people to watch
the story of their town,

leaving locals to question:

How will we write
the next chapter of Lyons?

Well, the next chapter started
with a series of movie screenings,

public events and international musicians,

as well as a low-budget film community
that has blossomed in Lyons,

bringing in people from all over the world

and a permanent art gallery
that has opened next door.

My work harnesses the power
of the built environment

to focus on issues that communities
and local governments

have failed to address themselves,

by creating projects so custom fit

that the community naturally
makes it their own.

When people from all walks of life
have a shared experience in these spaces,

it can lead to a paradigm shift
in how we see our home,

our community and the world.

For me, public space is political

and becomes powerful when it sparks
people’s imagination to envision

a new future.

And although every place
I’ve worked is unique,

it all boils down to one thing:

if people can sit together,
they can dream together.

Thank you.

Related Topics:architecture Community Design featured Public Space Society TED Fellows TED Talk TED Talks TEDTalk TEDTalks

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49 Comments

Manish Kaushal

June 6, 2021 at 3:03 pm

Great timing of this video,was thinking about it this morning….

Reply
- 𒆙MyStRyViCs
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:05 pm
  
  Ryt
  
  Reply
- Rzlfly_
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:19 pm
  
  Same
  
  Reply
lucknow walle

June 6, 2021 at 3:03 pm

Huge fan urs

Reply
- 𒆙MyStRyViCs
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:06 pm
  
  Of**
  
  Reply
Patrick Jarvis

June 6, 2021 at 3:05 pm

Well that’s fascinating

Reply
- 𒆙MyStRyViCs
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:06 pm
  
  Exactly
  
  Reply
Scot Fretwell

June 6, 2021 at 3:08 pm

It will end up as a homeless encampment.

Reply
THE CRAZY SCIENTIST

June 6, 2021 at 3:09 pm

Can’t wait for corona to end so we can do this

Reply
- Life Psycle Official
  
  June 6, 2021 at 5:05 pm
  
  I was thinking the same
  
  Reply
- Leftie Snowflake
  
  June 6, 2021 at 7:32 pm
  
  You will be waiting a long time. Corona is never going to end.
  
  Reply
Shazistic

June 6, 2021 at 3:10 pm

Happiness depends on your attitude not on what you have

Reply
- Matthew Morton
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:48 pm
  
  Coolbeans
  
  Reply
English IELTS

June 6, 2021 at 3:10 pm

✌️✌️✌️✌️

Reply
- ODD EDDIES ODDIEDDIES OF APPENDICHTOMY
  
  June 6, 2021 at 3:25 pm
  
  24;….
  
  Reply
Michael Patrick

June 6, 2021 at 3:12 pm

Ridiculous waste of time and resources.

Reply
- Michael Patrick
  
  June 6, 2021 at 4:54 pm
  
  Probably not at this time…however just because someone currently has no better solution that does not make this guys plan practical. We should take more time and invest our resources to find a better solution.
  
  Reply
- einna007
  
  June 7, 2021 at 12:49 am
  
  Uh the dog park generator is a genius idea what are you talking about?
  
  Reply
Rzlfly_

June 6, 2021 at 3:19 pm

Amazing

Reply
omkar dwivedi

June 6, 2021 at 3:21 pm

thankyou TED

Reply
M. Allard

June 6, 2021 at 3:26 pm

Entertainment can be fun but it won’t take the place of our country and our freedom.

Reply
Master Civil Engineering

June 6, 2021 at 3:29 pm

Boost your knowledge here🚀🚀🚀

Reply
- Life Psycle Official
  
  June 6, 2021 at 5:04 pm
  
  I felt the same
  
  Reply
- Anthony
  
  June 6, 2021 at 5:17 pm
  
  Boost your feelz here.
  
  Reply
TRIBE OF MENTORS

June 6, 2021 at 3:45 pm

*Life changer habits you need to learn*
➡1.Practice Gratitude.
➡2.Write something
➡3.Invest in self-care.
➡4.Create a morning ritual
➡5.Make time for exercise.
Have a great one 🌸:

Reply
Michelle M

June 6, 2021 at 3:53 pm

This is wonderful! Think of how beautiful the world would be if no one had to worry about survival! Art IS Life and this guy is a Genius! Thank you!

Reply
Eli Nope

June 6, 2021 at 3:58 pm

I remember the past, when obesity and narcissism wasn’t the norm. When people could afford rent on a third of their monthly income from a full time job that paid minimum wage.

Reply
Gaasuba Meskhenet

June 6, 2021 at 3:58 pm

Land lords should quit their “jobs”
Property hoarding should be illegal
Rent is extortion
Eviction is violence
No one gets a second house until everyone has one

Reply
- Gaasuba Meskhenet
  
  June 6, 2021 at 5:25 pm
  
  If you can, please help my soon to be evicted family
  
  Only covid protections kept us safe. Go fund me in the descriptions of my videos
  
  Reply
Syril Sabu

June 6, 2021 at 4:16 pm

✌️

Reply
Life Psycle Official

June 6, 2021 at 5:03 pm

This was such an insightful video 🌼🌻

Reply
InuKa

June 6, 2021 at 5:08 pm

Public spaces crying with quarantine.

Reply
Blue Blue

June 6, 2021 at 7:44 pm

How about we make China accountable for the virus 🦠 first and worry about that later

Reply
Blue Blue

June 6, 2021 at 7:47 pm

This guy is smoking that good good !!!

Reply
Kevin Di Mauro

June 6, 2021 at 7:51 pm

Arnie Palmer alert! Arnie Palmer alert!

Reply
RR Alquizar

June 6, 2021 at 9:43 pm

empower the power

Reply
adzigbli selorm kwame

June 6, 2021 at 9:43 pm

So insightful

Reply
Truth In America Trapped Deep State

June 6, 2021 at 11:50 pm

Interestingly enough in Red Bluff California yhey did a lot of work at the river park. Yet have seen several people expose thenselves as well as though on no smoking signs placed oeople smoking pot and cigarettes all over and not even just in their cars. This town claims tobe family friendly but why would anyone want to expise their children to these behaviours i. A public recreation area. Have no problem with what they do in the privacy of their own homes or property , but when law enforcement does nothing and cameras are in these locations some thing is wrong. Many of the areas qhich these people use are also not in view of cameras leeding to the conclusion they know where they all are. Ma6be it is their designated areas like the group or gang tags on the tables.

Reply
Sean Ferguson

June 7, 2021 at 2:39 am

Awesome! Inspiring!

Reply
Jessica Finney

June 7, 2021 at 2:42 am

this is so incredibly awesome. finally a ted talk ive seen that i believe could really make a difference in the most practical way!!!!!!!!

Reply
Liz

June 7, 2021 at 4:24 am

Yep, and the drug addicts and homeless people will make it their playground.

Reply
Jayashree J

June 7, 2021 at 4:39 am

Does anyone know why are subtitles for the recent videos not showing??? Has ted stopped it?

Reply
- Interstellarsurfer
  
  June 7, 2021 at 5:04 am
  
  Subtitles are the quickest way to get your video shadowbanned and demonitized – and TED is only getting more controversial with time – so maybe that is it. 🤷‍♂️
  
  Reply
Андрей Наумов

June 7, 2021 at 11:28 am

Hi, TED! I want to learn english with your channel, but have some problem with understanding speech. If it won’t cause any problems, add eng subtitles please. Your videos will be more understandable. thx you in advance!

Reply
Curious বাঙালি

June 7, 2021 at 4:29 pm

“If people can sit together, they can dream together.”

Reply
Lane Atkinson

June 7, 2021 at 5:10 pm

This is a great idea!!

Reply
RG SHALOM

June 7, 2021 at 5:17 pm

Cool

Reply
Flávia Mattos

June 7, 2021 at 5:46 pm

wow, very interesting

Reply
Xiang Xiang

June 8, 2021 at 8:58 am

The ideas to build perfect place for the local community is amazing, keep it up sir. And, the last sentence was hit me so bad.

Reply

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