Engaging the Making

Abstract

Making is deliciously engaging. There is really nothing like it. When something is being created in public, it invites attention—a spectacle, minor or supersized, that passersby cannot resist. It doesn’t matter whether the construction is a skateboard park or volunteer-built housing, protest murals or pallet furniture. They observe the energy and joy of the builders; the bold invite themselves to join in. Others may need a “Hey, do you want to help out?” Soon the workforce is doubled, reinforced with participants who might never have attended a planning meeting or a public hearing. Grassroots democracy has expanded its active membership. And many become active in other community projects.