Southside Cultural Center- An Anchor For Trinity Square

There are many complex social challenges affecting conditions in Trinity Square and we know no single solution would work. From the beginning, we have taken a multi-dimensional approach to instigating social change. Although there are many issues and challenges to address, the willingness of our partners and the community, in general, to talk frankly and discover solutions, to make Trinity Square a more vibrant and safer place from multiple angles has been rewarding. Multiple project strategies are unfolding at one time alongside each other but communicating the coordination, boundaries and behind-the-scenes linkages are not always clear.

After multiple months, the need to adapt and refine the work plans and structures based on existing and emerging conditions was necessary, as well as accurately defining the parameters of each of the project components (funding, time frames, governance, etc.).  In order to be applicable in such a complex project, the plan had to follow a flexible framework for intervention as the different components overlap and inform each other: an exercise of zooming in and out in order to have the best possible holistic intervention on Trinity Square.

In response to community feedback about proposed designs from our partners at RISD, the design-build component of our project (while still happening within the originally defined quarter-mile radius from the intersection of Broad Street and Elmwood Avenue) the leadership has redirected the focus of the work on the exterior of Southside Cultural Center, including creating new space for outdoor programming in the parking lot.

Southside Cultural Center is an anchor institution and a cultural incubator that represents the uniqueness and diversity of Southside neighborhood; staging the center as a platform for engagement and dialogue creates the ground for an inclusive intervention while adding to the vibrancy and value of Trinity Square.