Fort Wayne – Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (Aim) announced Indianapolis has earned an Aim Placemaking Award for SPARK on the Circle. The city was honored with this award on Wednesday, October 10th during the Annual Awards Luncheon presented by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, LLC during the 2024 Aim Ideas Summit in Fort Wayne. Indianapolis won in the greater than 50,000 population category.
Launched in 2023 as part of the city of Indianapolis’ Downtown Resiliency Strategy, SPARK on the Circle has quickly become a popular destination, attracting over 78,000 visitors with nearly 250 unique events in its first season. This park-like space on Monument Circle, created by Downtown Indy, Inc., Big Car Collaborative, and the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development, was designed to offer a safe, active, and engaging environment for all.
SPARK features green spaces for play, relaxation, social connection, and performance, with contemporary seating, vending services, and free weekly programming. By temporarily closing parts of Monument Circle to traffic, the city transformed it into a vibrant public space, reinvigorating the area and inviting residents and visitors to experience this iconic landmark in a new and dynamic way.
“Deciding to close one one-quarter of the capitol city’s most iconic traffic circle caused some heads to turn. However, the city of Indianapolis really nailed it with SPARK. The project is the quintessential placemaking project, providing one space to serve many interests simultaneously,” said Aim CEO Matt Greller.
The Placemaking Award highlights programs or projects that have been implemented and demonstrate new approaches for solving municipal challenges. Placemaking projects also exemplify the positive impact of planning, regeneration, or economic development work on the physical quality of a place, as well as the economic and social well-being of a community. Nominations must have a physical aspect. Awards are presented in multiple population categories based on nominations received.
In its 48th year, the Aim Annual Awards program, presented by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors LLC, recognizes communities and individuals in municipal government for excellence and outstanding achievement. A seven-member panel of qualified judges selected this year’s winners from a competitive field of nominees from around the state.
Conference Facts:
2024 Aim Ideas Summit
October 8-10, 2024
Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne
Attendance: 1,000 (pending final registration count)
Further information: www.aimindiana.org
Since the 1890s, Aim, formerly the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, has been an advocate for Indiana municipalities. Aim is the official voice of municipal government in Indiana, with more than 460 cities and towns as members. Our purpose is to foster, promote and advocate for the success of Hoosier municipalities as laboratories of innovation, hubs of talent and the engines driving our state’s economy.