Courthouse Square

Created in the 1970s, Courthouse Square in Dayton, Ohio, was a big success story for urban renewal. Located centrally, near the city’s public transit hub, it serves as the site of Dayton’s annual holiday festival—a local tradition that attracts and delights 30,000 people with a tree lighting, parade, live entertainment, and other festivities. 

However, by 2023, the plaza had become a shell of its former self. It had fallen into disrepair and some features like its fountain no longer worked. Below-ground commercial spaces that were once restaurants and public restrooms had been shuttered for years. Although thousands of students from the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College live within blocks of Courthouse Square, they did not use the public space beyond passing through it. Dayton’s downtown was also seeing fewer and fewer office workers in the area due to the rise of remote work. Like many downtowns across the nation during the COVID pandemic, its public spaces were rapidly becoming underutilized. 

The Placemaking Process

In 2023, the nonprofit Downtown Dayton Partnership (DDP) that oversees the space, was awarded a Community Placemaking Grant to work with Project for Public Spaces to address the disrepair and declining community engagement in the area. Through community visioning workshops and engagements, Project for Public Spaces helped DDP develop a new strategy for revitalization. It involved hosting engaging events and activities to welcome downtown residents and workers back into Courthouse Square, giving them opportunities to connect with others in the community, and encouraging them to patronize surrounding businesses.

An Additional Boost

Like the old saying, when there’s a will, there’s a way—and in this case, even more funding! Downtown Dayton Partnership leveraged Project for Public Spaces’ $75K placemaking grant funded by GM (covering community engagement and technical assistance in the development of concepts) to earn an additional $90K in investment and make an even bigger impact. 

A “Game” Plan to Create a Colorful Focal Point

We quickly identified a shipping container as a solution to easily serve pop-up refreshments, store and lend out games, and other props/tools used by other nonprofit and arts organizations. We also added playful sculptural seating to encourage visitors to spend more time enjoying the space. This physical transformation with a new, attractive color palette that draws the attention of passersby. To ensure that the container did not become an eyesore, it underwent an artistic makeover thanks to local muralists, Atalie Gagnet and Maggie Leadman, who brought it to life with a creative design by the TriComB2B marketing agency.

Introducing CURIO!

Surrounded by bright, neon-colored outdoor seating and furniture, the container, now affectionately named “CURIO,” features a splash of green and fun geometric shapes, reflecting the playful programming that invigorates the space. CURIO launched in May 2024 with ongoing programming to draw daytime traffic throughout the weekdays and engage workers and the downtown arts community.

From May through September 2024, CURIO was a gathering spot featuring free lunchtime entertainment, including trivia, workouts, and performances. DDP  hosted a mix of weekly social events like a market, karaoke (“CURIOke”), arts, and bingo. Local food vendors also set up in the square to offer additional amenities. DDP continues to cultivate partnerships with its “CURIO community” by lending its space to other organizers looking to connect with visitors—who are, in turn, glad to return to a welcoming space created especially for them!

Support Future Projects!

With the support of like-minded partners, Project for Public Spaces manages grant, technical assistance, and leadership programs that help local partners to transform their public spaces. Learn more about becoming a Social Impact Partner today.