CultureHouse Peabody Releases Impact Report

Peabody, MA – CultureHouse announced today the release of its impact report detailing insights learned throughout the implementation of the CultureHouse Peabody pop-up space. The report analyzes the findings surrounding the successes and challenges of generating community engagement and economic revitalization through a month-long pop located at 86 Main Street in Peabody’s downtown.

The impact report reflects the lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities specific to the pop-up location at 86 Main Street, for which the space served as a “community living room” and safe space for Peabody residents and visitors to return to public gatherings after fourteen months of social distancing due to a global pandemic. It is intended to serve as a resource for city planners, business owners, and community organizations looking to improve their downtown main streets and revitalize the community; and contains observations on how the month-long pop up connected with the town of Peabody’s downtown streetscape, transportation network, public spaces, demographics, and social infrastructure – all while providing both context to the origins of the project as well as its impact on the community.

“Over the five short weeks we were open to the public, we observed how the space was used, opened minds to new ways of using storefronts to foster community engagement, and gained valuable insight into potential opportunities to revitalize downtown main streets in Peabody. It’s important that we share these insights in an actionable report that continues the momentum of this project,” said Aaron Greiner, Director at CultureHouse. “And while we hope that our findings analyzed in this report will build on current successes in the city of Peabody, there are also insights in this report that could help other towns in Massachusetts and beyond become livelier and more vibrant.”

Ripe with details on the specific designs of the space, programming options, alternate uses, and visitor demographics; the CultureHouse impact report also provides statistics to support the uses of the space and impacts on the residents. Some of the data-driven insights in the CultureHouse Peabody report include:

• 95% of visitors stayed longer than one hour
• Favorable opinions of the area increased from 17% to 77% after visiting the CultureHouse Peabody pop-up.
• 48% of visitors heard about the pop-up through an event or program the space was hosting.

In addition to data-driven insights, the report utilizes anecdotal and observational examples of successes and challenges around the space. Examples of successes in the CultureHouse Peabody report include providing a hub for businesses and entrepreneurs to gather and collaborate, supporting local artists, and empowering teens to utilize the space. Examples of challenges included reaching a wider audience, creating a multilingual accessible space, and attracting visitors to less popular programs.

Some of the recommendations shared in the impact report are already being implemented by neighbors of the pop-up space. Create & Escape, a DIY creative workshops studio, has already implemented some of the street-level activations such as sidewalk signage, and has added new community oriented programs to their calendar. They are now hosting open mic nights and “meet the artist” events to attract residents to the location, inspired by the community engagement they saw across the street throughout the pop-up’s month-long run.

In September, CultureHouse will be meeting with members of the Advisory Group, the City of Peabody, the Peabody Main Streets group, and local businesses to share the details of the impact report and additional suggestions for increasing economic vitality in the downtown main street area. They hope that the impact report will inspire local leaders to take meaningful steps to establish a healthy, vibrant, and lively city through relevant and engaging community services. Those interested in reading the report can access it here: http://culturehouse.cc/peabody.

About CultureHouse Peabody

Previously located at 86 Main St., Peabody, MA, CultureHouse Peabody was a month-long pop-up community space intended to serve as a community living room, wi-fi lounge, kiosk, and space for small community classes. In the aftermath of COVID-19, CultureHouse Peabody brought together residents, artists, and community groups to help encourage a more vibrant downtown. The Peabody project was put on by CultureHouse, a nonprofit organization based in Somerville that works with communities to create pop-up community spaces that spur long-term community-driven change, in partnership with local resident Emily Cooper. The project was supported through a crowdfunding campaign hosted on Patronicity, raising over $10,000 from 89 supporters. Mass Development matched the campaign with $10,000, and CultureHouse secured additional funding from the Eastern Bank, Mass Cultural Council, the Sarah G. McCarthy Family Foundation, and the Barr Foundation. Learn more about them at culturehouse.cc.