Postcards from the Past: Celebrating Pontiac’s Rich History in our Neighborhoods

Project Location:

Eastside, District Seven, Pontiac

Briefly Describe Your Project Idea:

This project is installing historic images from Pontiac on chain link fences where permission has been given by the property owner. The sites will be chosen based upon their visibility to residents from the surrounding neighborhoods, catalyst effects on other community improvements, proximity to city parks that are slated for enhancements, and the neglected state of the screened lots. Partnering with us: Oakland County’s Historical Society, the source of our historic images being utilized.

Why does your community need this project?

Especially since the Great Recession and the bankruptcy of General Motors, our neighborhood has many areas that feel barren and neglected due to population loss, blight removal, and disinvestment. It’ll bolster the residents’ spirits, improve the aesthetics, and celebrate our city’s diversity.

What do you hope to achieve through this project?

We hope to enhance the curb appeal of our neighborhood, prevent dumping, cut into the areas of barrenness, combat neglect of vacant land, celebrate our city’s diversity, promote awareness and education of our city’s rich past, boost pride and beautification efforts in our neighborhood, and empower residents to creatively tackle the challenges of our neighborhood while working collaboratively across age, race, and socio-economic lines.