he Children’s Guide to Turners Fall
Merit Award
children's watercolors were first digitized to create a community image databank
Co mmun icat io n s
Annaliese Bischoff
project name.
location.
Children’s Guide to Turners Falls
Turners Falls, Massachusetts
The purpose of this project was to promote pride in
people and place in an economically struggling community. The resulting product is the Children’s Guide
to Turners Falls, showcasing places in the town as
seen through the eyes of its children. Located along
the Connecticut River and serving as the center of five
townships in western Massachusetts, Turners Falls was
once a thriving mill town. Despite the current economic hard times, Turners Falls offers a vibrant rich history
and a compelling character, both a natural source
of inspiration to designers. Although produced on a
shoestring budget, the publication made
community residents feel enormous pride not only in
their children, but also in their town. The children in
turn felt a closer connection to their town and their
sense of place within it. By instilling these feelings in
children and adults, the project has provided a
foundation for the future stewardship of the
environment. The book has entered its second printing
and was presented at the conference for the Society
for Urban Ecology in Berlin in July 2013.
74 BSLA
100
The Children’s Guid
cover of project document