‘I Wish This Was’ Project Asks Communities to Voice – on Stickers – How They’d Fill Vacant Storefronts

As businesses close rapidly across the country, vacant storefronts are becoming a commonplace sight. A new project called 'I Wish This Was,' which began in New Orleans, features removable stickers that people can fill in and affix to unused commercial spaces and halted construction sites.

In the words of project-runner Candy Chang:

"Many cities are full of vacant storefronts and people who need things. These stickers are an easy tool to voice what you want, where you want it. Just fill them out and put them on abandoned buildings and beyond. The stickers are custom vinyl and they can be easily removed without damaging property. It's a fun, low-barrier tool to provide civic input on-site, and the responses reflect the hopes, dreams, and colorful imaginations of different neighborhoods."

The requests vary widely -- citizens request everything from a farmer's market to "a city in the midst of a revolution." Take a look at a few photos of the project in motion to see what people really want in their communities:

You can get your own stickers on the IWTW site.

[via Utne Reader]