A growing awareness of our impact on the natural world has paved the way for a new understanding of human life as part of an interconnected and interdependent whole. Novel forms of cultural and social engagement in art have emerged in recent decades that build on this new perspective. Participatory public art projects explore and demonstrate a shared creativity, a collective efficacy - sometimes called co-creation.

Cochran Studio is interested in projects that leverage the imaginative power of the community to strengthen and anchor the work and multiply its benefits.

The value of this approach has moved beyond theory. Our early prototype, Community Bridge, leveraged the imaginative power of the community on a mass scale to bridge differences and catalyze a massive wave of revitalization. The project drew creative participation from across the nation and some thirty other countries, helping to ignite development of the long-stalled urban park around it. This sparked public and private re-investment of more than three hundred and fifty million dollars.

The bridge helped shift park development in a more diverse, sustainable. community-friendly, direction and has served as an economic engine for its city for some thirty years, supporting downtown vitality and cultural strength. Over a thousand new jobs were generated within walking distance of distressed neighborhoods. Tens of thousands visit this unusual project every year. It is a five-star attraction on TripAdvisor.com, ranked by visitors one of the top three highest ranked landmarks in the city and county.