Fostering Community Ownership and Unity: Inside CultureHouse’s Union Square Pop-Up

On an inclement day in Somerville, Massachusetts, an unsuspecting passerby catches a small pop of color out of the corner of their eye. Tucked between two bland storefronts is an inviting, small storefront at 64 Union Square. With their curiosity piqued, they walk in and are welcomed into the CultureHouse pop-up, a space dedicated to providing the local Somerville community with a free and accessible “third space,” a term which references public spaces that offer visitors a physical respite from home and work.

The pop-up in Union Square is charming, the walls filled with swirling green lines and adorned with the work of a local artist. The space consists of a main lounge area — outfitted with comfortable furniture, free Wi-Fi, a coffee and tea bar, and a friendly receptionist — as well as a small kitchen and a more formal meeting area with a large conference table. It gives the impression of a space crafted for a community and by a community, brimming with intentionality and care.

Tucked between two bland storefronts is an inviting, small storefront at 64 Union Square. By Courtesy of CultureHouse

CultureHouse, an organization born in 2017, creates places that encourage community engagement and expression. The site in Union Square is currently their only ongoing pop-up and is open until June 9. The organization has many goals, but its primary focus is to create free and accessible social infrastructure that allows community members to connect with each other while simultaneously feeling ownership and value within their neighborhoods. A subsequent goal of CultureHouse is to find uses for the many unoccupied storefronts and properties in metropolitan cities, in an attempt to combat the detrimental effect vacant spaces have on both the economy and community members’ mental health.

CultureHouse and its pop-ups are an exercise in visibility and representation as much as they’re a means of enhancing local communities.

“When people have the opportunity to exist and form connections in shared spaces, they connect across differences,” Aaron Greiner, the Executive Director of CultureHouse, said in an interview with The Harvard Crimson. “They form closer and deeper relationships with their neighbors.”

In each pop-up, CultureHouse also hosts and sponsors community events and artists, providing them with a much-needed platform. They regularly host community meetings and are intentional about consistently providing a forum to groups who often find themselves in need of one.

The community is engaged in every part of the process — they even are present while the spaces are being constructed. By Courtesy of CultureHouse

The process of establishing a pop-up is a months-long affair that focuses on centering the needs of the community. CultureHouse doesn’t reach out to any neighborhoods offering to host events or create spaces, instead waiting until they are approached to ensure that they aren’t coming into communities and trying to tell them what they need. After deciding to take on a project, they spend six months doing community outreach and engagement, which can involve anything from meeting with community leaders to figuring out the needs of the community or working within community structures.

“It’s about helping them discover what their community is looking for,” Greiner said.

A large part of this undertaking is data collection. They put a strong emphasis on the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered through observation, interaction, and anecdotal experiences, which allow them to identify patterns and make adjustments.

“Data collection and impact analysis is a really important part of our process,” Greiner said. “We have to be able to communicate what worked, what didn’t work, and use that information to pass off to our partners that can, in turn, implement successful strategies long-term.”

CultureHouse’s intent in understanding and synthesizing their outcomes testifies to the comprehensive way in which they aim to build community and empower its citizens.

“We’re there to really support them and help them flourish, as opposed to trying to create our own thing from scratch,” Greiner said.

The process of hosting a pop-up from conception to fruition is a five-step process. It begins with community engagement, then research, then a pivot to building the space. The community is engaged in every part of the process — they even are present while the spaces are being constructed.

CultureHouse is committed to connecting and empowering communities. By Courtesy of CultureHouse

“We had a big build day where contractors came in and helped us paint,” Greiner said.

CultureHouse’s commitment to connecting and empowering communities emphasizes the importance of active citizenship and collective care. Their work expands perceptions of what public spaces can look like and what they can achieve. Looking ahead, CultureHouse only continues to undertake more projects in various cities and communities, leading toward a future where definitions and expectations for community extend far beyond mere tolerance and common courtesy.

CultureHouse is open at 64 Union Square in Somerville until June 9.