What if anyone could redesign their city — with chalk?
That’s what happened in New York. A group led by Miles Grant showed up, drew on the pavement, and passersby joined in. Within minutes, they’d imagined a new city: gardens, homes, schools. Security came with a hose and washed it away — but not before something real was created: a shared vision.
Visual Assembly through chalk is simple. No permits. No leaders. Just space, people, and imagination.
Pick a street that needs care. Bring chalk and friends. Start drawing. Others will join. Ask questions on the ground:
What do we need here? What would care look like?
If no one stops you — great. If they do — document it. You’ve already succeeded.
Photograph everything. Upload to the Units of Care map (link).
This is not a protest. It’s not art.
It’s collective dreaming in action.
Start one. This weekend. Anywhere.
More Assemblies — free, messy, and many.
This is how we win.
Google Map: Unites of Care — Imaginary and Real. You can add your Unites of Care — along with descriptions, drawings, and photos.
If you’d like assistance or have any questions, please email v-a@davidgraeber.org
Instructions
Visual Assembly through Chalk: Re-Imagining Our Surroundings Collaboratively and Without Direction
Promotion
We are imagining the future! That’s really exciting and your promotion for the chalking should match that excitement and goofiness. If you’re engaging enough, people won’t mind a poster that is a bit misleading in exchange for thrill.
When selecting your location, think about how the surroundings will affect the event, and try to find a combination of contexts that will have an interesting outcome. Is there a space you know of that’s over (or under) policed? Somewhere that’s especially bleak or otherwise in need of some imagination?
Introduction
This is a show! Your energy will become the energy others put into their chalking. Make a big announcement that chalking is beginning. Have a few trusted friends to immediately get into the act of chalking. Brief them before on the importance of engaging with strangers who come for the event or are merely passing by. Chalk is the medium, however it is the communal aspect that is the real heart of the event. Once chalk is on the ground, it will grow quickly as people have more visions and ideas.
Allow the drawings to stretch as far into physical and conceptual space as they would like. This includes chalking big questions and answers on the ground (“What does good public space look like?” “What are we lacking in our modern neighborhoods?”) Re-imaging our surroundings is not a precise task!
Depending on where you are chalking, you may find it beneficial to designate a region or draw some noticeably large structures from the immediate area to get people’s minds moving.
Conclusion
If nobody bothers you, you now have a beautiful vision for what the area you’re in could look like! Take a picture and upload it here.
If police, security, or another arm of violence attempts to stop you from drawing chalk on the ground, be sure to document it! Including any attempt of yours to explain the situation to them (if you are comfortable). Be sure to upload this documentation. The act of these forces removing your chalk can look very funny if you react with confusion and awe rather than anger.
