Community Placemaking in a Box! | Placemaking Round-Up

This round-up from the Project for Public Spaces connects people who share a passion for public spaces to ideas and issues, news, quotes, places, and events from the placemaking movement.

Placemaking in a Box!

An animated visual zooms in on an artist painting a vibrant mural on the facade of a building and pans sideways to show a matching shipping container.
Credit: Norfolk Southern

From “blah-za” to vibrant plaza! Committed to completely transforming underutilized spaces, two organizations turned to the practicality and versatility of shipping containers to beautify, activate, and add functionality for their communities. Read our latest blog article to learn about how Community Placemaking Grant awardees from two different cities, Midtown Alliance in Atlanta, GA, and Downtown Dayton Partnership in Dayton, OH, turned their spaces around with the help of Project for Public Spaces' direct funding, technical assistance, and capacity building. 

Read the Article

Events & Opportunities

Early registration is now OPEN for our "How to Create Successful Markets" online training! The six-session course taking place Tuesdays and Thursdays, between September 24 and October 10, features enduring lessons from our Market Cities Program and examples for developing and sustaining an extraordinary public market. Here are just a few topics that will be covered:

  • Ingredients of successful markets
  • Market management
  • Community & stakeholder engagement
  • Expanding opportunities for vendors
  • Tools to measure the value of public markets
  • Scaling up markets with expanded infrastructure & operations
  • Sustainable market operations
  • Public policies that support markets‍

The course benefits not only market operators, but also policymakers, advocates, and others. “I believe this training will be valuable to anyone connected to markets," shared past participant, Leslie Harrison, Development Associate at Feeding Northeast Florida. "There is so much great knowledge and tools presented and many opportunities to network with peers. [It is] well worth the investment.”

Register by August 8 to enjoy an early registration rate! 
 

Register
Watch & Learn • The recordings of Project for Public Spaces' Made By All webinar series, including "How to Engage Communities in Climate Adaptation" and "How Can Placemaking Help Downtowns Bounce Back?", are now available for purchase!
Do you have an event or opportunity you would like to share? Email [email protected].
 

Public Space News

Intentionally designed "third spaces" are critically important for increasing inclusivity, fostering social interaction, and providing equity. As a great example of how third places can provide equity benefits to communities, Elena Madison, Project for Public Spaces' Director of Projects, points to a Recharge Station in Times Square that was created in partnership with Fountain House. The station provides social services and amenities to anyone. "We purposely designed it so all kinds of people stop by, but it’s especially relevant to people who barely have a first place, much less a third place.” (Urban Land Magazine)

Connect over games and films! 
An Economic Development Committee in Evanston, IL, aims to boost foot traffic and community engagement in its 10 business districts with placemaking kits. The kits include portable items like movie projectors, giant chess boards, Jenga sets, and a pop-up stage. (Evanston RoundTable)

To make public space more inclusive, turn to public art.
A new initiative in Boston, MA, aims to bring residents and artists together to create new installations that will tell inclusive and diverse stories throughout a cityscape that currently features art that is deeply influenced by a colonial past. (NPR)

Your support brings community-powered public spaces to life.
Donate today to support public space improvement projects in parks, streets, markets, and other places in the communities that need them most, by providing access to resources like training, networking, and events. 
DONATE
Do you know about our Market Cities Program?
The Market Cities Program strengthens the regional systems behind the market stalls, connecting and supporting a diverse set of stakeholders through research, specialized training, and a network of peers. Learn more and subscribe to our Market Cities Biweekly Bazaar below.
MARKET CITIES

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