Placemaking

"“'Placemaking' is both an overarching idea and a hands-on tool for improving a neighborhood, city or region."

Created by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), the Placemaking Process involves identifying community sites that need revitalization, identifying changes that would improve the character and vitality of the site, determining the public’s vision or desires for the site, and crafting a new place that will fulfill the vision.  Placemaking involves a number of common methods, including direct observation and research, community visioning meetings and workshops, designs and scenarios, implementation, and management programs.

PPS employs the Placemaking approach on levels of scale ranging from single buildings to entire districts.  After identifying the scale and location of the project, PPS begins to analyze the public space.  The initial analysis phase identifies physical elements of the space and project (such as dimensions, topography, and current state), regulatory issues (zoning regulations, building requirements), sociological elements (use of the site, behavioral patterns, demographics), and opinions (values, visions, goals).  The systematic analysis identifies both problems and potential for a site, through methods like direct on-site observation, time-laps filming, interviews, and surveys. 

After completing the site analysis, PPS creates design scenarios and alternatives for specific sites and master plans for larger areas.  Those plans are evaluated by citizens and partners, and PPS also creates demonstration projects that help to build momentum and explore ideas from the plans.  The first implementation steps tackle inexpensive, small-scale improvements that can be completed quickly and will have major benefits for the community.  These small projects build public will and capacity, which can then fuel completion of larger projects.  Finally, PPS works with communities to develop long-term management plans for sites, which can include further development and evaluation.