Book Review:
How to Turn a Place Around
Reviewed by Mark Hinshaw in
Landscape Architecture (October 2001) 

For at least 40 years, we in this country have had a problem with public spaces. Many public spaces have been poorly designed or badly managed and lack proper security. Consequently, it has been common to find parks and plazas that are not used or, worse, misused by people with socially disagreeable behavior.

Twenty-five years ago, the Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) was formed to advise communities on how to retrofit or create spaces that would truly be valued and well used. Founded with the intention to carry out the research of William H. Whyte, PPS has had an impact on hundreds of cities and towns. Now the organization has put out a publication that summarizes their principles and techniques.

More of a booklet than a book, the 121-page soft-cover, large-format publication is aimed not so much at design professionals as at public officials and citizens. It is written in a way that is accessible to a general readership - in plain English, in short chapters, and with little technical jargon. It can be read in a few hours. Black-and-white photographs are liberally sprinkled throughout and help illustrate points made by the authors. 

In addition, PPS includes many short, punchy "case studies" that show that the approach they advocate has been used in many different types and sizes of communities. Indeed, it is to their credit that this New York-based organization has not loaded its book with lessons from Manhattan and San Francisco, which are difficult to transfer to the rest of the United States. Rather, examples range from a park in San Rafael, California to a post office forecourt in Montpelier, Vermont.

One of the central themes of the book is that "design" is often not the problem - or the solution. Rather, PPS focuses on how to observe human behavior and work with citizens to determine useful actions to take. According to PPS, the principal dimensions of a place are associated with sociability, uses and activities, access and linkage, and comfort and image. Moreover, they maintain that most public places that are well used and well loved derive these positive characteristics more from community ownership and influence than from design.

PPS wants to empower communities to take charge of their public spaces and not be discouraged by lack of money. They suggest organizational methods, workshops, visioning exercises, and certain types of activities, such as vending of food and beverages, that can provide animation and supervision. Many of these actions are small and do not involve design at all. One PPS principle is "Start with the petunias."

While the book makes many excellent suggestions, PPS perhaps overstates its case somewhat. While it is certainly (and unfortunately) true that far too many public spaces have been designed more from the perspective of making a photogenic composition than making a public realm, design does play a major role.

Nonetheless, "How to Turn a Place Around" should be on the bookshelf of every urban designer and landscape architect - if not for themselves, then for their clients.

More articles about PPS

Book Review:
How to Turn a Place Around
Reviewed by Mark Hinshaw in
Landscape Architecture (October 2001) 

For at least 40 years, we in this country have had a problem with public spaces. Many public spaces have been poorly designed or badly managed and lack proper security. Consequently, it has been common to find parks and plazas that are not used or, worse, misused by people with socially disagreeable behavior.

Twenty-five years ago, the Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) was formed to advise communities on how to retrofit or create spaces that would truly be valued and well used. Founded with the intention to carry out the research of William H. Whyte, PPS has had an impact on hundreds of cities and towns. Now the organization has put out a publication that summarizes their principles and techniques.

More of a booklet than a book, the 121-page soft-cover, large-format publication is aimed not so much at design professionals as at public officials and citizens. It is written in a way that is accessible to a general readership - in plain English, in short chapters, and with little technical jargon. It can be read in a few hours. Black-and-white photographs are liberally sprinkled throughout and help illustrate points made by the authors. 

In addition, PPS includes many short, punchy "case studies" that show that the approach they advocate has been used in many different types and sizes of communities. Indeed, it is to their credit that this New York-based organization has not loaded its book with lessons from Manhattan and San Francisco, which are difficult to transfer to the rest of the United States. Rather, examples range from a park in San Rafael, California to a post office forecourt in Montpelier, Vermont.

One of the central themes of the book is that "design" is often not the problem - or the solution. Rather, PPS focuses on how to observe human behavior and work with citizens to determine useful actions to take. According to PPS, the principal dimensions of a place are associated with sociability, uses and activities, access and linkage, and comfort and image. Moreover, they maintain that most public places that are well used and well loved derive these positive characteristics more from community ownership and influence than from design.

PPS wants to empower communities to take charge of their public spaces and not be discouraged by lack of money. They suggest organizational methods, workshops, visioning exercises, and certain types of activities, such as vending of food and beverages, that can provide animation and supervision. Many of these actions are small and do not involve design at all. One PPS principle is "Start with the petunias."

While the book makes many excellent suggestions, PPS perhaps overstates its case somewhat. While it is certainly (and unfortunately) true that far too many public spaces have been designed more from the perspective of making a photogenic composition than making a public realm, design does play a major role.

Nonetheless, "How to Turn a Place Around" should be on the bookshelf of every urban designer and landscape architect - if not for themselves, then for their clients.

More articles about PPS