WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. General Services Administration, manager of 8,600 federal properties across the nation and steward of 425 historic landmarks, has published a new workbook to help guide GSA property managers on how to enhance public spaces in federal buildings.
“Federal buildings in many communities are the government’s most prominent representative, a symbol of democracy,” said David Winstead, Commissioner for GSA’s Public Buildings Service. “It’s important that these spaces are accessible to the public and that they convey a positive image of the federal government.”
GSA produced, Achieving Great Federal Public Spaces – A Property Manager’s Guide in collaboration with the Project for Public Spaces. The workbook provides GSA property managers with a step-by-step process on how to enhance public spaces such as plazas, lobbies, atria and grounds. It suggests short, medium, and long-term improvements — from actions as simple as reducing clutter and inviting civic organizations to use public spaces for activities and events, to more elaborate measures such as buildings enhancements, including the streamlining of the security process in lobbies.
“When managed effectively, these spaces support neighborhood goals and play an important role in how our client agencies view their workplaces,” commented Anthony Costa, Deputy Commissioner for Public Buildings. “It is in our collective interests that we make the most of our public spaces.”