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Volunteers use bikes to transport donated goods to hard-hit areas like Red Hook and the Rockaways after Superstorm Sandy / Photo:  Brennan Cavanaugh via Flickr

Adaptive Transportation: Bicycling Through Sandy’s Aftermath

By Mina Keyes on Nov 28, 2012 | 9 Comments

On Thursday following Superstorm Sandy, when much of New York City was still without power, the number of bike riders on the East River bridges rose more than 130 percent. The substantial increase in ridership, according to a study by NYU’s Rudin Center, showed that walking and biking commuters were, on average, the [...]

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This drawing of the market dates to the late 1880s; look closely, and you can see the Statue of Liberty in the upper right-center, out in the Harbor.

How Markets Grow: Learning From Manhattan’s Lost Food Hub

By Patra Jongjitirat on Nov 25, 2012 | 3 Comments

This slideshow charts the rise and fall of the Washington Market, from its earliest days to its destruction in 1960. Click the arrow to the right to advance to the next image.

All slideshow images appear courtesy of David K. O’Neil.

The sun has barely risen, but the horses and delivery wagons forming a [...]

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"The city is presented with all of its pockmarks and postcard shots, in a portrait of urban complexity."

Between Walking and Wandering, Power in Presence

By Brendan Crain on Nov 23, 2012 | 4 Comments

Walking and wandering are two very different things. Walking is functional; it is merely the act of getting from A to B on our own two legs. But when we wander, it is the journey–not the destination–that matters. Somewhere between these two, there has to be a happy medium. In many of today’s sprawling [...]

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Timelapse in Times Square: Tips From the Field

By Natalia Radywyl on Nov 21, 2012 | Add Comment

Here at PPS, William Holly Whyte’s legacy continues to inform and inspire our work, from projects with communities to our training sessions and talks. Perhaps less known, though, is his behind-the-scenes influence on our research and methodology. Swapping Holly’s Bolex camera for an iPhone timelapse app, and trilbies for bike helmets, I joined forces [...]

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“We Are the Majority! The Cars Don’t Vote!”

By Project for Public Spaces on Nov 16, 2012 | 7 Comments

Thanks to Clarence at Streetfilms for the heads up on this: the impassioned presentation by transportation reform leader Mark Gorton during this fall’s Pro Walk/Pro Bike: Pro Place conference in Long Beach is now available in full online. If you weren’t able to make it to the conference [...]

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Houston Library Plaza: Building Knowledge, Building Community

By Project for Public Spaces on Nov 14, 2012 | 1 Comment

Library culture in the city of Houston is undergoing an exciting shift as the Houston Public Library reconsiders its public role. Instead of thinking of its programming as needing to remain within the building’s four walls, recent efforts are pulling the activity into outdoor spaces. Building upon the momentum of other successful downtown [...]

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Two Parisians relax in Luxembourg Gardens, one of their city's flagship public spaces / Photo: PPS

What Makes a Great Public Destination? Is it Possible to Build One Where You Live?

By Project for Public Spaces on Nov 11, 2012 | 10 Comments

In a recent blog post, entrepreneur-turned-VC Mark Suster wrote about the necessary ingredients for a city trying o develop a successful start-up community. His advice seemed applicable to any community that’s trying to create a strong local sense of place, so we’ve retrofitted his recommendations to speak broadly to people who are working to [...]

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Locals mill about Silanga Field, which will soon become the Silanga Community Centre / Photo: PPS

Creating Common Ground in a City Divided

By Project for Public Spaces on Nov 9, 2012 | 5 Comments

In Nairobi, Kenya, the contrast between rich and poor neighborhoods is beyond stark.  And even though half of the city’s population lives on a mere 1.5% of the total land area, in Nairobi, public space is scarce. Since the creation, by Colonial powers in 1948, of the master plan that led to the [...]

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How Downtown Adapts to the Darkness

By David M Nelson on Nov 2, 2012 | 1 Comment

On the eve of Halloween, I ventured across the East River to cycle through the eerily dark and silent streets of lower Manhattan. With Sandy’s storm surge freshly receded and my sister a refugee on my futon in Bed Stuy, we hopped on bikes and rode into the Financial District to gather clothes and valuables [...]

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A double rainbow shines over Lower Manhattan on the day after Hurricane Sandy / Photo: Kurt Deitrich via Instagram

Re-Thinking Resilience: What Disasters Teach us About Community Capacity

By Project for Public Spaces on Nov 1, 2012 | 5 Comments
PPS has been working extensively over the last year with Peter Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of the Adelaide City Council in Australia to create new models of governance and organizational culture that are more supportive of Placemaking, and institutionalize Placemaking principles, tools and process. Peter has written a paper that we will release soon on the evolution to this model of [...]
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Looking north from a darkened Lower Manhattan / Photo: NY Daily News

Community Resilience, Post-Sandy: Share Your Stories

By Project for Public Spaces on Oct 30, 2012 | 3 Comments

During and after a natural disaster, we truly see the value of community, up close and personal. Neighbors band together to help each other, providing shelter, supplies, and comfort to those who are less-prepared. The bravery shown by first responders drives the point home; seeing so many public servants risking their lives to help those [...]

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Great places foster human interaction & economic opportunity / Photo: Fred Kent

Place Capital: Re-connecting Economy With Community

By Project for Public Spaces on Oct 28, 2012 | 11 Comments

“We’ve been wrong for the last 67 years,” Mark Gorton, founder of OpenPlans, announced in his closing address at last month’s Pro Walk/Pro Bike: Pro Place (PWPB) conference. “Ok. Time to admit it, and move on! We have completely screwed up transportation in this country. We can never expect to see the legislative [...]

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