In addition to our bestselling original publications–How to Turn a Place Around, The Great Neighborhood Book, Public Markets and Community Revitalization, among others–PPS collaborates with organizations to develop publications focused on a variety of public space issues. Some recent projects include:
Placemaking Chicago
PPS was brought in by Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council to assist them in setting up a citywide Placemaking campaign. In collaboration, PPS and MPC produced a brand new, locally-oriented Placemaking publication with associated online content. PPS led onsite training courses for community and government leaders as well.
“A Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicago” guides communities in evaluating their public spaces and provides a framework to engage local businesses and government in helping implement improvements. It also gives a full description of our process, including observation and assessment tools, as well as several local examples of Placemaking-inspired neighborhood improvements in Chicago.
AARP Transportation Series: A Citizens Guide to Better Streets, Streets as Places, Great Corridors, Great Communities
PPS partnered with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to publish three books about streets and transportation. The publications are a joint effort of PPS’s “Building Community Through Transportation” initiative— which promotes transportation policies and practices that create walkable, healthy and sustainable places—and AARP’s “Livable Communities” initiative, which aims to ensure affordable and appropriate housing for older Americans, along with supportive community design features and good mobility options.
A Citizen’s Guide to Better Streets: How to Engage Your Transportation Agency, the first in the three-part series, outlines effective ways of interacting with transportation agencies. The second in the series, Streets as Places, teaches citizens how to lobby for streets that serve all users with lively, walkable, community-friendly environments. The third, The Quiet Revolution in Transportation Planning: How Great Corridors Make Great Communities, describes how planning within the broader context of a transportation corridors—rather than a narrow focus on roads—can benefit both mobility needs and community quality of life.
How to Start Your Business at a Local Market
Historically, public markets have provided an entry point for small business to thrive. They are vital places for entrepreneurs, especially minorities, immigrants and women, to test their ideas with modest risk and investment. Today, the market tradition is alive and well, and with it the start-up spirit that makes our markets unique. Farmers, crafters, artists and even re-sellers want to tap into the opportunity a market can bring, but many don’t know where to begin. However, being a successful market vendor requires a particular set of skills and a love of competition.
Under a grant from the Minority Business Development Association, housed within the US Department of Commerce, PPS wrote a clear and concise guide for interested vendors on how to determine what to sell, how to pick a market, manage your business, set up a stall, tips for customer service and attracting repeat customers, and more.