The Placemaking Round-Up
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
The Biweekly Bazaar
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
Immigration. Foreign policy. Donald Trump’s fingers. The 2016 presidential race has covered most of the major political topics, but one important issue has been conspicuously absent. Place.
Despite the extra-long election cycle, we haven’t heard a single mention of placemaking, human scale, or even public space! Since the two major U.S. parties have yet to engage with the discussion of place in a meaningful way, PPS has launched a third-party bid for the U.S. presidency. Following in the footsteps of trailblazing third-party challengers like Eugene V. Debs and Ross Perot, we’re fighting the system through the system.
The Party for Public Spaces seeks to “turn everything upside down to get it right-side up,” says PPS founder Fred Kent. And this new place-led platform has already influenced the race, with other candidates quickly catching on to its universal appeal. Infuriated by the ceaseless construction of faceless skyscraper condos in his Midtown NYC neighborhood, Donald J. Trump has ditched Trump Tower in favor of a human-scale Brooklyn development, pictured below. And having grown weary of an urban landscape that we assume consists mainly of maple trees and covered bridges, democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has bid a final farewell to Vermont and relocated back to his childhood neighborhood of Flatbush.
Here are some more of today's highlights:
Rush, Canadian Prog Rock legends, are set to collaborate with famed country crooner Anne Murray in headlining the event. An impressive roster of Canadian musical treasures will perform throughout the week, including: Justin Bieber, Drake, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Neil Young …and many more!
In the News: At press time, Bieber was reportedly deeply apologetic about not confirming his headlining availability sooner. With the Rush/Murray contract already underway, however, sources reported that it was too late to say I'm sorry now. “I didn’t know what [a big opportunity] I had til it was gone,” Bieber lamented.
“That’s how it always seems to go,” said Alberta native Joni Mitchell upon hearing about the booking kerfuffle. No stranger to poor decision making when it comes to blowing off large music festivals that turn out to be watershed moments in music and cultural history, Mitchell wanted to help soften the blow for the young pop star. “No one’s really got it figured out just yet,” chimed in Alanis Morissette, attempting to console the Beebs.
The timing of Placemaking Week was just right for Neil Young, though, who was already planning to go back to Canada on a journey through the past. “In my mind I still need a place to go,” he explained, and Vancouver is as good a place as any, he pondered while practicing his three chords.
At press time, Drake was unavailable for comment. As it turns out, while you certainly can call him on his cell phone, response times vary wildly.
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We know placemaking isn’t a “new” term, but nothing prepared us for this…
Archaeologists recently uncovered a lost city deep in a Honduran jungle believed to be over 600 years old. Amongst the more extensive excavations, which unearthed items such as decorated bowls and delicate animal skulls, archaeologists also discovered several cryptic stone etchings. After extensive study, experts believe that the markings on these petroglyphs read “Start with the petunias.”
Shortly after the scripture was unearthed, a range of colorful, moveable chairs, and beach umbrellas, were found almost completely intact. But instead of logging the items and informing the press of the discovery, the artifacts were removed, cleaned, and placed near the ancient ruins in which they were found, proving once again—even thousands of years later—that people just want somewhere to sit.
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As rents continue to increase around our office located in Manhattan’s trendy NoHo neighborhood, PPS is thinking about co-working spaces in a whole new way. Looking to make a major impact with little cost, we will now be operating in part from one of our favorite public spaces—the street! In our effort to create “Streets as Offices,” we’re putting our LQC principles to the test. Not only will these outposts be functional and easy to reassemble, but they will most definitely spruce up the neighborhood!
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