In 2006, we saw a rise in the number of visionary individuals working to change their public spaces for the better.  In 2007, that vision blossomed into an epidemic of bold actions and initiatives. Many of our colleagues, partners, members and friends - people like you! - have contributed to that spread. This sweeping wave of initiatives and improvements is sparking new Placemaking movements not just on the local level, but throughout entire cities and countries.

We believe 2008 is the year when that universal vision of Placemaking will finally take root, spreading a wave of new thinking and decisive action around the globe. Social harmony, economic prosperity, and a sense of faith in the future naturally happen in spots where everyone feels welcome to gather and interact. All of us at Project for Public Spaces are honored to play a role in fueling this growing movement, and we want to thank you for your own work and support. We are well aware of the many obstacles still ahead but nonetheless feel confident that the tide is turning toward putting place back into the center of our lives.

These hopeful trends, which are stronger than any of us would have predicted just 12 months ago, give us reason to celebrate:

Creating the city of the future

Paris, London, Rome, Copenhagen, Zurich and now New York are setting the pace for 21st century cities. They are redefining the whole idea of "city" around a new paradigm of culture, service, commerce, and livability. We can already see that in the future there will be fewer automobiles and more ease in our urban environment.

Separated bike and bus lanes make travel easier and safer for those who choose alternative methods of transportation in Paris.

Paris has already taken huge steps forward with the installation of bike lanes throughout the dense urban center. And Mayor Bertrand Delanoe is nothing short of historic in his goal of reclaiming broad swaths of the city from the automobile and giving them back to the people. Learn More...

Such bold actions are no longer confined to Europe. Under Republican mayor (and possible independent presidential candidate) Michael Bloomberg, New York unveiled the remarkable PlaNYC 2030, which aims to improve the city's infrastructure, development, and health with an eye both on the future and community life today. Helping to carry out these plans and advocate change at NYC DOT is Andy Wiley-Schwartz, PPS vice-president until last June when Bloomberg appointed him Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Planning and Sustainability. Andy Wiley-Schwartz will now be implementing many of the changes that he advocated for as a PPS vice-president and his appointment marks a great victory for Placemaking and the NYC Streets Renaissance Campaign.

Transforming Transportation

Over reliance on automobiles in our modern transportation system is also raising significant questions about safety, obesity and other health issues. There is now widespread demand for more places to walk comfortably and opportunities to access stores, schools, community centers and workplaces without always getting into a car. Recently, the New Jersey Department of Transportation began listening to the concerns of citizens over the limited access expressway Rt. 29, a major roadway running through Trenton, NJ. Today, after an extensive public involvement process, plans are underway that will lead to improved pedestrian safety, enhanced connectivity to the walkable downtown area, and multi-modal access throughout the Rt. 29 corridor. Construction of this massive effort to shift emphasis away from auto drivers in Trenton is set to begin in 2011. Many other bold steps toward taking back streets for people and places, not just cars, are underway throughout the country. Learn More...

Improving health for people and communities

The farmers market in Toledo, OH hosts inclusive community events at its site that draw together a wide range of people.

The demand for local food, walkable streets, and social interaction in communities is on the rise. These are health issues as well as Placemaking issues, and have become a major focus of our markets program. Excitement about markets has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years as local food production and distribution is rediscovered as one of the best ways to provide under-privileged communities with wholesome food at affordable prices. PPS leadership in bringing EBT (food stamps) to our market grantees (like Webb City Farmers Market in Southwest Missouri) has made the markets more accessible to everyone in a community. These markets are in turn becoming examples to the wider market community in the U.S., spreading the health and community benefits that stable market networks can bring to a place. Markets play important social and economic roles in communities, bringing people of all kinds together and providing business incubators where low-income entrepreneurs can try out new lines of products and services.

Tapping civic institutions for community building

Kids from the Hubbard School of Living create sets for a performance project in the lively creative space at Frankfort, Indiana's Public Library.

More and more, people see the simple wisdom of leveraging the influence of local institutions like schools, libraries, hospitals, and museums to strengthen community bonds. There are grassroots efforts in a number of places exploring how cultural and civic institutions can be redesigned around community needs and values rather focus exclusively on isolated, even if admirable, goals. An art center, for example can stimulate creativity across a neighborhood rather than just showcase the work of established artists. The Community Public Library of Frankfort, Indiana, for example, has established itself as the focal point of local life by offering a broad range of activities emphasizing art, performance, and creativity. Stroll by during the afternoon, and you might see volunteer gardeners beautifying the library's landscape, while piano melodies float by from the free lesson taking place inside. It is indeed a living work of art and a community-oriented civic institution.

PPS is joining with organizations such as Libraries for the Future and Partners for Livable Communities on major projects aimed at enhancing the public and community impact of civic institutions. This is a major new focus for us, which promises to have a major impact on strengthening the sense of community and place in towns all across the continent. Learn More..

Four big obstacles to making great places

These are just a sampling of the trends that instilled us with a sense of accomplishment last year and cause for optimism for 2008. But a bright future for Placemaking is not necessarily assured. This new vision for making our communities vital is challenged from many sides in ways both blatant and subtle. Sometimes it's just blind resistance to change itself; other times the calculated response of small, narrow groups feeling threatened by community improvements. Here are the challenges we most frequently come across, and which we hope to work with you in overcoming.

1.

Fear. We hear this word, both spoken and unspoken, all the time. It is often brought up concerning teenagers, homeless people, cultural diversity, and even terrorism in public settings. It's important to recognize that the problem being talked about may not be the actual fear on people's minds. These concerns often stand in for broader issues, including resistance to any change at all.

2.

Narrowly defined development goals. Many ambitious, well-meaning developments fail miserably as public spaces. The developers, either public or private, did not set out with the goal to create a place that people dislike. However in focusing all their energy on achieving other goals such as transportation access or commercial potential, and simply assuming that it would naturally become a popular gathering spot, they missed the opportunity to create a good place, to the detriment of everyone. We see the biggest reason for failure in new developments is that every effort is made to accommodate automobiles, thus creating a space that works poorly for people.

3.

Projects defined by narrowly focused disciplines. In many instances, public spaces like streets, civic institutions and parks are defined through the narrow goals of a particular profession, such as architecture or traffic planning, rather than taking in account community values. This robs the community of a space that reflects their needs and desires.

4.

Government. Some of the greatest successes we see occur in communities where elected officials and other government leaders become actively involved in a community-based Placemaking process. Making the bureaucratic process more open to community inspiration and input sets the stage for greater overall improvements. This important element is missing, however, in many communities where government officials are threatened by a citizen-led process and therefore impede Placemaking efforts. This represents one of the biggest challenges to a full-fledged Placemaking renaissance .

How you can continue to make a difference for the Placemaking movement

How can we keep these hopeful trends moving forward throughout the year and into the future? How can YOU help make 2008 an even more productive year for Placemaking in communities everywhere? Here are small, easy steps that will allow you to make a meaningful contribution to making 2008 the year of Placemaking:

Attend one of our training courses, and recommend others in your community attend with you.

Become a member or donate to PPS! This year our fundraising goals are linked to our 4 major initiatives (see sidebar).

Take a look at the 11 Principles of Placemaking and talk about them with your neighbors and friends.

Get involved in your own community. It's simpler and more fun than you can imagine. Here is one BOLD IDEA from Dave Marcucci, a resident of Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) who featured in our latest book, The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-It Yourself Guide to Placemaking:

After attending a PPS training course, Dave Marcucci came away determined to make his house, which occupies a corner lot in suburban Mississauga, Ontario, one of the great places within his neighborhood.

Marcucci started by tearing out the fencing at the corner of his front yard. As he got to work landscaping the area and constructing a bench, he received a lot of quizzical comments. "Why don't you build a bench for yourself in the backyard?" He would answer, "the bench is for you."

The bench soon became a place where everyone in the neighborhood came to sit. Older people stop to rest on it during their evening strolls. Kids sit there as they wait for the school bus in the morning. Families out for a walk use it to take a breather.

"It's worked out really well," he reports. "I've met my neighbors, and other people I'd never met before. It's added a really friendly atmosphere to the neighborhood. You sit on the bench, and as people walk by, they stop and talk to you!" The bench is so popular that recently, a homeowner around the corner from Marcucci added his own bench for the whole neighborhood to use.

PPS, 4 big focus areas for 2008

Streets as Places: A campaign to reform transportation as we know it.

Community Anchors: The resurgence of North America's civic and cultural institutions.

Great Places,Great Cities: Placemaking on a city-scale.

Public Markets & Local Communities: How to foster local economies and healthy life-styles.