Ryan Smolar is a Co-Director of PlacemakingUS and a placemaking consultant to Thrive Asheville. In 2021, Placemaking US’s Road Trip for the Recovery to over 70 cities helped mobilize over $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for local placemaking efforts. In 2023, its Train the Trainers Amtrak tour across 16 towns provided learning and sharing opportunities in towns built along another transportation imperative.