Support Our Scholarships

Lowering Barriers, Building Champions

Through our commitment to scholarships, we remove cost as a barrier so that talent and passion, not financial means, determine who gets to learn, connect, and grow as a public space champion at our conferences, trainings, and webinars. Our pay-what-you-can model also ensures that we can offer scholarships to as many practitioners as possible.

Recipients learn from experienced practitioners, then leave with concrete, ready-to-use tools and an actionable plan they can put to work right away, building both confidence and a professional network to carry that work forward. In fact, 81% of attendees at our last conference reported feeling more confident leading community-centered initiatives, and 82% made three or more new professional connections.

The 5th International Placemaking Week in Detroit, MI. Credit: Chris Ahern

“As an early professional in the field, attending this training was both inspiring and eye-opening. I am especially grateful to Project for Public Spaces…for their generosity in extending scholarships to participants from underprivileged countries, which truly reflects the spirit of inclusivity at the heart of their mission.”

— “Placemaking: Making it Happen” training scholarship recipient

“It was great to hear from actual practitioners doing the work and seeing real examples of how small groups of people can change communities.”

— International Placemaking Week scholarship recipient

“This course gave me a practical framework for public markets—not just theory, but tools I can actually apply. The concepts…have already sharpened how I think about our strategy. It's given me the confidence to help guide our team toward sustainable, informed growth.”

— “How to Create Successful Markets” training scholarship recipient

"This was one of the most impactful conferences I've attended…The organizers cultivated a spirit of generosity, collaboration, and joy that made it easy to build meaningful connections. I left feeling not only more informed, but also more hopeful and motivated to apply what I learned in my own work."

— International Public Markets Conference scholarship recipient

The Need Is Growing—So Can Your Impact

In 2025, we offered over 100 pay-what-you-can scholarships, totaling $27,000 in value, to people from low-income communities, communities of color, rural areas, low- and middle-income countries, and others affected by social inequities, covering registration fees for planners, designers, place managers, and community advocates who can’t afford professional development and networking opportunities.

Yet, the need continues to outpace our resources at a staggering rate. In 2025 alone, we received 160 applications for assistance. By the midpoint of 2026, we had already received twice as many applications as we did all of 2025.

Your gift helps close this growing gap. Together, we can welcome practitioners from all backgrounds and varying experience levels into a stronger, more accessible public space field.

Make a donation today.

Placemakers exchange ideas at a workshop at the 5th International Placemaking Week in Detroit. Credit: Anne Tan-Detchkov

More Information

Project for Public Spaces is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
‍
To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.
‍
Questions? Contact us at info@pps.org or +1 (212) 620-5660.

Developing new placemaking resources that anyone can use.

Every week, Project for Public Spaces produces insightful newsletters, articles, and publications for our audience of placemakers around the world. Your donation helps us continue publishing these resources and making them available for free.

Learn More