More Events & Opportunities

Webinar: Streatery Ahead!, PlacemakingUS, May 26

Global Event: Porch Placemaking Week, May 30–June 5

RFP: Call for New Members, the High Line Network, May 31

Survey: Urban Parks & Open Spaces During COVID-19, Urban Systems Lab, The New School, May 31

Conference: Walk/Bike/Places 2020, August 4-7

Looking for resources on how to respond to COVID-19? Watch our growing video library of past webinars.

The Recovery Will Happen in Public Space

Project for Public Spaces CEO Phil Myrick makes the case for why we should look to our outdoor public spaces and the communities hit hardest by the coronavirus as they keys to our recovery.

"The missing link," writes Myrick, "is for advocates, government agencies, and the civic sector to break out of their usual silos of discipline and sector and to apply these strategies in tandem with other public health, social service, and economic stimulus efforts. If we accomplish this, public space can be the frontline of our recovery, places to safely access food, health resources, employment, social infrastructure, and much more." Read More.

More from the Blog

Communities in Nairobi Compete to Contribute to Public Space
May 1, 2020 • by Miki Takeshita

Homelessness & Public Space During COVID-19: Seven Takeaways
April 24, 2020 • by Nate Storring

Announcing Our New Senior Directors of Programs & Projects
April 16, 2020 • by Christina Ragone

Farmers Markets Are Vital During COVID-19, but They Need More Support
April 10, 2020 • by Hanna Love & Nate Storring

False Fantasies: Alissa Walker argues that urbanists should be careful not to treat the pandemic as an "opportunity" to push forward their agenda (Curbed). As many activists have already observed, black and brown communities are facing infection, death, and economic devastation that white urbanists have largely avoided, due to structural racism and inequality.

But that doesn't mean that placemaking and urban design have no role to play. The point is to center the needs and voices of people most affected by the virus. For example, in LA's Little Tokyo, which has faced xenophobia on top of health and economic hardship during the pandemic, local place management organizations see preserving and activating cultural assets as a key to reinforcing community ownership as part of the recovery (Brookings).

"We view this effort as critical to not only honor the physical qualities of the community, but to highlight its character, people, and multicultural history as a way of combatting displacement and shifting neighborhood dynamics," writes Kenji Liu.

Risky Business: Is it safe to see your friends again? No, but as quarantine fatigue sets in, some public health experts are exploring the need for educating people about the risks, rather than strictly encouraging "abstinence." As one expert notes, "A general rule of thumb is that outdoors tends to be better than indoors, small groups are better than large groups and a shorter period of time is better than a longer one" (LA Times).

While short, small, outdoor interactions may be safer, however, they are not foolproof either (New York Times). Other public health experts add that physical distancing, handwashing, and masks remain vital, and that people should avoid sharing food or personal belongings and interacting with high-touch surfaces.

The COVID Underground: Much like our social lives, our lockdown economy is similarly bursting at the seams. Personal services, which have slim margins and a longer timeline for reopening in many states, are continuing to operate as part of a new informal economy of "prohibition haircuts" and "bootleg manicures" (Gothamist). The current combination of regulations and stimulus is not working for them, and governments should take notice and take action.

As we have argued, cities should consider how all kinds of uses, both commercial and cultural, paid and free, can be safely and equitably relocated into our streets and other public spaces. Lawyer Sara C. Bronin agrees, observing that the biggest barriers are our draconian zoning and other regulations, which prohibit or limit vending, outdoor dining, and businesses spilling out into the street (The Hill).

Place Attachment: What drives people to stay in a city or town for the long term? A new study of 11,000 demographically representative Americans produced by the Urban Institute for the Knight Foundation offers some insight (Knight Foundation). The key factors, they find, are public spaces and cultural amenities—as well as a sense of public safety.

Significantly, the study also found that while quality of life amenities mattered more to residents of color and lower income groups, they reported having more trouble accessing them. As a summary of the report concludes, "Thoughtful communities will strive to rebuild [after COVID-19] in a way that is resident-driven, with community members at the table, particularly where quality of life amenities are scarce."

Placemaking Playbook: Finally, here's a roundup of 11 recent innovative placemaking projects making headlines:

1. A new guide to adapting streets for pandemic response and recovery (NACTO)
2. A drive-in movie festival at Yankee Stadium (Gothamist)
3. A Toronto arts group repurposes its social infrastructure for pandemic response (Park People)
4. Painted physical distancing circles mark up parks in San Francisco (SFist) and Brooklyn (designboom)
5. A wild weekly balloon costume parade in Kansas City (The Pitch KC)
6. A cutout protest for McDonalds hazard pay (Joseph Brusky, Twitter)
7. Mini greenhouses for physically distant dining in Amsterdam (My Modern Met)
8. A design for an infection-free playground (Dezeen)
9. Theater marquees gone wild (Vanity Fair)
10. A machine for safe pandemic hugs (staytunednbc, TikTok)
11. Outdoor concerts for seniors in Bratislava (TheMayor.eu)