How COVID-19 Turned Public Space Upside-Down | Placemaking Monthly

Posted April 5, 2020 - 13:39

This newsletter from the Project for Public Spaces connects people who share a passion for public spaces to ideas and issues, news, quotes, places, and events from the placemaking movement. In this edition, we hope to support the global momentum around creating better public transit for all people, prioritizing those with fewer means and higher dependency on these systems.

Editor's Note: During this difficult time, Project for Public Spaces has decided to increase the frequency of our newsletter to become weekly beginning next Sunday.

This way, we can keep you updated on the latest resources for placemakers to help fight COVID-19 and support their communities—like our new Placemaking Webinar Series, which kicks off on April 9th with When "Stay at Home" Isn't An Option: Homelessness & Public Space During COVID-19.

Kickstarting Market City Strategies in
Pittsburgh, Seattle & Toronto

This month, Project for Public Spaces began citywide market strategies in three North American cities: Pittsburgh, PA, Seattle, WA, and Toronto, ON. Despite a change of plans due to COVID-19, we will be working remotely with local partners to develop comprehensive inventories of market networks and to connect market operators and advocates with local city officials. Read more.

This effort is part of our Market Cities Initiative, a partnership with HealthBridge and Slow Food International to promote supportive policies and investments in market infrastructure and management capacity.

Great Public Spaces: Expecting More Of Transit Stops & Stations

You Asked, We Answered: How Can Public Space Managers Help Fight COVID-19?

Round Table: Women In Placemaking

Building Community Dreams at the Shafter Learning Center

Public Life in Lockdown: As stay-at-home orders spread, many of the world's great public spaces sit empty (New York Times), and the vital little places that make up our lives have been turned upside down. Main Streets are in dire trouble (Washington Post), goats are roaming the streets of Wales (New York Times), and people are struggling to adapt to the new normal (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Yet, as so often happens in times of crisis, people are also finding ingenious ways to connect and support one another—this time while keeping their distance (CityLab). By now, Italians serenading each other from their windows is old news (Forbes). Elsewhere, though, victory gardens have made a comeback (Crosscut); Halloween decorations are popping up in Brooklyn (Social Life Project); main street leaders have started delivery services, built hand-washing stations, and played "social distancing bingo" (Main Street America); an out-of-work rugby announcer is giving play-by-plays of public life in London (New York Times); and the mainstream media has finally started paying attention to public space (Twitter).

Supply and Demand: One of the most surprising results of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the tremendous growth of demand for public space (New York Times). As businesses and schools close and more people are asked to stay home as much as possible, public spaces like parks, trails, and streets have become more important than ever for maintaining our physical and mental health—especially for those with little access to begin with (Curbed).

But not all cities are managing this increased demand well (Planetizen). Some have responded by opening more spaces and educating the public (CBC), while others took the misguided step of shutting down public life entirely (StreetsBlog Chicago).

When "Stay at Home" Isn't an Option: The group that may be hit the hardest by COVID-19 is the 500,000 people experiencing homelessness across the US. Not only do many of them spend most of their time in public space, but close quarters and poor conditions in shelters put them particularly at risk (Planetizen). Join us for our first Placemaking Webinar Series on April 9 to learn how placemakers can help connect them to the services they need.

Public Markets are an Essential Service: Markets around the country have continued their crucial role as distribution points for fresh food during the pandemic (New York Times). Yet the stance of the federal government and many states in the US on whether they qualify as essential services has been unclear and inconsistent (Civil Eats). Thankfully, with or without official support, market operators and vendors have responded quickly and creatively to social distancing guidelines, inventing new ways to stay open safely (Farmers Market Coalition).

Walking and Biking Shine: When lingering is discouraged and all of the consumption has been removed from our public realm, many of us have been reminded of the simple joys of walking and biking for pleasure (Rails to Trails Conservancy). A few forward-looking cities have already started closing street space to cars to make it easier to pursue these pastimes at a safe distance from other people (Fast Company), and our friends at NACTO have put together some useful resources to help them along (NACTO).

“Good neighborhoods cannot be reduced to their architecture but... architecture has the capacity to aid and abet forms of association and affinity that are at the core of such places.”

— Michael Sorkin, Twenty Minutes in Manhattan

We are saddened by the passing of Michael Sorkin, a renowned architect, urbanist and writer. Sorkin saw architecture as a vehicle for change, and he strived to achieve social equity. His wisdom will inspire generations to come.

Fruitvale Transit Village at Fruitvale BART Station |
Oakland, CA

In the heart of a Latino community in Oakland is the Fruitvale Transit Village, a transit-oriented development project adjacent to the Fruitvale BART Station. It serves as a neighborhood anchor where residents can fulfill their needs and participate in programming that reflects the community's Latino heritage. Nominate your own Great Public Space here.