How to Turn a Place Around is Available Globally! | Placemaking Weekly

Posted July 11, 2021 - 05:43

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.

The Return of a Classic Placemaking Handbook

In case you missed it, the second edition of the seminal 2000 handbook that launched the placemaking movement is back in print and more accessible than ever! The 2018 edition of How to Turn a Place Around includes new case studies, new placemaking tools, and colorful new visuals.

If you live in the United States, you can now order through IndieBound on our website to support your local bookstore. If you live in another part of the world, we now have new and improved international shipping options through Amazon. Learn more.

More Events & Opportunities

July 13, 2021 (12:30pm EST) • Live Stream: PIANO TERRA, ArchDaily. A panel featuring Elena Madison of Project for Public Spaces, as well as the founders of TOPOTEK 1 and Openfabric will discuss our post-pandemic world, focusing holistically on the ground floor of the city, including both public and private spaces.

August 1-7, 2021 • Event: National Farmers Market Week, Farmers Market Coalition

September 19, 2021 • Award: 2021 Farmers Market Celebration, American Farmland Trust & Farmers Market Coalition

Have an event or opportunity you would like to share? Email us at [email protected].

From the Blog

Flyover Park: Empowering the Next Generation of City Builders in Calgary
June 25, 2021 • by Ximena González

Social Alchemy: Jim Walker on Placemaking as Utopian Experiment
May 12, 2021 • by Jim Walker

Six Trends in Placemaking & Active Transportation from Walk/Bike/Places
May 6, 2021 • by Nate Storring

Public Space News

New Report on Canada's Parks. The organization Park People has released their annual analysis of parks in major cities across Canada. The new edition focuses on the role of parks in addressing climate change while supporting resilient and equitable communities. Readers can explore city-by-city breakdowns of funding, policy and programming. (Park People)

A Playbook for Sustainable Development. The Brookings Institution has released a resource to support the advance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the local level. The new playbook features case studies and how-to guides based on successful projects around the world. The authors will continue to add new projects to the guide through 2022. (Brookings)

Crowdfunding Safer Streets in LA. A new campaign has the potential to remake iconic Sunset Boulevard to better serve cyclists and pedestrians. The project will add dedicated bike lanes and landscaping features designed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and will improve access to existing public transit. Planners say it will accommodate these new users without sacrificing any lanes of traffic.

Advocates have labeled Los Angeles one of the most dangerous cities for cyclists, and decided to launch their own effort when the city did not move fast enough. Modeled after a similar effort in Colorado, the project will use matching funds from anonymous donors to raise its $50,000 total budget. (Urbanize)

Delivery Workers Demand Protection. Delivery workers in NYC marched on the local police precinct to demand that more be done to ensure their safety. The pandemic led the public to rely upon delivery services, and the job can be hazardous. Workers are vulnerable to robbery and traffic accidents in public space. The protesters focused attention on the Willis Ave. bridge, a link between Manhattan and the Bronx that has seen a spate of incidents in the last several months. (StreetsBlog)

Historic Heat in the Northwest. The record-smashing heat that recently blanketed the usually temperate Pacific Northwest has put a spotlight on climate and equity issues. Activists are calling for greater commitment from civil society to ensure all citizens are adequately protected from extreme heat. (StrongTowns)

Designers are also studying changes to the way buildings and cities are built. Many elements of urban design—such as asphalt and concrete surfaces—make extreme heat worse by absorbing sunlight, leading to local variations in temperature of up to 20 degrees or more. More greenery and more reflective surfaces may help reduce this effect. (Vox)