Early registration is now open for the 4th International Placemaking Week! Register by March 28th to join us in Baltimore this June 5-8 at the lowest rate possible.
This year, we're building an engaging program of hands-on workshops and panels, social events and activities, plenaries and mobile workshops, which in typical Placemaking Week fashion will take place in multiple locations around the city's Station North Arts District, Bromo Arts District, and Maryland Institute College of Art campus.
We received a record breaking number of proposals to present at the conference this year, and through that process we heard about the topics that matter most to you—creative placemaking, placekeeping and storytelling, reusing vacant spaces, safer streets, connecting with nature, managing downtowns and districts, funding and grantmaking, waterfronts, equitable infrastructure, food and land justice, and more.
We look forward to sharing session details and speakers with you in the coming weeks! In the meantime, check out PlacemakingWeek.org for all registration and travel information. Learn more and register.
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PPS Online Training • An Introduction to Inclusive & Equitable Community Engagement, Mar. 5 &7 • Last call to register by February 29 for this crash course led by Connect the Dots. Register now.
PPS Webinar • Made By All: How Can Placemaking Help Downtowns Bounce Back? Apr. 4, 12PM (ET) • Save the date! More details and registration coming soon.
Grant • TD Park People Grants, Due Feb. 27 • 70 grants of $2,000 are given to community groups and organizations to host two park events across Canada. Learn more.
Grant • National Fund for Sacred Places, Due Feb. 29 • The National Fund for Sacred Places provides matching grants of $50,000 to $500,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital projects at historic houses of worship, along with wraparound services including training, technical assistance, and planning support. Learn more.
Webinar • Cities for Everyone with Gil: Flourishing Families and Resilient Cities, Mar. 5 • Featuring special guest Ankita Chachra, Senior Fellow at Capita. Register.
Webinar • Cities for Everyone with Gil: Parks, Streets, and Everything in Between: Making a Civic Impact, Mar. 19 • Featuring special guest Gia Biagi, former commissioner of Parks, then Transportation, City of Chicago. Register.
Have an event or opportunity you would like to share? Email us at [email protected].
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The Tyranny of the Moveable Chair? A recent article by urban policy writer Diana Lind takes aim at the growing use of moveable chairs in New York and Philadelphia as an all-purpose activator of public spaces, going as far as to suggest a ban on this widely used amenity to encourage more creativity in design. But what if the problem isn't design at all? What if the missing ingredient is a commitment to care and evolution in partnership with communities? (The Philadelphia Citizen)
When Highway Caps Divide, Not Connect. Residents in Buffalo, New York, have become concerned that a New York State a $1 billion plan to build a highway cap park over the Kensington Expressway doesn't go far enough. The devil is in the details. A lack of exhaust vents means that pollution will be displaced rather than dispersed, and alternatives like a boulevard conversion could create a more human-centered environment. With the USDOT's Reconnecting Communities Program undertaking similar projects across the country, it's vital that cities learn from each other's stories to make the most of this generational investment. (CityLab)
Five Ways to Reduce Homelessness. While the United States overall saw a 12% increase in homelessness in 2023, some cities like Austin, TX, Raleigh, NC, Indianapolis, IN, and Colorado Springs, CO, saw a decline of 10%. What made the difference? A new report from Brookings finds that a few policies were key: increasing housing of all kinds, providing citywide alternatives to policing for mental health crises, supporting reentry for people leaving incarceration, taking a regional approach, and—most relevant to placemakers—helping place governance organizations respond humanely to the people in the public spaces they steward. (Brookings)
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| As always, here's a roundup of placemaking projects and ideas that inspired us this week:
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Placemaking Week Sponsor Spotlight
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| We are thrilled to have the Baltimore National Heritage Area join the 4th International Placemaking Week as a Gold Sponsor! |
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The Baltimore National Heritage Area works diligently every day to preserve the heritage, legacy, and cultural values of Baltimore's 126 neighborhoods within the congressionally designated heritage area boundary. They do this by aiding historic neighborhoods, cultural institutions, and natural resources. They support these unique places and spaces for heritage tourism and public education and to increase the quality of life for Baltimore residents.
Learn how to become a sponsor.
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