How Placemaking Can Transform Cities,

Projects and Communities  

June 20th, 2014

What is Placemaking?

n  Thoreau said “there is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.” In this light, Placemaking is a dynamic human function: it is an act of liberation, of staking claim, and of beautification; it is true human empowerment.

Creating a Placemaking Vision for Zaandam Historic Core

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Place Performance Evaluation Exercise

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

7 Current situation!

n  44 Countries n  Over 250 Major Cities n  50 U.S. States, 7 Canadian Provinces n  3500 Communities n  2 Million visitors to our web sites (2013) n  36,000 newsletter n  32,500 Twitter n  36,000 Facebook

39 Years of Placemaking

William H. (Holly) Whyte n  The Organization Man,1956 n  The Exploding Metropolis, 1958 n  The Last Landscape, 1968 n  Plan for the City of New York, 1969 n  The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces,

1980 n  City: Rediscovering the Center, 1988

“It’s hard to create a space that will not attract people, what is remarkable, is how often this has been

accomplished.”

“One of the best things about water is the look and feel of it…It’s not right to put water before people and then

keep them away from it.”

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

“If you want to seed a place with activity, put out food.”

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

“Benches are artifacts, the purpose of which is to punctuate architectural photographs. They are not so

good for sitting.”

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Theatres/ Museums

Malls

Hospitals

Strip Centers

Libraries Schools

Parks Community Centers

City Hall

Churches Office Parks

Communities Today

Parking Lots and Big Roads Unsustainable

Why don’t we have better Public Spaces today?

•  Fear • Narrow Development

Goals • Siloed Disciplines • Project-driven vs. Place-

driven Planning • Design Led vs Place Led • Government Structure &

Regulations

Placemaking  is  the  most  important  strategy  that  Governments,      Developers  and  Non  Profits  can  adopt  to  build    community  capacity  and  shared  outcomes    

Top Down

Government/ Discipline

Citizen & Community

Capacity

Place  Leadership  Low   High  

Transforma)onal  Change  -­‐  ‘Place  Led’  approaches    

PLACE  LED  

PROJECT  LED  

DISCIPLINE  LED  

PLACE  SENSITIVE  

Government Announces & Defends

Community Leads & Government Facilitates/Implements

--------------------------------------------

Get from Inadequate

to Extraordinary

We Have to Turn Everything Upside Down - To Get it

Right Side Up To

City Hall Community Centers

Theatres/ Museums

Transit Hospitals

Coffee Shops

Libraries

Schools

Civic Squares Community Gathering

Spaces/Markets

Churches

Offices

Sustainable Communities of the Future

Phases of Government Evolution by Peter Smith, CEO Adelaide Council, Australia

Phase 1: “Big Government”: Siloed, Solution/ politically-Driven, metrics by programs

Phase 4 “Facilitative Government”: Value measured in community capacity and competency at a holistic level.

What is Placemaking It is a Sacred Community Process It is a Natural, Organic Process It Localizes It is Economic Development It is Scaled to each Community It Creates Social and Place Capital

Health and Sustainability

When you focus on a place, you do everything differently.

PLACEMAKING  FOR    DOWNTOWN  DETROIT  

 

Architecture of Place - Past

Detroit: Campus Martius / Cadillac Square

Campus Martius / Cadillac Square

Architecture - Today

Architecture of Place – Future?

n  People and Products as Primary Focus n  Power of Ten 10X10X10 =1000 “Small Spaces” n  __________________________________________ n  Comfort and Amenities…Welcoming/Friendly n  Triangulate n  Streets as Places…To not Thru n  Localize thru Markets, Local Business, Talent n  Architecture of Place n  Public Multi-use Destinations

Big Ideas = Big Outcomes

Detroit Strategies

•  MAKE THINGS HAPPEN NOW •  Short term = 1-4 months. Long term = 2 years. •  CREATE ENERGETIC ANCHORS OF ACTIVITY in

key locations. Power of 10 •  CROWD-SOURCE IDEAS (Digital Placemaking). •  MAKE IT A “MOVABLE FEAST” through meet-ups and

mobile management teams. •  GET LIFE ON THE STREETS to make public spaces

safe and attractive, and encourage walking. •  BRING THE INSIDE OUT with transparent, visually

exciting ground floors and corners that pop-out.

2009

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

1. Gateway between the Plaza and Harvard Yard 2. The South Fence and connection to Harvard Yard 3. NW Plaza Entrance 4. The “Great Lawn” 5. Science Center Outdoor Terrace 6. The “Piazza”

7. Entrance to the Science Center 8. Tanner Fountain 9. Library Arcade 10. NE Plaza Entrance 11. Loker Bar and Beer Garden 12. Memorial Walk 13. Main Walkway 14. Overlooks

Power of Ten

Benchmark Plan for Daily Activities - Spring/Summer

Amenities Plan that support Uses & Activities

Central Meeting Place Bean Bags & Café Seating

Central Meeting Place Food Trucks & Seating

Tent Area Events & Recreational Activities

Hang Out Spot Fun Seating

Lawn Games Area – Tetherball & Bag Toss

North Grove – Pet Therapy Zoo

Central Meeting Place Giant Chess

Process and Tools How to Look at a Place

Place Performance Evaluation Game Power of 10

Digital Placemaking

Placemaking Tools/Process to Transform Communities

n  Power of 10 n  Place Performance Evaluation Game n  Placemaking Vision/Plan n  Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper as a Development

Startegy n  Placemaking Concept/Design n  Campaign, Community Organizing and Social

Media

76  

The Power of Ten

76

6. Sit and relax

1. Read the paper

8. Take a break from a bike ride

3. Learn about upcoming events

2. Window shopping for books

4. Go inside!

10. Have a conversation

7. Read someone else’s book

5. Walk

9. Pet a dog

Power of 10

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Singapore - 10 Sites

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

NYC Destinations 1980

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

10 Destinations Today

New York City Transformed: Rockefeller Center Times Square

Bryant Park Union Square

Rockefeller Center

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Times Square

Before

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Proposed Festival with 46th Street Crossover Times Square

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Bryant Park

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Union Square

Place Led Perth Cultural Centre, Perth vs. Design Led Lincoln Center, NYC Sherbourne Commons, Toronto

Perth Cultural Centre

2009 Placemaking Activation Plan

Before

After

Before 1

2

1 2

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

After

1

2

Before

After

Before

After

After

After

n  We want to turn ourselves “inside out” and be “of” the Centre not just “in” the Centre” Western Australian Museum

n  Porous, sticky and a “wonder” Art Gallery of Western Australia

n  Our ground floor is a public space that could be the “town hall” - State Library

Stakeholder Aspirations

Lincoln  Center  New  York  City    

n  Loca;on:  Upper  West  Side  of  ManhaBan,  NYC  n  Size:  16.3  acre  campus  n  Date  Opened:  Most  buildings  and  performance  halls  opened  in  the  

1960s  n  Management  En;ty:  Lincoln  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts,  Inc.  (LCPA)  

Design Led Sherbourne Common, Toronto

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Museumplein Discussion/Game

From Formal/Tourist Focused

Big Events Toward

Diverse/Dynamic/Exciting Community Driven

127 Current situation!

Bryant  Park,  NYC  

Museumplein,  Amsterdam  

530  V  

N

Paris - Luxembourg Gardens

Triangulation

Bryant  Park,  NYC  

Museumplein,  Amsterdam  

530  V  

N

Bryant Park

BRYANT PARK

BRYANT PARK

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Southwest Porch

Entrance

Carousel/Games

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Kunstragarten, Stockholm, Sweden

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper n  Comfort, Amenities & Public Art n  Activation Events n  Interim Public Spaces n  Light Development

Brooklyn - Dumbo

Case Study: Paris Plage

Paris Plage 2013

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Paris - les Berges 2013

How To Evaluate A Place

Place

Sociability Comfort & Image

Access & Linkages Uses & Activities

§ Convenient § Walkable § Continuity § Proximity § Connected § Enticing

Access & Linkages

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

• Fun/Vital • Active • Indigenous • Sustainable • Affordable • Challenging

Uses & Activities

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

• Attractive • Unique • Usable • Maintained • Historic • “Green” • Safe • Friendly

Comfort & Image

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

• Welcoming • Interactive • Neighborliness • Pride • Diversity • Stewardship

Sociability

How to Look at a Place?

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

sociability uses & activities

access & linkages comfort & image

Welcoming

evening use volunteerism

street life

transit usage

parking usage patterns pedestrian activity

Walkable Convenient Accessible

Charm Clean Attractive

Historic

Safe

building conditions environmental data

sanitation rating crime stats

Cooperative Neighborly

property values land-use patterns

retail sales

business ownership

Special Real

Fun Active Vital

Connected

Key Attributes Intangibles Measurements

PLACE

"Place Game" Evaluation Process 1.  Break up into teams 2.  Go to your designated site

where you fill out the Place Game form individually

3.  Convene with your teammates

and choose a “recorder” to summarize team’s findings on one form

4.  Return to room and finish

summarizing findings and ideas on flipchart

5.  Pick a present and report out

Questions to Think About n  Should Museumplein be a place for big events or be broken up into

multiple places or smaller spaces? Restrictions of being an area for demonstrations (no obstacles allowed)

n  Who are you trying to attract? How do we get a better balance between local and international visitors

n  Make the place nice for families with children? n  What kind audiences? Cultural festivals? n  Should it become an 18 hour destination? n  What about a winter place? n  What level of commercial activity should there be? Markets?

Expositions? Food clusters? n  What about sports expositions? A month long event like Paris

Plage? A more flexible, year around space like les Berges? n  Arms of the octopus to the Pijp, Vondelpark and PC Hooft shopping

area n  Involvement of Spiegelkwartier antique shops

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

Characteristics of Great Public Spaces •  Good places breed healthy activity.

•  People attract people attract people.

•  When you focus on place, you do everything differently.

•  It takes many disciplines and skills to create a place.

•  It takes a community to create a place.

•  Amenities that make a place comfortable are critical.

•  You can’t know what you are going to end up with.

•  Each place has its own identity.

•  You can’t have anything less than excellence.

•  You have to have zealous nuts.

•  It has to be a…

Campaign/Movement Community Organizing

Develop a vision

Become great

communicators

Search for

impediments

Organize a strong team

Attack

Complacency

Produce short term

wins

Take on bigger

challenges

Connect change to the culture

of the community

People Who Make Dramatic Change By John Kotter

Place Global Warming

Civil Society/ Democracy Building

Public Health and the Built Environment

Community Development

Smart Growth

Convergence of Movements/Agendas

Sustainable Agriculture

Streets as Places

City Revitalization

Historic Preservation

Get from Inadequate

to Extraordinary

We Have to Turn Everything Upside Down - To Get it

Right Side Up To

Zealous Nuts Return of Common Sense

Natural, Organic, Intuitive, Time Honored

Leaders (Zealous Nuts) are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the

odds against them… They make the impossible happen

- Dr. Robert Jarvik

UPCOMING CONFERENCES!

Future of Places Conference: Streets as Public Spaces & Drivers of Urban Prosperity

September 1-3, 2014, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2nd Annual Placemaking Leadership Council Meeting September 8-9, 2014, Pittsburgh, PA

Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place 2014

September 8-11, 2014, Pittsburgh, PA

9th International Public Markets Conference March 26-28, 2015, Barcelona, Spain

Stay in Touch

pps.org

@PPS_Placemaking ProjectforPublicSpaces