Placemaking is the process of transforming neighborhoods and cities to become more inviting and community-oriented, emphasizing the importance of public spaces that cater to residents' needs. Effective placemaking focuses on creating vibrant community centers, accessible streets, and shared spaces that enhance interaction and promote local economies. By prioritizing people over vehicles in urban planning, cities can foster healthier, more connected, and sustainable environments for all inhabitants.

1. Streets as Places – Chicago, 15 th 2007

3. 48 U.S. States, 6 Canadian Provinces 26 Countries 2000 Communities 2 Million visitors to our web sites (2006) 24,000 people get our electronic newsletter 32 years of Placemaking

4. William H. (Holly) Whyte The Organization Man, 1956 The Exploding Metropolis, 1958 The Last Landscape, 1968 Plan for the City of New York, 1969 The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, 1980 City: Rediscovering the Center, 1988

5. Outline of Presentation Community/Neighborhood Planning Placemaking…What is it Why do we build our Cities around cars? Best Cities/Best Examples Qualities of Great Streets New York Campaign Transportation Paradigm Shift Placemaking Process Developing a Campaign

6. Designing neighborhoods with vibrant community centers Creating shared-use streets Providing quality public spaces that serve community needs Neighborhoods First Planning includes-

7. Vision for neighborhood planning … creating great public spaces Placemaking is the foundation of creating livable communities.

8. Vision for neighborhood planning … revitalizing centers

9. Vision for neighborhood planning … reshaping streets and boulevards

10. Environment Civic Engagement Public Health and Obesity Local Economy Smart Growth CITIES/ PLACES Sustainable Communities Transportation Livability Historic Preservation Convergence of Community Goals

11. evening use volunteerism property values rent levels transit usage traffic data mode splits parking usage patterns pedestrian activity building conditions environmental data sanitation rating crime statistics street life social networks land-use patterns retail sales PLACE sociability local business ownership number of women, children & elderly Cooperative Neighborliness Diversity Stewardship Pride Friendly Interactive Welcoming Continuity Proximity Connectedness Walkable Convenient Accessible Readability Charm Attractive Historic Spiritual Sittable Walkable Safe Clean “ Green” Sustainable Celebrations Indigenous Special Real Useful Fun Active Vital What Makes a Place Great? access & linkage comfort & image uses & activities key attributes intangibles measurements

12. 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. What is Placemaking?

13. Placemaking is turning a neighborhood, town or city from a place you can’t wait to get through to one you never want to leave. Placemaking is creating for everybody Placemaking is the process of giving space a story that is shared by many. What is Placemaking?

14. New Haven: Chapel Street

19. If you plan for cars and traffic… you get more cars and traffic.

20. The erosion of cities by automobiles proceeds as a kind of nibbling. Small nibbles at first but eventually hefty bites. A street is widened here, another is straightened there, a wide avenue is converted to one way flow and more land goes into parking. No one step in this process is in itself crucial but cumulatively the effect is enormous . Jane Jacobs, 1954

23. A study of three generations of 9 year olds found that by 1990, the radius around the home that children were allowed to play had sunken to a ninth of what it had been in 1970. Richard Louv

25. © Will McWhinney, Paths of Change Storied Cultures Clustered Cultures

28. When you design your community around people … you get more people.

30. London BEFORE AFTER Trafalgar Square 100 Public Spaces Program

31. Public Transit Enhancements Street Improvements Kensington High Street Kensington High Street Oxford Street London

32. ACCESS: Makes pedestrian movement safer IDENTITY: A civic element COMFORT: Reduces the negative impact of traffic on the surrounding communities Champs Elysees, Paris, France The Benefits of Boulevards

33. Barcelona-A City of Boulevards

34. Barcelona-A City of Boulevards

35. Paris-A City of Boulevards

36. Paris From Congested to Shared Streets in 5 years - Sidewalks widened - Buffered bike lanes - Dedicated bus lanes

37. Paris-Champs Elysees

38. Paris-Champs Elyees

39. Paris-Boulevard du Montparnasse

40. Paris-Boulevard du Montparnasse

41. Paris-Side/Cross Streets

42. Paris-Side/Cross Streets

43. Paris-Sidewalk Cafe

44. Case Study: Paris Plage

48. Copenhagen Parking Lots Removed Gammel Strand 1988 Gammel Strand 1996

49. Copenhagen

50. Berlin

51. Düsseldorf-Koenigsalle

52. Düsseldorf-Koenigsalle

53. Vienna

54. Qualities of Great Streets Attractions & Destinations Identity & Image Active Edge Uses Amenities Management: Central to the Solution Seasonal Strategy Diverse User Groups Traffic, Transit & the Pedestrian Blending of uses and modes Protects Neighborhoods

55. Attractions & Destinations Curiosity, chaos, choices, with special places, rest spots, - the art of the path.

56. Attractions & Destinations Clustered activity points of interest. 10+ Destinations – including food and markets, local retail, art, play, education, health/recreation .

57. Active Edge Uses Active building bases

58. Amenities Public and private seating options Triangulation to support use – clusters of street amenities

59. Management - Central to the Solution Programming – daily activity generators/cultural, civic and seasonal celebrations

60. Draws diverse user groups No one group or use dominates

61. Traffic, Transit & the Pedestrian Walkable – Places to go Range of transportation options

62. New York City Street Renaissance

63. Donald Appleyard, UC Berkeley Professor of Urban Design, quantified the impact of traffic on social ties. HEAVY TRAFFIC 16,000 vehicles per day MEDIUM TRAFFIC 8,000 vehicles per day LIGHT TRAFFIC 2,000 vehicles per day 0.9 friends per person 3.1 acquaintances per person 1.3 friends per person 4.1 acquaintances per person 3 friends per person 6.3 acquaintances per person Broken Streets

64. Broken Streets I keep my windows shut I spend more time in the back of my house I forbid my children to play in the streets I go out on the street less often LIGHT TRAFFIC STREET MEDIUM TRAFFIC STREET HEAVY TRAFFIC STREET New Yorkers deal with traffic in the following ways: 7.7% 26.0% 52.2% 56.5% 18.5% 5.1% 7.4% 21.7% 0.0% 2.6% 7.4% 43.5%

65. The Truth About Traffic 6% Only 6% of shopping below 59 th Street in Manhattan involves a car. 6% DRIVE 69% WALK 24% USE TRANSIT Shoppers Are Walkers

66. New York City-Herald Square

67. New York City-Mulry Square Fixing an Unsafe Intersection BEFORE TEST PERIOD: 1996 – 2001 AFTER: TEST MADE PERMANENT

68. Broadway Connecting Great Destinations Union Square Madison Square Herald Square Times Square

70. Astor Place A void between two great neighborhoods…

71. Astor Place … can support and showcase the best of NYC.

72. A funnel for downtown traffic.. Finn Square

73. ...can be a defining space for Tribeca. Finn Square

74. Kenmare Square An unused square and roadway…

75. Kenmare Square … can become a major amenity for shoppers and residents.

76. West Broadway Where a shopping street fizzles…

77. West Broadway … it can be brought back to life.

78. Spring Street New York’s most successful neighborhoods…

79. Spring Street … can better serve the pedestrians that bring their success.

80. Grand Street Car storage space…

81. Grand Street … can become the most valuable space in the neighborhood.

82. Transportation paradigm shift Old Paradigm New Paradigm Large area planning Arterials Access to malls Retail market area - large Single family bedroom communities Big roads, wide intersections, and parking lots Big solutions (interstates/bypasses) Standards-based (Green Book) Performance is about mobility Small area planning Boulevards Access to corner markets Retail Market area - small Mixed residential/office/services with local businesses Bike paths, sidewalks, narrow streets, and transit Small solutions (road connectivity, context sensitivity) Place-based Performance is about access and sense of place

83. The community is the expert You are creating a place not just a design You can’t do it alone They always say it can’t be done You can see a lot just by observing Develop a placemaking vision Power of 10/Triangulation Form supports function Start with the petunias Money is not the issue You are never finished Principles of Creating Great Places Translating Ideas Into Action Implementation Planning & Outreach Techniques Underlying Ideas

84. Project/Discipline Driven Approach Place Driven Development Approach

85. Creating Great Places/Destinations The Power of 10 Chicago needs 10+ major places/destinations. Each neighborhood/downtown needs 10+ places/destinations. Each place/destination must have 10+ things to do. Connect places to create a district with 100 -1000 things to do. Triangulate or layer uses to create synergy among multiple points of interest and diverse activities.

86. In Conclusion…. 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 place to create a community, and 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 .

87. Building Communities through “Placemaking” Figure what you want to become Create your vision Where your primary and secondary destinations are/power of 10 Then figure out how to connect each place with another

88. It has to be a Campaign 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

89. When you come to a fork in the road, take it. – Yogi Berra BE BOLD!

90. www.pps.org Making Places Newsletter Training & Conferences Publications & Resources

92. Identity & Image Showcases local assets Businesses, pedestrians, drivers, raise their behavior to this vision – sense of place.

93. Active Edge Uses Active year around uses Connections from both sides of street

94. Seasonal Strategies

95. Traffic, Transit & the Pedestrian Range of transportation options

96. Flexibility – blending uses & modes Ground floors and retail that blur public and private space

97. Protects neighborhoods Good transitions to local communities and desired street character