Fifteen tips for Placemaking

You recognize a great place when you arrive.  It’s full of people engaged in group or individual activities. You feel pulled in and want to linger; to grab a seat, read a book, knit a row or simply people watch.

Like you, perhaps, I assumed these spaces just happened. Sure the location was important, but beyond that it was up to the people to decide if they wanted to embrace or avoid the space.  These things were just sort of serendipitous, weren’t they?

It was with that assumption that I registered for Placemaking Training in one of my favorite cities: New York.  Thanks to the passionate folks from Project for Public Spaces, I spent 2 fascinating days learning that I was not only wrong, but oh-so-wrong.

Through lecture, examples and site tours, I learned that great public spaces don’t just happen, they are planned, monitored and renewed. The essence of the process includes multiple conversations with constituents, careful planning, attention to many details and fine-tuned maintenance.

It’s a science and an art

Like so many things in life, Placemaking is part science and part art. The science begins with gathering input from those who have a high probability of using the space; people whose work brings them close and people who live in the area. It continues with rough formulas for the number of tables and chairs, amount of green space vs. hard surfacing and programmed versus non-programmed activities.

The art form begins with good design both beautiful and functional to provide the bones for the researched activities. Finishing touches like seating, receptacles signage, logos and even fresh flowers in the ladies room combine to create a sense of place. The folks at PPS have proven that people behave better in places that are well-designed, detailed and maintained.

Show me, don’t tell me

One of my favorite parts of the training was our visit to Byrant Park. It’s no secret that this former wasteland of deviant behavior has been masterfully transformed into one of the great public spaces in the world. That morning we had learned about the park’s metamorphosis and now it was time to see some Placemaking concepts in action.

The following slideshow is a collection of just 15 Placemaking tips easily spotted in Bryant Park.

So take a peek and then feel free to post a comment.  What are your favorite public places? Why do you like them? What makes you stay, return, invite others?  Do these spaces share some features common to Bryant Park?