Public Commons

• New York based organization Project for Public Spaces (PPS) from the PPS website.

Part of Community Engagement

Here are excerpts of information about the New York based organization Project for Public Spaces (PPS) from the PPS website.

About Project for Public Spaces (PPS) “Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.

PPS was founded in 1975 to expand on the work of William (Holly) Whyte, the author of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Since then, we have completed projects in over 2500 communities in 40 countries and all 50 US states. Partnering with public and private organizations, federal, state and municipal agencies, business improvement districts, neighborhood associations and other civic groups, we improve communities by fostering successful public spaces.” http://www.pps.org/about/approach/

“PPS’s urban parks program focuses on improving parks as community and economic assets that help revitalize neighborhoods and downtowns.  We work with communities interested in creating park destinations that foster healthy activities within the park and the surrounding community.” http://www.pps.org/parks/

PPS gives examples of 6 parks in the United States and Mexico which work well, for a variety of different reasons. http://www.pps.org/articles/parks-articles/six-parks-we-can-all-learn-from/

It also includes Dufferin Grove Park on its list of “great public spaces” http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=44&type_id=0

PPS talks about different approaches to parks and why a “master planning approach” or creating an abstract vision of a “beautiful park” doesn’t work.

“Placemaking differs from traditional park master planning because its principal goal is to create a place that attracts a wide variety of people and an experience that makes them return again and again throughout the year. When design solutions are developed too early and parks are treated as aesthetic objects, the result is often a space that is pleasant to look at but that few people use. People might visit once, but find there are few activites to engage them, which makes them less likely to return.

In contrast, PPS’s Placemaking approach starts from the premise that successful public spaces are lively places where the many functions of community life take place, and where people feel ownership and connectedness — true common ground. In short, we strive to create places where people want to be.” http://www.pps.org/parks/approach/

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