PlacemakingUS

#NowHiring: Civic Engagement Director ????????????? Cities work best when they’re built with and for people. At the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, we help cities and leaders advance resident-driven innovation to solve big challenges. Now, we are looking for a leader to take our #CivicEngagement to the next level. Our next Director of Civic Engagement will lead programs that bring residents, community-based organizations, and city leaders together to design better services, policies, and public spaces. About the role – our next Director of Civic Engagement will: ?? Design and lead civic engagement programs that empower residents, including the Center’s impactful #LoveYourBlock grant program, which directly funds resident-led neighborhood revitalization projects in U.S. cities. ?? Work with cities worldwide to strengthen public trust and innovation. ?? Manage a team of experts and collaborate with top city leaders. ?? Based at Johns Hopkins University in #BaltimoreMD ?? Apply by March 18 for priority consideration Ready to help shape the future of civic engagement in #cities? Join us and apply today. ?? https://hubs.ly/Q03bwxFg0 #PublicInnovation #CommunityEngagement #Leadership #Hiring #HigherEdJobs #GovernmentInnovationJobs

NEW REPORT: The State of Public Space in 2025. In late 2024, Project for Public Spaces surveyed over 700 public space leaders from around the world about the biggest challenges and opportunities facing public space today. To mark our 50th anniversary, we're releasing the results. We've got some work to do. https://lnkd.in/exHys4ic Here are a few of the highlights: ?? ?? This community of public space leaders is incredibly diverse in terms of sector, industry, years of experience, and background. ?? Only 5% of respondents said that public space is currently meeting the needs of community. ?? The no. 1 issue? Our lack of investment in care and regular improvements has left many public spaces dysfunctional and in disrepair. ?? Outdated government systems stop a lot of placemaking projects before they even get started. ? The housing and mental health crises in America and beyond play out in public space, but placemakers have a role in addressing the root causes. ?? Check out the full report for more big takeaways and inspiring case studies about how to move forward: https://lnkd.in/exHys4ic In 2025, our community of public space leaders find ourselves in a more uncertain and scarce environment, but these priorities aren't going away. Let's get to work! Project for Public Spaces will be here, tracking progress on these issues, and working with public space practitioners and advocates to navigate what comes next together. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their insights with us, and the many people whose ideas we feature in the report as bright spots (in order of appearance): Elizabeth Sawin, Trust for Public Land, Reimagining the Civic Commons, Center for an Urban Future (cc John Surico), The Municipal Art Society of New York (cc Keri Butler), New Yorkers for Parks, Open Plans, Inc. (cc Jackson Chabot), Brookings Metro (cc Tracy Hadden Loh, Hanna Love), National Alliance to End Homelessness (cc Joy Moses), Fountain House, NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials), 34th Ave Open Streets Coalition, Diana Lind, Gehl - Making Cities for People, RWJF, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Eric Klinenberg, Building Bridges Across the River, Destination Crenshaw, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). (DM me if you spot anything that needs a fix or update!) #publicspace #placemaking #civicinfrastructure #socialinfrastructure #socialcapital #parks #streets #community #funding #grantmaking #housing #homelessness #mentalhealth #PPSturns50

World of Waterfronts (WoW) Symposium ?? Long Beach, CA | ??? Friday, April 4th | ?? In-Person & Virtual The World of Waterfronts (WoW) Symposium is coming to Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, April 4, 2025! Hosted by Studio One Eleven and PlacemakingUS , this one-day gathering will bring together waterfront experts, urban planners, designers, policymakers, and community advocates to share insights on revitalizing our waterfronts. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaching, now is the time to explore innovative waterfront development strategies, highlight global best practices, and dive into the West Harbor redevelopment—transforming industrial space into a vibrant destination! Free registration: https://lnkd.in/gXh5z_MB #CityofLongBeach Shruti Shankar, AICP Suzanne Pergal Frith Walker Ryan Smolar Thomas (TJ) Maguire #HarborLA Guneet Anand Alan Pullman Laurie Schwartz Michael Quill, Ph.D. Alan Loomis Ethan Kent PlacemakingX PlacemakingUS @AlanJohnson @Danshinkle Sinead Finnerty-Pyne #WoWSymposium #waterfront #placemaking #urbandesign #westharbor #architecturefirm

Street Vendors and Public Markets Can Drive the Future of Thriving and Inclusive Cities Public Spaces Need a Full Spectrum of Informal to Formal Retail #StreetVendors, formal markets and conventional storefronts are all needed to support an inclusive, innovative, and vibrant #publicrealm and #localeconomy. The negative perception of informal vending is an issue that plagues cities everywhere, but the successful integration of such vendors into urban life can add much to the lifeblood of a thriving city. New article by Ethan Kent for Social Life Project, adapted and edited from a Next City #InformalCity debate funded by The Rockefeller Foundation. https://lnkd.in/ehM2Ft7S #PublicMarkets #MarketCities #Vending #PublicSpace #Placemaking #InclusiveCities #Cities #UrbanDevelopment

The Placemaking movement is led by an extraordinarily diverse range of industries, disciplines, ages, and sectors, and will continue to diversify. Great insights from the "The State of Public Space Report," by Project for Public Spaces on the make up of the field of #PublicSpace and Placemaking practitioners: https://lnkd.in/e7rsZbGg Celebrating 50 Years of Project for Public Spaces, the organization from which the #placemaking movement was founded! Wonderful to see the make of the community that has been forged over these five decades. #PPSturns50 Thank you to Nathan Storring and Josh Kent for your leadership on this survey and for PPS. #UrbanPlanning #CityPlanning #ArtsAndCulture #PlaceManagement #EconomicDevelopment #Architecture #LandscapeArchitecture #Preservation

Street Vendors and Public Markets Can Drive the Future of Thriving and Inclusive Cities by Ethan Kent of PlacemakingX #PublicSpaces Need a Full Spectrum of Informal to Formal Retail https://lnkd.in/ehM2Ft7S #StreetVendors #PublicMarkets #MarketCities #StreetsAsPlaces

CityTalk | Live — “ Let’s Talk About Placemaking: Scaling Impact, Building Community “ Placemaking is transforming cities—fostering social connection, economic growth, cultural vibrancy, and environmental resilience. But as cities evolve, how can we amplify these positive outcomes and ensure placemaking best practices are at the forefront of infrastructure and planning decisions? Join us for CityTalk Live as we dive into “Let’s Talk About Placemaking, Canadian Urban Institute's latest publication in collaboration with Canada’s Placemaking Community. We’ll explore powerful case studies, innovative policies, and why now is the time to bring placemaking to the center of city-building conversations across Canada, the U.S., and beyond. Thursday at 12-1pm EST Registration link: https://lnkd.in/eeKEvRyB Moderated by Mary W. Rowe, with panelists Bridget MacIntosh, Jacquelyn West, Madeleine Spencer, Ryan Smolar and our Ethan Kent. We will also discuss the upcoming #GlobalPlacemakingSummit hosted with Placemaking Canada in Toronto, with CUI as a core partner. #PlacemakingCanada #PlacemakingUS #PlacemakingNorthAmerica #placemaking

?? Hundreds of #placemaking leaders from around the world will gather, share, and organize this June 8th-11th in Toronto, Canada. Registration opens today for the 2nd #GlobalPlacemakingSummit! There are limited tickets available at these rates, and early registrants will help to shape the program. The registration link: https://lnkd.in/e4Ju5cAj ??? The Global Placemaking Summit program is a four day participatory event taking place in venues across the city with local partners. After opening the Summit on June 8th, the co-creative portion of the program will include participatory round tables shaping global placemaking agendas on Monday the 9th. Reporting and high-level panels will be live streamed, and recorded, at the World Urban Pavilion?on Tuesday the 10th. The final day of the Summit, June 11th, will focus on learning from, and supporting, #PlacemakingCanada initiatives. The dynamic program and exciting venues will be unveiled over the coming weeks, offering transformative sessions, insightful discussions, and unparalleled networking opportunities. #PublicSpace #Urbanism #Cities

Beautiful new placemaking resource from the #PlacemakingCanada community. Very timely as Canadian placemaking leaders are generously hosting our June #GlobalPlacemakingSummit in Toronto. A decade after the first Placemaking Canada report and convening, this extensive document helps establish and define how far the community has come and establishes key background from which the Summit conversation can build. "Let's Talk About Placemaking is a new magazine-like publication developed collaboratively by Canada’s Placemaking Community, the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), PlacemakingUS, and a range of leading practitioners across Canada and internationally. It’s a visually rich resource that provides a comprehensive look at the value created by contemporary placemaking in Canada." Grateful to placemaking leaders Madeleine Spencer, Bridget MacIntosh, Jacquelyn West, Mary W. Rowe and others for so thoughtfully putting this together. Community Foundations of Canada | Fondations communautaires du Canada, Quartier des spectacles international,

We have just Launched the Placemaking Lookbook and are excited to talk about it. Please Join us on City talk for this conversation: Leading citymakers and other experts join Mary Rowe for conversations that take a deeper dive into the issues and challenges facing urban communities. CityTalk Canada is produced by CUI – Canada’s Urban Institute. We are the national platform for Canadian city building – where policymakers, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics can learn, share and collaborate with one another. Bridget MacIntosh Ethan Kent Ryan Smolar Jacquelyn West Canadian Urban Institute PlacemakingX PlacemakingUS A huge shoutout to the incredible partners and the 100+ passionate practitioners who made this possible with special thanks to our editor JacquelynWest and CUI's Mary W. Rowe for leading the way. #Placemaking #LetsTalkAboutPlacemaking #ParlonsPlacemaking #Urbanism #CityBuilding #Sustainability #Infrastructure #UrbanDevelopment #SustainableCities #CommunityInnovation #UrbanResilience #policy #culture #arts #cities