With the publication of a new paper, PPS is celebrating "an important occasion in the evolution of the Placemaking movement." Through 10 case studies, the paper argues for "the importance of Placemaking as a vital part of community-building."
"Authored by Susan Silberberg, along with Katie Lorrah, Rebecca Disbrow, Anna Meussig, and Aaron Naparstek, Places in the Making highlights the importance of people in defining place, a critical aspect that is all too often forgotten by those in architecture, planning, and other related disciplines," writes the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), the prime advocate for placemaking in the U.S.
"It is the making of a place that defines a community," PPS continues. "When the people who use a space are left out of the process of its shaping, everyone suffers."
“The relationships that grow out of the ‘making’ are equal to, if not more important than, the places that result,” writes the team from MIT that authored the report. “The relationship of places and their communities is not linear, but cyclical, and mutually influential. Places grow out of the needs and actions of their formational communities, and in turn shape the way these communities behave and grow.”
FULL STORY: Places in the Making: MIT Report Highlights the ‘Virtuous Cycle of Placemaking’

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
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