Project for Public Spaces - pps.org

[Randy Weeks]

I've been enjoying reading and learning about Placemaking at PPS.org for a few months and wanted to share some links to it for anyone interested in having a conversation about placemaking work being done in our neighborhoods.

"What if we built our cities around Places?:
http://www.pps.org/info/placemakingtools/issuepapers/great_cities_i...

"The Power of Ten"
http://www.pps.org/info/newsletter/november2004/november2004_ten
EXCERPT:

At PPS, we usually don't talk in terms of numbers, so I had to give the matter some thought. I wanted to offer a challenging answer, but not something that would feel completely out of reach. "Ten," I said. "But we can't just plop down ten pieces of sculpture and say that's enough. We also need ten things to do at each focal point." That got everyone thinking about what makes great places great. It's really a matter of offering a variety of things to do in one spot -- whose quality as a place then becomes more than the sum of its parts. A park is good. A park with a fountain, playground, and popcorn vendor is better. A library across the street is even better, more so if they feature storytelling hours for kids and exhibits on local history. If there's a sidewalk café nearby, a bus stop, a bike trail, and an ice cream parlor, then you have what most people would consider a great place. What if a downtown had ten places that good? The area would then have a critical mass -- a series of destinations where tourists and residents alike could become immersed in the city for days at a time.
...and if we created ten places in downtown Seattle as good as the revitalized Art Museum, then it would be a great district.
Taking the next step, what if a city could boast ten such neighborhoods? Then every resident would have access to outstanding public spaces within walking distance of their own homes. That's the sort of goal we should set for all cities if we are serious about enhancing and revitalizing urban life.
I think we can go further still. How? Apply the "Power of Ten" on a regional scale by linking towns and cities together, with major public spaces and mixed-use neighborhoods serving as connections. That could be the basis for a new paradigm of regional development that sweeps away the destructive pattern of more freeways, big box stores, and cookie-cutter subdivisions.
This idea gives people something tangible to strive for -- it helps them visualize what it takes to make their town or city great.
PPS calls this concept the Power of Ten (indebted to the classic short film, "Powers of 10," by Charles and Ray Eames), but there's no reason to get fixated on a particular number. Whether you're talking about places in a given neighborhood, or great neighborhoods within a city, "Ten" refers generally to the ultimate goals of variety and choice. When we talk about the "Power of Ten," we're stressing the fact that we should always think of how Placemaking can be accomplished at different scales.

Inspirational Placemaking site for Placemaking Chicago:
- http://www.placemakingchicago.com/