Helping People Improve Their Communities, One Place at a Time
Cities around the world are recognizing that safe, well-used public spaces are just as important to healthy communities and regions as quality housing and reliable transportation. To remain a globally competitive city, Chicago must continue to sustain and enhance all of its public areas. Why? Studies over the past several years increasingly demonstrate that vibrant public places pay economic dividends for their communities and, collectively, for their region. Placemaking Chicago supports the creation and care of public spaces across Chicagoland through policy advocacy, close collaboration with public agencies and elected officials, direct outreach to residents and community organizations, and an active social media and online presence.
Watch this short video to learn more about Placemaking.
MPC’s Placemaking work is integrated into our projects throughout the region. Read about our work to
Multimedia
Place Stations: Creating Fun and Functional Transit Centers-
- Place Stations: Creating Fun and Functional Transit Centers
March 14, 2012
2012 Plan for Prosperity: Innovative Solutions for the New Normal-
- Publication
- (1 MB)
- Jan 12, 2012
- To read MPC's 2012 Plan for Prosperity, download the file. The following is MPC President MarySue Barrett's introductory letter.
Sometimes, things aren’t what they seem. For decades, the United States enjoyed what appeared to be boundless economic expansion. Consumers spent and borrowed…
Placemaking Chicago-
- A short video on Placemaking, produced in August 2008 by Metropolitan Planning Council and Tu Multimedia.
- The Micro Revolution: Neighbors Making a Difference - Part 2
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- At this MPC roundtable luncheon, Chicagoland residents shared their experiences bringing about positive changes in their school communities, by forging partnerships between parents and school administrators to improve public education and encourage community renewal.
- The Micro Revolution: Neighbors Making a Difference
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- At this MPC roundtable luncheon, Jay Walljasper, author of The Great Neighborhood Book and senior fellow at Project for Public Spaces, discussed lessons learned from real-life stories of successful neighbor-driven improvements. He moderated a panel of motivated residents from the Chicago area who…
More related multimedia »
Links
- Reconnecting America
- Reconnecting America is a national nonprofit working to integrate transportation systems and the communities they serve, with the goal of generating lasting public and private returns, improving economic and environmental efficiency, and giving consumers more housing and mobility choices. More info »
- Streetsblog
- Streetsblog is a daily news source, online community, and political mobilizer for the worldwide Livable Streets movement, working to transform our cities by reducing dependence on private automobiles and improving conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders. More info »
- Project for Public Spaces
- Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Founded in 1975, PPS has become an internationally recognized center for best practices, information, and resources about Placemaking. MPC partnered with PPS to create “A Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicago.” More info »
More related links »
A neighborhood guide to placemaking in Chicago
Placemaking research
Recent studies show Placemaking has a host of tangible benefits.
- The Knight Foundation’s Soul of the Community study found that 43,000 people from 26 U.S. communities named social offerings as the number one factor in attachment to a place, with a positive correlation between community attachment and local GDP growth.
- A UK Living Streets study shows the social, environmental, economic, and health benefits of ‘walkability’ interventions like mixed priority routes, the reallocation and ‘pedestrianization’ of space, and public realm improvements.
- From the Ground Up: Growing Toronto’s Cultural Sector, a report from the City of Toronto, brings together research that identifies culture as essential to its economy while offering planning resources for maintaining growth in creative industries.
- The Case for Quality of Space, a talk by the Urbanophile, brings to light the economic benefits of making spaces great through strategies that focus on value per dollar and commitment to quality of place.
- Data revealed in the Creative State Michigan report shows significant economic impact by the creative sector; for every $1 invested by the state, the arts and culture sector contribute $51 back into Michigan’s economy.
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The 2010 Creative Placemaking study highlights data and case studies that indicate how culture-led placemaking efforts can fuel creative economies, support jobs, and attract new residents and businesses.
Collaborators
Partners
Project for Public Spaces, New York, NY
Funders
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Prince Charitable Trusts
