placemaking guide

A Guide toNeighborhoodPlacemaking

in ChicagoBy Project for Public Spaces and Metropolitan Planning Council

Foreword 1

About this Guidebook 3

What is Placemaking? 5

11 Principles of Placemaking 7

The Power of 10 11

What Makes a Place Great? 15

Great Spaces in Chicago 21

Step-by-Step Guide 31

• Getting Ready

• Evaluating Your Neighborhood

• Making a Place Plan

• Implementing Your Place Plan

Why Chicagoland Needs Great Places 45

Resources 71

Contributors 74

Contents

1

“Placemaking” is both an overarching idea and a hands-on tool for improving a neighborhood, city or region. It has the potential to be one of the most transformative ideas of this century.

When Project for Public Spaces (PPS) first started working with communities on their publicspaces, it quickly became apparent no one knew more about a place and how it functioned thanthe people who lived and worked there. However, we also found planners and officials rarelyasked people about the issues they had direct experience with, such as whether it was difficult or unsafe for them or their children to cross a street. Instead, the public was asked to provide feedback on proposed designs after the fact. Realizing this, PPS decided to develop a differentprocess – one that is bottom up versus top down – which we call Placemaking. We have sincefound a Placemaking process is more economical, more efficient, and more fun for both people in communities and local officials. It also results in visible changes and has a far greater impacton the community.

Placemaking allows communities to see how their insight and knowledge fits into the broaderprocess of making change. It allows them to become proactive versus reactive, and positive versus negative. Simply put, Placemaking allows regular people to make extraordinary improvements, both big and small, in their communities.

In order to begin to transform the process of creating places and building stronger communitiesin Chicago, PPS has embarked on a partnership with the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).This allows PPS and MPC to highlight many of the important civic actions already underway inChicago, and provides a framework for further improvements to the city’s public spaces.

A Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicago is the first product of this partnership. Wehope the ideas and examples of Chicago Placemaking described in the following guide will inspire a ripple effect of neighbor interaction, community commitment, and civic action.

ForewordThe staff of Project for Public Spaces, Inc.

Placemaking is “making a Public Space a Living Space.” PPS member

ABOUT THIS GUIDEBOOK 3

The role of the project leader – or a leadershipteam – evolves during the course of aPlacemaking project: at the outset, the leader’smain goal is to get people involved and solicitas many ideas as possible. The leader thentransitions into a planner, collaborating with a working group and professional resources toput together a program of achievable short andlong-term projects. Once these projects areidentified, the leader must oversee their implementation.

Finally, while the authors have tried to makethis guide as clear as possible, they would liketo emphasize Placemaking is not a rigidprocess; rather, it can and should be modified.Project for Public Spaces knows from its ownwork that the process is often adapted to fitinto different community circumstances. Asyou gain experience, you will find ways to makePlacemaking work better in your community.

About this Guidebook

This guide is written for anyone who has a stake in the improvement of neigh-borhoods. It also is for people who will be managing and coordinating aPlacemaking process, whether for a small corner, community center, park,street, or an entire neighborhood. It describes the process and steps for devel-oping a Placemaking program and engaging citizens from the beginning of theproject through its implementation – while also bringing in public, professionaland technical resources in a supportive and creative way.

The goal of this guidebook is to teachPlacemaking participants how to:

• Define the basic elements that create asuccessful place.

• Understand the role that successful community places play in neighborhoodrevitalization.

• Recognize a successful place.

• Learn to analyze a specific site.

• Facilitate groups of local communityleaders, residents and designers to worktogether on improving public spaces.

• Develop a plan of immediate, short-term,and long-term actions to improve a site.

• Approach place-related issues or problems differently in the future.

We encourage you to share your experiences with other Placemakers at www.placemakingchicago.com.

Placemaking can be used to improve all of thespaces that comprise the gathering placeswithin a community – its streets, sidewalks,parks, buildings, and other public spaces – sothey invite greater interaction between peopleand foster healthier, more social, and economi-cally viable communities.

But Placemaking is not just the act of buildingor fixing up a space; it is a process that fostersthe creation of vital public destinations – thekind of places where people feel a strong stakein their communities and commitment to mak-ing things better. Placemaking capitalizes on alocal community's assets, inspiration andpotential, creating good public spaces that pro-mote people's health, happiness, and economicwell-being. As a PPS survey of its memberssuggests, this process is essential – evensacred – to people who care about the placesin their lives.

WHAT IS PLACEMAKING? 5

Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to,and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particularspace, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolvequickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-ableimprovements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and thepeople who use them.

What Is Placemaking?

Placemaking is the art of creating public ‘places of the soul’ that uplift andhelp us connect to each other. PPS member

11 PRINCIPLES OF PLACEMAKING 7

1. The community is the expert.People who use a public space regularly pro-vide the most valuable perspective and insightsinto how the area functions. They also can helpidentify issues that are important to consider inimproving the space. Uncovering and incorpo-rating their ideas and talents is essential tocreating a successful and vital communityplace.

2. You are creating a place, not a design.Design is an important component of creatinga place, but not the only factor. Providingaccess and creating active uses, economicopportunities, and programming are often moreimportant than design.

3. You can’t do it alone.A good public space requires partners who con-tribute innovative ideas, financial or politicalsupport, and help plan activities. Partners alsocan also broaden the impact of a civic spaceby coordinating schedules for programming andimprovement projects.

4. They’ll always say, “It can’t be done. ”Every community has naysayers. When an ideastretches beyond the reach of an organizationor its jurisdiction and an official says, “It can’tbe done,” it usually means: “We’ve never donethings that way before.” Keep pushing. Identifyleaders in the community who share your visionand build support. Talk to your alderman andget him or her engaged.

5. You can see a lot just by observing.People will often go to extraordinary lengths toadapt a place to suit their needs. A raised curbcan be used as a place to sit, sort mail, andeven – believe it or not – cook clams.Observing a space allows you to learn how thespace is used.

11 Principles of Placemaking

PPS has developed 11 principles that can be used to evolve public spaces into“community places.” Although similar words, “spaces” and “places” have verydifferent meanings. A space is a physical description of a piece of land, where-as a “place” connotes an emotional attachment to the piece of land.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about

the 11 principles, see How to Turn a

Place Around, available for purchase

at www.pps.org (PPS, Inc., 2000).

11 PRINCIPLES OF PLACEMAKING8

6. Develop a vision.A vision for a public space addresses its character, activities, uses, and meaning in the community. This vision should be definedby the people who live or work in or near thespace.

7. Form supports function.Too often, people think about how they will usea space only after it is built. Keeping in mindactive uses when designing or rehabilitating aspace can lower costs by discouraging unnec-essary and expensive landscaping and monu-ments, as well as potentially eliminating theneed to retrofit a poorly used public space.

8. Triangulate.The concept of triangulation relates to locatingelements next to each other in a way that fos-ters activity. For example, a bench, trash recep-tacle, and coffee kiosk placed near a bus stopcreate synergy because they are more conven-ient for waiting bus passengers and pedestriansthan if they were isolated from each other.

9. Start with the petunias.Simple, short-term actions such as plantingflowers can be a way of testing ideas andencouraging people their ideas matter. Theseactions provide flexibility to expand the spaceby experimenting, evaluating and incorporatingresults into the next steps and long-range planning.

10. Money is not the issue.A lack of money is oftenused as an excuse for doingnothing. Funds for pure pub-lic space improvementsoften are scarce, so it isimportant to remember thevalue of the public spaceitself to potential partnersand search for creative solu-tions. The location, level ofactivity, and visibility of public spaces – com-bined with a willingness to work closely withlocal partners – can elicit resources from thoseinvolved to activate and enhance these spaces.

11. You are never finished.About 80 percent of the success of any publicspace can be attributed to its management.This is because the use of good places changesdaily, weekly and seasonally, which makesmanagement critical. Given the certainty ofchange and fluid nature of the use of a placeat different times, the challenge is to developthe ability to respond effectively. A good man-agement structure will provide that flexibility.

11 PRINCIPLES OF PLACEMAKING 9

Triangulation

Triangulation, as described in the 11 Principles,increases the chances of activity occurringaround combined land uses. For example, inLincoln Square, the library is located adjacentto Welles Park, which has a softball field, play-ground and food vendors, and is within walk-ing distance of restaurants, the Davis Theatreand the Old Town School of Folk Music. Thisclustering ensures more activity will occurthan if these facilities were sited separately.

Sometimes triangulation occurs spontaneous-ly. For example, on a busy urban street cornerthere is something of interest – say, one of thelife-size fiberglass cow sculptures painted byartists and set up on the streets of variouscities as a public art project. The cows createan excuse for people who don’t know eachother to talk to one another. Farmers’ marketsalso are good places to spot examples of trian-gulation: You can often find perfect strangerschatting about the attributes of and recipesfor everything from sweet corn to Japaneseeggplant to Jersey tomatoes.

Smile at Segway riders

Take a stroll with your family

Rent a bike

Meet friends at a cafe

Birdwatch

Take in the Chicago skyline

Listen to the tourists’ foreign languages

People watch

Hear the lake splash and roar

Watch the boats

Applying the Power of 10, can you think of other destinations to go from here?

A great place needs to have at least 10 things to do in it or 10 reasons to bethere. But, don’t get fixated on a particular number. It's really a matter of offer-ing a variety of things to do in one spot – whose quality as a place thenbecomes more than the sum of its parts. We’ve listed 10 things to do at NavyPier. Can you think of more?

THE POWER OF 10 11

A great place needs to have at least 10 thingsto do in it or 10 reasons to be there. Thesecould include, for instance, a place to sit, artto touch, music to hear, food to purchase, his-toric information to learn about, and books toread. Most of the uses and ideas have to comefrom the people who would use the space andhopefully be somewhat unique to that place.These 10 great places should also define peo-ple’s experience of a city, and be dynamicenough to attract a range of user groups, keeppeople coming back, and continue evolving.

Instruct people to think about the specialplaces in their communities. How many qualityplaces are located in the community, and howconnected are they? Are there places thatshould be more meaningful but aren’t?Answering these questions can helpPlacemakers determine both individually andcollectively where they need to focus theirenergies. This simple, common sense idea canbe transformative for evaluating and strategi-

cally improving an entire city or region. It getspeople really thinking and challenges them asnever before.

Almost any Chicagoan could list 10 greatplaces in the Loop – a series of destinationswhere tourists and residents alike couldbecome immersed in the city for days at atime.

But what are the 10 best neighborhoods in thecity? What are the 10 best places in each ofthose neighborhoods? Think about one of thebest places in a neighborhood and try todescribe 10 things that you could do in thatplace, in that neighborhood. When this exerciseis successful, it means the city is full of goodplaces. Every resident knows they have accessto outstanding public spaces within walkingdistance of their own homes. That’s the sort ofgoal we should set for Chicago, if we are serious about enhancing and revitalizing urban life.

The Power of 10Why one great place in a neighborhood is not enough

The Power of 10 is a concept PPS uses to start off a Placemaking process. Theidea is that it's not enough to have just one great place in a neighborhood –you need a number of them to create a truly lively city or town. It's not enoughto have only one superior neighborhood in a city – you need to provide peopleall over town with close-to-home opportunities to take pleasure in public life.And, it's not enough to have one livable city or town in a region – you need acollection of interesting communities.

THE POWER OF 1012

Whether you’re talking about places in a givenneighborhood or great neighborhoods within acity, “10” can also refer to the ultimate goalsof variety and choice. When we talk about the“Power of 10,” we are stressing the fact thatwe should always think of how Placemakingcan be accomplished at different scales.

Finally, the Power of 10 idea gets local citizensmotivated and energized to turn their placesaround. It suggests that by starting efforts atthe smallest scale you can steadily accomplishbig changes. It also gives people somethingtangible to strive for and helps them visualizewhat it takes to make their community great.

Apply the “Power of 10” on a regional scale by linking towns and cities together with majorpublic spaces and mixed-use neighborhoods serving as connections. This could be the basisfor a new paradigm of regional development that reincorporates traditional storefronts, local-ly owned businesses, and human-scale public spaces into the neighborhoods in which we liveand socialize.

Go to the farmer’s market

Eat lunch outside

Join ethnic celebrationsSit on the Picasso statue

Take a break after getting your driver’s license

Catch the El or a bus, within a block

Put your feet in the fountain Read the newspaper

Meet up for Chicago’s Critical Mass ride

A Destination needs 10+ PLACESExample: Downtown Chicago

Each place needs 10+ THINGS TO DOExample: Daley Plaza, Downtown Chicago

A city/region needs 10+ MAJOR DESTINATIONSExample: Chicagoland region

Navy Pier

Sears TowerHarold Washington Library

Crown Fountain

World-class restaurantsGreen City Market

Grant Park Daley Plaza

“The Bean,” aka Cloud Gate

Brookfield Zoo

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Baha’i Temple

Forest preserve bike trail

Historic Pullman DistrictChicago Botanic Garden

Lake Michigan lakefront path Soldier Field

Frank Lloyd Wright houses

Listen to free lunchtime music Visit two churches and a synagogue within a block

Ice rink Taste of Chicago

Mies buildings

Popcorn shops

Chicago Theatre

Shopping

Gene Siskel Film Center

Looptopia Buckingham Fountain

Museum Campus

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Navy Pier

ChinatownDowntown Chicago

Apple picking

Chicago Riverwalk

Second City

Ravinia Festival

THE POWER OF 10 13

There are many areas in the Chicago region that already exemplify the Power of 10. Here aresome examples we’ve noticed ... But there are many more.

See where Nelsen Algren lived

Play a game of chess

Chase a kid through the “jungle gym”

Set up a tightrope between the trees

Blend with hipsters and yuppies

Watch a softball game

Play catch in the dog park

Try something new for lunch

Pick up a pair of Foo Dogs

Fly a kite in Ping Tom Park

Buy bamboo and money plants

Take a picture in the Zodiac Sculpture Garden

Enjoy Chinese New Year celebrations

Meet friends for bubble tea

Chinatown, where you can... Look east to the sailboats

Look north to the skyline

See a concert

See native wildflowers

Go fishing

Say hello to fast bikers

Picnic in silence

Northerly Island,where you can...

Join a pick-up game of Ultimate Frisbee

Watch Little League games

Appreciate the slow-moving, one-way traffic

See a movie at the historic Davis Theatre

Attend a summer concert series event

Take a class in martial arts, cooking, music, or dance

Don your Lederhosen for TWO annual German fests

Lincoln Square,where you can...

See a piece of the Berlin Wall at the Western EL stop

Wicker Park,where you can...

WHAT MAKES A PLACE GREAT? 15

What Makes a Place Great?

What makes some spaces succeed while othersfail? In part, it is having a variety of things todo in one spot. When the space becomes morethan the sum of its parts, it becomes a place.For example, an area in a park that has a foun-tain, playground, somewhere for parents to sitin the shade, and a place to get something todrink or eat will attract people to stay there for

more than a few minutes and return. If thepark had a library across the street, with anoutdoor area that had storytelling hours for kidsand exhibits on local history, people wouldcome to both the library and park again andagain. Easy access to a bus stop or bike trailand proximity to residential areas are additionalcomponents that cumulatively add up to a verysuccessful place.

When people describe a place they especiallyenjoy, words like "safe," "fun," "charming," and"welcoming" tend to come up repeatedly. Thesetypes of adjectives describe the IntangibleQualities – the qualitative aspects – of a partic-ular space. Intangible qualities can also bemeasured quantitatively in a variety of ways byusing statistics or conducting research. Whencombined, positive intangible qualities lead totangible success in public spaces.

Great public spaces are where celebrations are held, social and economicexchanges take place, friends run into each other, and cultures mix. They arethe “front porches” of our public institutions – libraries, field houses, neighbor-hood schools – where we interact with each other and government. When thespaces work well, they serve as a stage for our public lives.

WHAT MAKES A PLACE GREAT?16

traffic data

mode splits

transit usage

pedestrian activity

parking usage patterns

crime statistics

sanitation rating

building conditions

environmental data

local business ownership

land-use patterns

property values

rent levels

retail sales

number of women, children & elderly

social networks

volunteerism

evening use

street life

PlaceAccess& Linkages

Comfort& Image

Sociability Uses& Activities

continuity

proximity

connected

readable

walkable

convenient

accessible

safeclean

“green”

walkable

sittable

spiritual

charming

attractive

historic

fun

active

vital

special

real

useful

indigenous

celebratory

sustainable

diverse

stewardship

cooperative

neighborly

pride

friendly

interactive

welcoming

Imagine the center circle on the diagram is a specific place that you know: a street corner, play-ground, or plaza outside a building. You can evaluate that place according to four criteria in theorange ring. In the green ring are a number of intuitive or qualitative aspects by which to judge aplace; the blue area shows the quantitative aspects that can be measured by statistics orresearch.

Place Diagram

In evaluating thousands of public spaces around the world, PPS has found successful placeshave four key qualities in common: they are accessible; people are engaged in activities there;the space is comfortable and has a good image; and, finally, it is a sociable place – one wherepeople meet each other and take people when they come to visit. PPS developed the PlaceDiagram as a tool to help people in judging any place, good or bad:

MEASUREMENTS INTANGIBLES KEY ATTRIBUTES


Access and Linkages Access concerns how well a place is connected to its sur-roundings both visually and physically. A successful publicspace is visible, easy to get to and around. Physical ele-ments can affect access (a continuous row of shops along astreet is more interesting and generally safer to walk by thana blank wall or empty lot), as can perceptions (the ability tosee a public space from a distance). Accessible publicplaces have a high turnover in parking and, ideally, conven-ient public transit.

Comfort and Image Comfort and image are key to whether a place will be used.Perceptions about safety and cleanliness, the context ofadjacent buildings, and a place’s character or charm areoften foremost in people's minds – as are more tangibleissues such as having a comfortable place to sit. The impor-tance of people having the choice to sit where they want isgenerally underestimated.

Uses and Activities Activities that occur in a place – friendly social interactions,free public concerts, community art shows, and more – areits basic building blocks: they are the reasons why peoplecome in the first place and why they return. Activities alsomake a place special or unique, which, in turn, may helpgenerate community pride.

Sociability This is a difficult but unmistakable quality for a place toachieve. When people see friends, meet and greet theirneighbors, and feel comfortable interacting with strangers,they tend to feel a stronger sense of place or attachment totheir community – and to the place that fosters these typesof social activities.

High proportion of people in groups The presence of peo-ple in groups can be an index of selectivity. William H.Whyte’s Street Life Project found that often when people goto a plaza in twos or threes, and always when they ren-dezvous there, it is because they have decided to do so inadvance.

Higher than average proportion of women Women tend tobe more discriminating about the spaces they use. Reasonsfor this range from types of seating available in a place toperceptions about whether a place is safe.

Different ages The presence of people at a range of agesusually means a place has different constituencies who useit at different times of day. For example, pre-school age chil-dren and their guardians can use a neighborhood park whenothers are working, as can seniors and retirees.

Varied activities Popular places generally have more thingsto do than less successful spaces. One of the most success-ful public places PPS has evaluated is the town dock in ColdSpring, NY. PPS staff and community members counted asmany as 20 different activities occurring simultaneously,ranging from fishing to feeding ducks to picnicking, rowing,and swimming. Many of these activities don’t require specialequipment or facilities.

Affection There is generally more smiling, kissing, embrac-ing, holding and shaking of hands, and so forth in good pub-lic places than in those that are problematic.

Four Key Qualities of a Successful PLace

“Placemaking is a dynamic humanfunction: it is an act of liberation, ofstaking claim, and of beautification; itis true human empowerment.”PPS member

WHAT MAKES A PLACE GREAT?18

Impacts and Benefits of Placemaking

People care about places in their communities. From its international experience, PPS haslearned the institutionalization of “Placemaking” yields benefits far beyond making betterspaces for people.

Shared places work toward creating a community narrative. When public spaces become a part of daily life, they are forever linked with personal and collective milestones – meeting new friends, children’s first steps, celebrating local culture and entrepreneurship, for example.Placemaking creates emotional links to places, and sharing these links helps strengthen community.

The following are just a handful of positive results achieved through Placemaking.

Bridge Building Places draw a diverse popula-tion that can include women, elderly and chil-dren, as well as an ethnic and cultural mix, andencourage people to get involved and takepride in the area. Public spaces indeed are a“common ground.”

Economic and Community DevelopmentPublic space improvements can easily be tar-geted to catalyze private investment andsmall-scale entrepreneurial activities, such aspublic markets.


Youth Engagement Youth are often an over-looked audience, which misses the opportuni-ty not only to build leadership but also reduceapathy or cynicism among their age group.

Democracy Building Public spaces are a com-mon goal that diverse groups can work on col-laboratively in a democratic process.

Community Identity Places nurture anddefine community identity through greatercommunity organization, a better sense ofdedication and volunteerism, perpetuation ofintegrity and values, and a common vision.

GREAT PUBLIC SPACES IN CHICAGO 21

Why Chicagoland Needs Great Places

Great public places can happen anywhere. The following seven case studiesshow that all it takes to make a great place in your community is a simple firststep: a vision for an unused trail, a desire to play music by the beach, or a con-versation with a neighbor. These case studies, though tied specifically to oneprinciple, often incorporate a number of the 11 principles. They embodyPlacemaking and show that by working with people who share your passionand vision, anything is possible. All it takes is making that first step.

Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail

Every Block a Village

Lincoln Square

63rd Street Beach Drum Circle

Elmhurst City Centre

Growing Home

Senn Park Unity Garden

GREAT PUBLIC SPACES IN CHICAGO22

Josh Deth first became acquainted with theBloomingdale railroad tracks, on the North Sideof Chicago, on his bicycle. He used to ridealong the abandoned tracks that tower aboveBloomingdale Avenue, which he described as“a dead man’s space. The railroad was not tak-ing care of them. My explorations gave me afeel for what the space could be.”

What the abandoned tracks could be, it turnsout, is an elevated park that stretches for near-ly three miles above 37 streets and across fourneighborhoods.

City planners previously has considered theBloomingdale in the 1997 Chicago Dept. ofTransportation (CDOT) Bicycle FacilitiesDevelopment Plan – albeit in the lowest group-ing due, in part, to lack of perceived demandand minor ongoing rail use. In fact, some citystaffers recommended demolition. Then, in2003, the City of Chicago, Dept. of Planningand Development, CDOT, and Chicago Park

District held numerous community meetings toconsider the project as part of the city’s LoganSquare Open Space Plan.

In the wake of those meetings, Deth and agroup of cohorts formed the Friends of theBloomingdale Trail not only to show support fortrail development on the embankment, but toback up this support with community-basedplanning. Following an initial informal meetingat a bar in Wicker Park in 2003, the organiza-tion has spread its vision through organizedtrail cleanups, a children’s coloring contest,and public lectures about the trail. The initialgroup of 20 people has swelled to almost1,000 through outreach and community meet-ings. Through it all, Friends of theBloomingdale Trail has remained true to itsgoals: preserve the trail and create a beautifuland well-used public space that connects theneighboring communities and institutions.

According to Deth, a primary activity of theFriends of the Bloomingdale Trail has been out-reach. Building community and political back-ing allowed them to approach other organiza-tions with a plan that had a strong base of sup-port. Ben Helphand, a co-founder of theFriends of Bloomingdale Trail, said “by meetingwith the alderman and community groups, thecity came to the project more easily becausethey knew the consensus was there.” The project soon became a keystone of the LoganSquare Open Space Plan and, when theBicycle Facilities Development Plan was updat-ed as the Chicago Trails Plan, communitydemand helped move the project up to the toppriority list.

Principle: Develop a vision

Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail

Four years and countless meetings after thefirst gathering of Friends of the BloomingdaleTrail, the Trust for Public Land acquired vacantlots for the Chicago Park District to serve astrail access points. A year later, the ChicagoMetropolitan Agency for Planning awardedCDOT federal transportation funding for designand engineering work. Step-by-step, Deth,Helphand, and the Friends of the BloomingdaleTrail are working with their community, citywidecivic groups, and public officials to make thevision a reality.

For more information, please visit Friends of theBloomingdale Trail online at www.bloomingdaletrail.org.



Principle: Start with the petunias

Every Block a Village

In 1995, Adell Young was a 58-year-old grand-mother living in Chicago’s West Side neighbor-hood of Austin. Working to support her family,she felt isolated from her neighbors because ofher children’s drug use. “I would go to workand return home ashamed and just was notinterested in knowing my neighbors,” she said.

Slowly, out of desperation, Young began reach-ing out to her neighbors. She found many ofthem felt the same way she did and, by talkingto each other, they put a human face on eachother’s children. Through this interaction, the blank faces on the street began to become people.

Emboldened by these new connections, Youngand her neighbors took a simple yet brave step:they stood on the street corner and offeredbowls of chili to drug dealers. “We let themknow that we were not only concerned aboutour safety, but about them. We prayed for themand offered them food. There was no confronta-tion, we just hung around them and sometimeswe would pray. We showed them love andattention, and after a while they left ourblock.”

These efforts led to the creation of Every Blocka Village (EBV), an organizing initiative inAustin that builds relationships among neigh-bors for mutual support. Supported by theWestside Health Authority, EBV uses the cul-ture and experiences of Austin residents as abase for motivating and mobilizing them to usetheir assets to solve community problems. In2001, for example, the group sold catfish din-ners and solicited donations to raise $60,000in seed money for the Austin Wellness Center.

When this building opened in 2004, it was thefirst new building in Austin in 45 years.

Even with such big successes, EBV’s focusremains on improving the quality of life forAustin residents through large and smallchanges. For Young, the most important neigh-borhood improvement happened in her ownhouse. “My home has been drug free for 10years. It’s amazing what neighbors can do whenthey work together.”

For more information, please visit Every Block AVillage online at www.ebvonline.org


Principle: You are never finished

Lincoln Square

In the 1940s, the neighborhood of LincolnSquare in Northwest Chicago was home to athriving business district full of locally ownedhotels, banks, and retail stores. Easily accessi-ble by train, yet away from the grit of down-town Chicago, the neighborhood attracted astrong base of residents to support its locallyowned businesses.

Lincoln Square was similar to other urbanneighborhoods of the time. What is unique isLincoln Square managed to maintain itsvibrant, unique character through decades ofurban neglect and economic changes. This sta-bility is due, in large part, to a group of volun-teer businessmen who recognized the strengthof the neighborhood and ensured its sustain-ability by creating the Lincoln Square Chamberof Commerce in 1948.

For the past 60 years, the Lincoln SquareChamber of Commerce has positioned itself asthe center of neighborhood activity. Decades ofbuilding and maintaining connections to neigh-borhood residents and businesses has allowedthe Chamber to represent community wishesand maintain a strong business district.Melissa Flynn, executive director of theChamber, said the goal of the organization is to“focus on improving the quality of life forLincoln Square through cultural, educationaland sustainable activities.”

Through collaboration with Ald. EugeneSchulter (47th Ward), a strong advocate for theneighborhood, the Lincoln Square Chamber ofCommerce works with residents to providecommunity programming such as free summerconcerts, festivals, sidewalk fairs, and garden

walks, many of which are held in GiddingsPlaza. Located on Lincoln Avenue betweenLawrence and Leland avenues, Giddings Plazaboasts the Giddings Square fountain, a may-pole, murals and statues. Often considered theheart of Lincoln Square, Giddings Plaza is aplace for the community to gather for holidayfestivities, wedding celebrations, or informalchats over coffee. Through the efforts of theLincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, Ald.Schulter, and an engaged community, theunique character of Giddings Plaza and LincolnSquare will continue to exist for generations.

For more information, please visit the LincolnSquare Chamber of Commerce online at www.lincolnsquare.org.


Principle: Money is not the issue

The 63rd Street Beach Drum Circle

Every evening at dusk, a group of drummersform a circle in front of the 63rd Street BeachHouse on Chicago’s South Side. “They justknow to come,” said Rick Taylor, a drummingteacher, who has been part of the circle since1983. “There is no organization.” The drum-mers have been meeting here daily for the last40 years, when the weather permits, of course.

“The circle is here at 63rd Street because ofthe nearby communities. Most of the drummerscome from South Shore, Hyde Park andKenwood,” said Marcus Lenton, a constructionmanager, who has been coming to listen for 30years and has many friends in the circle. Manyin the audience join the circle after enjoyingthe nearby beach. Because the drummers don’t

play in a formalized amphitheater there is noneed to reserve the space – something that fitsperfectly with the circle’s spontaneity.

The place where the circle forms is nothingspecial: the drummers set up over a widestretch of sidewalk that leads from the parkinglot to the Beach House entrance. Without thedrumming community, this space would be justanother silent, unused path. Instead, it comesalive each night when the group sets upbetween a colonnade of tall tree trunks on theeast and low, full bushes on the west. Thetrees are the only fixtures that trace out a looseboundary for the group, separating the circlefrom the vast grassy lawn where picnickersspread out their blankets. The trees make the

circle feel complete and protected, but alsonatural and unplanned … almost like a camp-fire site where the beat is the flame.

Lenton said the circle is great exactly becausenothing has been built to host it: “There are noadditives, it’s totally natural.” He was adamantabout keeping it that way. “I wouldn’t change athing. Don’t build anything. It would ruin it. It’sgot to be spontaneous.”

A single drummer, explained Lenton, is enoughto start the circle. Pretty soon, without fail,others set up chairs and instruments near thetrees. The circle is widest and loudest justbefore nightfall and continues until around10:30 when, according to Lenton, “the copsbreak it up” in time for the park to close at11:00.

The circle is open to everyone. “If you cancatch the beat, you can join in,” explainedLenton. The drummers are a mixed group.“Some went to school for it, some just pickedit up recently, and some were brought up doingit their whole lives.”

Even though everyone calls the gathering “thedrum circle,” it’s not limited to one kind ofinstrument. Some people shake maracas ortambourines; others play the trumpet and saxo-phone, while some just clap, sing, and stomptheir feet. Even the police officers who walkthis beat clap along and nod their heads fromtheir places along the circle’s periphery.

Kenyatta Jackson, who plays several kinds ofdrums in the circle, said he comes because thecircle provides a “release for us as drummers

and as human beings. It’s a way to maintainour lives, day-to-day.” It’s also a communitycenter: “[The drum circle] brings all the gener-ations together,” said Edward Phillips, Lenton’sfriend, “this is our common culture. It’s like weall found our home here.”

Jackson said a rule of the circle is “no drink-ing, no drugs, no profanity, and no arguing.” Aslong as there are drummers, he said, “it’s safehere. Check the police log if you want, but Ican tell you there are no violent crimes whenthis circle is around.” Taylor added, “Anytimeyou have music, anytime you have rhythm, theplace starts getting crowded. It just builds andbuilds.”



Principle: You are creating a place, not a design

Elmhurst City Centre

Take a walk around City Centre Plaza in down-town Elmhurst, a suburban community about15 miles directly west of downtown Chicago.You will see vibrantly painted car sculpturesand Adirondack chairs, a water fountain, raisedplanted beds, and, when the weather is nice,an abundance of outdoor dining areas.

City Centre Plaza, located at the northeast cor-ner of York Street and Schiller Drive, exempli-fies the many attractive and well-used publicplaces the city and residents of Elmhurst havecultivated over the last 20 years. Elmhurstimplemented tax increment financing (TIF) inthe late 1980s as the foundation of its down-town revitalization strategy. The city added aSpecial Service Area (SSA) for the downtown,called “Elmhurst City Centre,” in the early1990s. With these financial mechanisms inplace, local officials implemented plans toimprove streetscapes with brick pavers, streettrees, decorative lighting, and other visual fea-tures. The city even installed decorative corralsfor newspaper boxes to match the downtowndesign theme – and won an award in theprocess.

The Elmhurst City Centre group has made themost of the city’s commitment to downtownrevitalization, building upon the city-led

improvements by hosting public events – suchas concerts and holiday tree lightings – in theplaza. Inspired by the Chicago Cows on Parade,the City Centre group brought interactive art tothe downtown community by calling on localartists to customize the “cool kiddie car”sculptures and Adirondack chairs.

“The chairs were added to offer an alternateprice point for sponsorship and mix things up a bit visually,” said Mimi Stojsavljevic of theElmhurst City Centre. “While the kiddie art isfor the little ones, the chairs invite adults toenjoy the space as well.” The cars and chairsare decorated by local artists, sponsored bylocal businesses, and auctioned off each yearfor a local charity. For the past two years, vocational education students from York HighSchool have built garden benches and chairsfor display, and every year the Junior ElmhurstChildren’s Assistance Foundation holds a children’s scavenger hunt that is open to the community.

“Elmhurst has drawn upon so many excellentresources for local support, and the communityis better off for it,” commented John D. Said,director of planning, zoning and economicdevelopment for the city, and a 16-year resi-dent of Elmhurst. “The lively downtown envi-ronment here has helped increase property val-ues throughout Elmhurst, and made the com-munity a very special and admirable place,”Said added.

For more information, visitwww.elmhurst.org or www.elmhurstcitycentre.com.


Principle: They’ll always say, “It can’t be done”

Growing Home

In 1992, Les Brown, director of policy for theChicago Coalition for the Homeless, wanted todo more to combat homelessness. He recog-nized a lack of living wage jobs is one of themajor factors leading to homelessness, but hebelieved giving someone a job was not enough.In order for an individual to break out of thecycle of homelessness, he needs a sense ofpurpose. “Homeless people,” according toBrown, “are often without roots. They’re nottied down, not connected, not part of theirfamily anymore.”

Brown founded Growing Home as a way to givepeople this sense of purpose. With a mission tohelp homeless and low-income people gain jobtraining and employment opportunities througha nonprofit organic agriculture business, Brownfound land about 75 miles southwest ofChicago and, in 2002, started a pilot trainingprogram. The structure of the Growing Homeprogram prepares previously incarcerated andhomeless individuals to re-enter the workforceby teaching job skills. It also, in the words ofBrown, provides “a way for them to connectwith nature – to plant and nurture roots over aperiod of time. When you get involved in takingresponsibility for caring for something, creatingan environment that produces growth, then ithelps you build self-esteem.”

Since 2002, Growing Home has helped morethan 100 Chicagoans, many of whom arerecovering from addiction, mental illness, orhave not held a steady job in years. Approx-imately 65 percent of program participants findfull-time work, and the program has a 90 per-cent success rate for participants improvingtheir living situation.

In 2007, Growing Home established Chicago’sfirst permanent year-round farm, in the SouthSide neighborhood of Englewood. Named the Wood Street Urban Farm, it is part ofEnglewood’s Quality of Life Plan, and a community-wide effort to reconfigure the foodsystem in the neighborhood. By providing amodel of urban agriculture and coupling jobtraining, transitional employment, youth andadult outreach programs, and congregationalspace for community members, GrowingHome’s Wood Street Urban Farm is a commu-nity center and an integral part of Englewood’srevitalization.

For more information, please visit GrowingHome online at www.growinghomeinc.org.


Principle: You can’t do it alone

Senn Park Unity Garden

In 1996, the lot on Thorndale Avenue whereSenn Park Unity Garden now stands was avacant lot covered with brambly plants, weedsand trash. Today, this lot is filled with commu-nity gardening plots for residents to use and anearthen berm/performance space the diverseChicago North Side neighborhood of Edgewoodembraces and utilizes. The success of the gar-den has much to do with how it was planned.

The creation of Senn Park Unity Garden can beattributed to community participation through-out the entire planning process. During thewinter of 1996, representatives from theChicago Park District gathered high school stu-dents, neighbors, families, seniors, and blockclubs to community meetings that focused onwhat the neighborhood wanted out the space.Through these meetings, the community agreedon a site that featured an earthen berm“bench” where people could perform or sit andenjoy the space, and a dozen community gar-den plots. By the time spring rolled around,when the ground began to thaw, residents werearmed with a plan for a community garden.

During the spring and summer, people of allages spent their Saturdays clearing the site ofgarbage and debris. Teens from the youth out-reach program Alternatives helped landscapethe garden. Children from the BroadwayArmory’s Day Camp and Senn YouthNet assist-ed with plantings and watering the new treesand shrubs. All 12 of the raised beds werefilled by local residents, who grow everythingfrom herbs to potatoes. The site was selectedas a Gallery 37 in the Parks site and MirtesZirwinski, a mosaic artist, and Chet Jakus, alandscape architect, worked with more than 50

Senn High School students to design andinstall mosaics, a totem, and the landscaping.

In 2004, due to high demand, six more bedswere added to the garden. Jane Schenk, whooversees the coordination of the communitygardening plots as the Gardening ProgramSpecialist for the Chicago Park District, said,“All of the gardeners know each other becausethey see each other on a regular basis. Almostall of the current gardeners live within a four-block radius of the park.”

By inviting the community into the design andcreation of the garden and encouraging them totake ownership of it, a space was created thatthe community feels connected to and uses. AsBonnie Tawse, former project manager for SennPark Unity Garden, said, “It is this human con-nection to this small, little space that means somuch to residents.”

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 31

Step-by-Step Guide

The following are the steps PPS recommends for assessing and then doingsomething about the public spaces in your neighborhood. The steps includenot only how to get started, but also how to move through a Placemakingprocess to get improvements implemented.

Getting ReadySTEP 1: Assess Public Space ChallengesSTEP 2: Select a SiteSTEP 3: Identify Key Stakeholders

Evaluating your NeighborhoodSTEP 4: Collect Data

Making a Place PlanSTEP 5: Conduct Place Evaluation WorkshopSTEP 6: Translate the Ideas into Action with a Working GroupSTEP 7: Develop a Visual Concept PlanSTEP 8: Create a Summary Report and Presentation

Implementing your Place PlanSTEP 9: Implement Short-Term ActionsSTEP 10: Develop Long-Term Design and Management PlansSTEP 11: Assess Results and Replicate

Assessing the 10 most important places in yourneighborhood

A strong Placemaking process begins with aninformal assessment of the public space orspaces within and around the selected projectsite. Start by convening a group of interestedleaders and stakeholders in the broader neigh-borhood (or city) and, using a map of the area,list what the group thinks are the 10 or somost important places in the area. Thesespaces can be places you think are alreadysuccessful or ones that need improvement.This initial group of participants may help you form a working group along the way (see Step 6).

You can list these spaces and/or locate themon a map. You also should list why you thinkthese places are successful or not. Maps,plans, and photo or video documentation isextremely valuable for gaining insight into aspace. Where possible, walking to and aroundone or more of the places helps identify certainbasic needs such as seating, shade, underuti-lized corners, or create a safe place to crossthe street.

This informal assessment will not only help youview these spaces with fresh eyes, but help youto begin to determine the challenges andissues that need to be resolved. From this listyou can decide which spaces you want toundertake improving first.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE32

SEE APPENDIX • DO-IT-YOURSELF

CHECKLIST

PPS’s “Do-it-Yourself Checklist” isalso a short and easy-to-use list forPlacemakers to evaluate and out-line challenges for specificpublic spaces. It describesthe basic criteria for evaluat-ing spaces and provides aseries of questions to answerwhen thinking about a partic-ular space.

Getting Ready

Step 1: Assess Public Space Challenges


Once you start to narrow down your siteoptions, it is a good idea to check with theChicago Dept. of Planning and Development(DPD) or your alderman’s office to learn whatis possible to do on the sites. A space mayhave restrictions on it that could influenceyour plans.

After determining the availability of a site, goto the space! While there, begin to think aboutthe elements that contribute to the success ofa place. What ingredients make an otherwiseordinary plaza, street, or square into a peoplemagnet? When they enjoy a place, peopleoften describe it as safe, fun, charming, or wel-coming. All of these seemingly intangibledescriptions represent certain basic criteria forsuccess: a place must be accessible; have

people who are engaged in activities; be com-fortable and have a good image; and be aplace where people choose to meet up witheach other or show to visitors. Great placesmay not have all four of those qualities, butusually they have at least two.

When you arrive at your site, take some timeto look around. Try to see your space through anew set of eyes, examining its characteristics.If you are doing this with a partner or a smallgroup, choose one person to record everyone’scomments. How do this space’s characteristicscompare to those described above?

Getting Ready

Step 2: Select a Site

Typical Challenges

• What complaints or shortcomings do resi-dents, the city, or local stores and buildingmanagers have regarding your neighborhoodpublic spaces?

• Are there empty or underused areas?

• Do you have concerns about nearby develop-ment – a road, transit facility, or building –and are you trying to become an active and integral partner in planning for thatdevelopment?

• Is a revitalization or planning effort underwayin which you wish, or are being encouraged toparticipate? How can you shape these effortsto provide maximum benefit to you and yourcommunity?


This step in the Placemaking process is closelyrelated to the way a project was selected in thefirst place. Placemaking projects are often initi-ated by self-selected groups of people who live,work and play in the selected site. Start byseeking to expand the initial group by identify-ing and contacting other key stakeholders.

Strong local partners are essential to providingbackground information, explaining the dynam-ics of the community, and identifying addition-al participants.

Friends and NeighborsThe easiest way to begin the process is byengaging those around you. Ask your next-doorneighbor what kinds of improvements he or shewould like to see in the neighborhood, andinvite neighbors – those you know well and oth-ers who are merely acquaintances – to localmeetings. Encourage them to invite theirfriends and neighbors. There is strength innumbers!

Nearby Stores and BusinessesLocal entrepreneurs can and should be pulledinto the Placemaking process early on. Bus-inesses flourish when people enjoy spendingtime in and around them. Stores and profes-sional offices may be enlisted to assist by participating in creative evaluation sessions, as well as providing simple tools needed toenhance the social experience in the area (providing public benches, for example).

Long-Time ResidentsIn a region where neighborhoods have changedradically over the last few generations, it willbe beneficial to speak to those who have lived

there the longest. Actively ask questions aboutthe history and changes they’ve witnessed, andassets that have been lost over time. Elderlyand disabled residents will be more enthusedabout participation when they’re included inthe process from the “get-go.”

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)Local and national NGOs focusing on economicdevelopment, youth and elderly outreach andactivities, environmental protection, architec-ture, arts and culture, and economic develop-ment can make wonderful partners in thePlacemaking process. The alderman’s office isa good resource to identify appropriate nonprof-its in the neighborhood to engage. Nonprofitsalso can provide in-kind support such as meet-ing spaces, training facilities and additionalresources during implementation.

Local Community GroupsLocal community groups or leaders can helpreach out to neighborhood councils or othercommunity groups such as retirees’ clubs, parents’ associations, block clubs, or individu-als with disabilities and other groups that maynot be known to local NGOs. In multi-ethniccommunities, it may be necessary to involvereligious and cultural organizations that represent different ethnic groups.

Streets and Sanitation Ward OfficeChicago is a highly networked town, and thefolks working at the Streets and San Wardoffice often provide invaluable information. Itwill be worth finding a personal connectionthere! The office will be able to provide con-tacts for local decision-makers, as well asstatutes and laws dictating what a community

Getting Ready

Step 3: Identify Key Stakeholders


may and may not do on its own without priorpermission. Drop in on a weekday afternoonwith a pleasant attitude and maybe even a boxof cookies to share.

Local Government Officials and ProfessionalsYou may find you need the assistance of localgovernment officials, the chamber of com-merce, or private sector representatives inorder to meet your Placemaking goals. Thesegroups may be most effectively approachedafter the core community collective has evalu-ated its spaces and agrees on the desires andpotential resources needed for improvement.

Local government officials often facilitate thebest Placemaking opportunities. Fromstreetscape improvements to transit stationrehabs, the city and aldermen’s offices overseemany potential Placemaking projects and wel-come your support. When the project isn’tpaired with a planned capital improvement,your alderman can serve as a key contact foridentifying other potential partners and leverag-ing additional resources. In most instances,local government officials have proven to begreat supporters and constructive participantsin the Placemaking process.

DPD neighborhood representatives are goodsources of information about the current status

and history of a site. They often are the bestsources for existing plans, and future develop-ment plans and other relevant materials, andcan provide base maps, proposals for existingconditions, and designs developed by differentarchitects and planners. Sometimes they caneven provide access to sites that are closed tothe public, such as vacant lots.

Undertaking a Placemaking effort that goesbeyond presentations and workshops usuallyrequires the alderman’s endorsement. In allcases, it is prudent to inform the alderman andhis/her staff about the work in progress, even ifthey are not directly involved in the process.Aldermen often show a great interest in andgenuine support for Placemaking because theyshare the goal of providing visible improve-ments in the community.

Individual ExpertsProfessional experts such as architects, urbanplanners, historians, and artists are critical inassisting with the planning and implementationprocess and preferably should be involved fromthe very beginning. They can help with design,technical expertise and drawings, and ensurethe historic and local specifics of a place arerespected and preserved. Architecture, plan-ning, landscaping, or transportation engineer-ing students also could be included to assistcommunities with creating idea sketches andtechnical drawings.

SEE APPENDIX • PLAN OF

STAKEHOLDERS to learn how a

Placemaking process developed Logan

Circle, Philadelphia, Pa. into a great

place.


Observation TechniquesMethods of collecting information about a pub-lic place are as varied as the places them-selves. The appendix provides in-depthdescriptions of several observational tech-niques – including trace measures, behaviormapping, counting, and tracking – as well astechniques for measuring people’s perceptionsthrough interviews and questionnaires. Eachdescription includes information on when andhow to use a technique and an example of aform that can be used to collect the informa-tion. These tools can be used in many differentways for an hour or longer. However, observa-tions should be conducted more than once.

They should be done over several differentperiods, on a weekday and weekend, and atdifferent times of day to better understand the“flow” of a place. You may be surprised whatyou discover.

Evaluating your Neighborhood

Step 4: Collect Data

SEE APPENDIX • TECHNIQUES for

a brief overview of observation

techniques including behavior map-

ping, counting, tracking, interview &

questions, and trace measures. More

tips on data collection available on

www.placemakingchicago.com.

Based on the simple power of observation, thePlace Evaluation Workshop makes the most ofparticipants’ special knowledge, commonsense, intuition, and input. Stakeholders canquickly sum up the good and bad qualities of asite, and ignite a creative process about trans-forming an ordinary place into an extraordinarycommunity asset. Any observant person can doa Place Evaluation, from children and lay peo-ple to highly trained professionals. The exercisealso works in a range of situations, from infor-mal groups or small planning teams to work-shops and conferences with as many as 200people. Best of all, the Place EvaluationWorkshop is fun: participants get to know eachother better, while gaining insight on ways tolook at public spaces more holistically and seetheir potential as “places” in communities.

As noted in Step 2, it is very important thatworkshops be organized in cooperation withinterested Stakeholders. It is usually effectivefor a local group – a nonprofit or neighborhoodassociation – to coordinate the logistics of theworkshop, with support from the alderman.Such an organizing strategy ensures communityparticipation in greater numbers than if theevent is organized by local government in theformal setting of City Hall. Yet, including localofficials in both the workshop and process ingeneral is paramount to the project’s success.

The Placemaking process is both transparentand inclusive, so individual residents, commu-nity groups, business owners, nonprofits, andlocal government, along with planners anddesign professionals, can participate equallyand in a meaningful way to make their commu-nity better.

In general, a Place Evaluation Workshopincludes an overview of the targeted locationand interactive site evaluation. For more infor-mation on preparing and running a PlaceEvaluation Workshop, please see Appendixpage 57 and www.placemakingchicago.com


Making a Place Plan

Step 5: Conduct Place Evaluation Workshop

SEE APPENDIX • PLACE EVALUATION

WORKSHOP for examples of Letter of

Invitation, Invitation Flyer, Workshop

Checklist, Agenda, Place Evaluation

Game, Conducting a Placemaking

Evaluation, Base Map, and Visual

Concept Plan

Several good ideas will come out of the work-shop with your assembled stakeholders, manyof whom will be excited by the possibilities forthe space they’ve just evaluated. The next stepis to ask for volunteers – preferably, a mix ofthe most enthusiastic and influential people –to become members of a working group. Often,it is even better to establish the working groupin advance and get their help organizing theworkshop.

The purpose of the working group is to reviewthe evaluation and ideas that were generated,solidify these ideas into a vision, and developmore specific recommendations. The workinggroup should include a strong point person tolead the efforts.

It should identify a problem statement and cre-ate an action plan to address this problem.


Making a Place Plan

Step 6: Translate Ideas into Action with a Working Group

The next step in the process is to produce whatPPS calls a “Visual Concept Plan.” Becausepublic spaces are so visible, it is important toimplement even short-term improvements tomake them attractive and functional.

Developing a visual concept plan may seemlike something that requires hiring an architect,but there are many ways you can design a sim-ple space yourself, with people who have agood eye for what makes a space both appeal-ing and useful. You can even cut out picturesto use as illustrations if no one in the groupcan draw. For example, in Tabor, CzechRepublic, the local Placemaking group cameup with the idea of re-opening a boat rental.Rather than just hang a sign on the old boat

house, they were inspired by the work of aCzech artist who painted imaginary city sceneswith bright colors. The project manager’s hus-band was an architect and together they usedthe artist’s approach in deciding how to paintthe building. The painter was invited to theopening of the boat house – he said it was likebeing in one of his own paintings! People weremuch more attracted to using the boat rentalbecause of its special character.


Making a Place Plan

Step 7: Develop a Visual Concept Plan

SEE APPENDIX • PLACE EVALUATION

WORKSHOP for an sample Visual Concept

Plan from Richland, Wa.


Write a short report that summarizes the resultof the Placemaking Workshop, working groupsessions, and follow-up Visual Concept Plan.The report should build on the workshop resultsummary and vision statement, adding specificshort and long-term ideas, priorities and part-ners. You can use the concept plans to illus-trate the report. The report also should featureideas that were not shown on the plan, as wellas information such as a list of ideal partners,proposed short-term budget, and well-thought-out financing plan.

Finally, with further time and resources, youcan consider creating a presentation of thesummary and recommendations, which couldbe a poster, slide show, Web site, or other visu-al format. Think of a presentation as a visualtool that can be used to market your publicspace improvement efforts to potential part-ners, political supporters, funders, and commu-nity residents.

SEE APPENDIX • SUMMARY

REPORT to read the Houston

Downtown summary report.

Making a Place Plan

Step 8: Create a Summary Report and Presentation


The most important step in the Placemakingprocess is implementation – putting the visioninto action. It is best to begin implementationas soon as possible to keep the group dynamicand get some quick results. Some ideas can beimplemented without design concepts, whileothers cannot. Seeing ideas become reality willretain the interest and enthusiasm of yourplacemakers!

Adding new activities to a space are among thebest short-term improvements to a publicspace. It is easy to energize the communitywith some basic activities such as clean-upsand painting/decorating. Groups also canorganize some simple, temporary events to getpeople used to the idea of using the place –fairs, farmer’s markets, sidewalk sales, muralcompetitions, bicycle rides, etc. Activities ofthis kind are fairly easy to organize, don’trequire much funding, and can get peopletogether.

The working group should meet regularly togive progress updates on their assignedactions; identify problems or challenges to thisprogress; discuss new approaches or develop-ments that may help speed implementation,and so on. The working group also shouldreview programming proposals, management-related issues, and prepare for the purchaseand layout of amenities. Members also mightdecide how and when to involve more partnersand draw positive attention to the new public-space improvements. For example, if moveableseats and café tables are placed in the space,you could do an informal survey to find outhow people like them and how they might beimproved.

Implementing a Place Plan

Step 9: Implement Short-Term Actions


Short-term events need to be followed bylonger-term and more complex improvements.

Design PlanAs you implement short-term improvements toa place, it also may be necessary to develop adesign for the long-term improvement of thespace. At this stage, it becomes critical to havethe local government on board, if not already,especially experts from the departments ofurban planning, community services, trans-portation, park district (depending on thenature of the place), and other technicalexpertise – architects, engineers, landscapearchitects, etc. -– who can help transform thecommunity vision into reality. PPS calls thisgroup the design team.

You and your working group should assess theresults of the agreed-upon short-term improve-ments. As part of the assessment process, youalso might consider holding a follow-up work-shop to identify next steps, new partners, newfunding sources, and, if needed, to modify orupdate the long-term plan for your site. Mostimportantly, remember to document, celebrateand share your successes! Regular communica-tion with stakeholders, including news andphotos, will generate enthusiasm and a senseof pride.


Step 10: Develop Long-Term Design and Management Plans

Because you have implemented short-termimprovements, you will have some time todevelop the next phase of improvements, aswell as the longer term design plan.

To manage the longer term design work, PPSsuggests the following tips:

• Always refer back to your summary report (Step8) and use it to guide all new partners youbring into the process.

• Make the working group the “client” for theproject, so the design team reports to the work-ing group for its approval. This may mean invit-ing others who should share in decision makingto join the working group.

• Have regular progress meetings with the work-ing group and design team, with specific time-lines and products to be reviewed.

• Use these meetings to conduct additional brain-storming with the working group to address newissues that have been identified.

• Continue to use examples of spaces or ideasthat reflect what people would like to see.

• Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ or ‘we don’t likethat’ to the architect or designers, but do sug-gest alternatives.

• Hold public meetings to present the work of thedesign team before everything is “final” toallow for new ideas and get public reaction andchanges.

• Build excitement about the proposed plan,using local media, public pictures, and plans.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE #43

Management PlanWhile local government focuses on basic serv-ices such as waste collection, maintenance,and lighting, local community or businessorganizations can manage space on a deeperlevel, making people feel welcome and makingthe place seem more inviting through constantrefinements to make the space work better.

This deeper level can be compared to the man-agement of a good hotel that does everything itcan to make its guests and potential guests socomfortable they will come back again andagain. A good hotel not only cleans and main-tains, but makes a concerted effort to draw inthe public, such as: putting out flower boxesand flags and other colorful details; offeringfood and drink, perhaps with a sidewalk café;arranging and re-arranging furniture in thepublic areas so it is as user friendly and attrac-tive as possible; answering questions andresponding to complaints; hosting events; andaddressing a range of other customer-respon-sive details. Other spaces, especially markets,need a different type of management particu-larly suited to their special functions.

Many times, the management tasks the city isnot able to meet are taken over by neighbor-hood groups, adjacent institutions, volunteers,or a local business group; in some cases, anew organization might be created to managethe space (a continuation of the workinggroup), complementing the services the city isalready providing. To better understand themanagement that a space really needs com-pared to what it is getting, it is helpful to con-duct interviews with the people managing thespace now, chart what they do, and comparethat with the new demands that will be placedon the space if you implement the long-termvision you have developed.

SEE APPENDIX • ACTION PLAN

At this point (or even before you implement alonger term plan), you also can think aboutexpanding your efforts to other sites or neigh-boring communities. In fact, if your Placemak-ing efforts are a success, stakeholders andcommunity members from other places andmunicipalities will seek to initiate their ownPlacemaking projects.

Some of the questions you should consider asyou expand your efforts are:

• What other places in the community need to beimproved?

• Who will fund the implementation of short-termimprovements?

• What role will the working group play? Should itbe the working group for a new project orshould a new one be created?

• Is there a need for a broader “Placemaking”organization in the community to oversee all ofthe projects?

• If so, how would that organization be fundedand supported?

• How can you work with other similar projects inthe region or country?



Step 11: Assess Results and Replicate

WHY CHICAGO 45

A recent global survey showed residents of Chicago are some of the most satisfied and opti-mistic people in the world. With a population that is expected to grow by 2.8 million over thenext 20 years, it is clear this optimism is spreading.

As the Chicago region grows, it is essential to remember what makes Chicagoland truly special.With 552 parks, 33 beaches, one of the world’s largest conservatories, an 18-mile linear parkalong Lake Michigan, and more than 40 community gardens, it is easy to argue public spaces area big part of what makes Chicago, well, Chicago.

Many of the region’s public spaces are officially maintained by the Chicago Park District or CookCounty Forest Preserves. Unofficially, the people who live here are the reason these places work.They are the ones who dip their feet in the fountains on a hot summer day and connect with theirneighbors at a community dog park. They spend their afternoons reading on a bench, playingpick-up softball games, and hosting impromptu barbecues. Without people, the great publicplaces of Chicago – and thus the region itself – would not thrive.

For nearly 75 years, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has partnered with everyone fromblock club presidents to mayors to maintain and enhance the quality of life in the Chicagoregion. Through our work, we are continually impressed by how much Chicagoans love their city –and by the variety of projects, large and small, residents tackle in an effort to make their neigh-borhoods and region even better.

Why Chicagoland Needs GreatPlacesThe staff of Metropolitan Planning Council

WHY CHICAGO?46

MPC’s partnership with Project for Public Spaces represents an exciting opportunity and chal-lenge. For more than 30 years, PPS has been a recognized leader in community-based publicspace planning. Its expertise has been honed by projects in more than 2,000 communities in 26countries around the world. By partnering with MPC to create a Chicago-specific Placemakingpublication and host local trainings, PPS recognizes the tremendous vitality of the Chicagoregion – and encourages us to do more.

The goal of this guidebook is to do just that: help Chicagoans recognize the region’s amazingpublic places and inspire action to preserve, improve and create new public spaces. We haveidentified the necessary tools and resources, and told the stories of people in the region whohave brought positive change to their neighborhoods. Now, we ask you, the reader: What can youdo to contribute to Chicago’s bright future? What vision do you have for Chicago … your neigh-borhood … or even your own block?

A century ago, Chicago’s visionary planner Daniel Burnham encouraged people to, “Make no littleplans.” Let’s expand our imagination beyond Burnham’s call to action and instead make lots oflittle plans! Even the smallest improvement or change can foster community life and beautifyneighborhoods. Whether you are new to the area or have lived here your entire life, you can startmaking great places today!

Appendix

While meetings and discussions are important to a Placemaking process, mak-ing your case and implementing it often require data. The following techniqueshelp generate specific statistics that can be used to evaluate and improve acommunity space. This chapter includes sample forms you can use for yourprojects. They can be modified to fit the exact needs and goals of your project.To download these forms visit www.placemakingchicago.com.

Do-it-Yourself Checklist 48

Sample Plan of Stakeholders 50

Techniques 51

• Behavior Mapping 51

• Counting 52

• Tracking 53

• Interviews & Questions 54

• Trace Measures 56

Place Evaluation Workshop 57

• Sample Letter of Invitation 57

• Sample Invitation Flyer 58

• Workshop Checklist 59

• Sample Agenda 60

• Sample Agenda 60

• Place Evaluation Game 61

• Placemaking Evaluation On-Site Excersise 63

• Sample Base Map 65

• Sample Visual Concept Plan 66

Sample Summary Report 67

Sample Action Plan 69

RESOURCES 71

GROUPS

Archi-TreasuresArchi-treasures is an arts-based communitydevelopment organization offering services tocommunity partners who are committed to aparticipatory process of planning, designingand building public spaces for community use. www.architreasures.org T 773-772-4416

Chicago Public Arts Group (CPAG)Operating on the belief that community publicarts projects strengthen communities, CPAGengages residents in the design and implemen-tation of pieces of public art that reflect thesocial and cultural values of the community. www.cpag.net T 312-427-2724

LISC/ChicagoLISC/Chicago coordinates financial capital andresources to aid community projects. It alsoworks with community groups to build andmaintain relationships with city officials, andco-sponsors the New Communities Program – a five-year initiative in 16 Chicago neighbor-hoods to support comprehensive communitydevelopment. www.lisc-chicago.orgT 312-360-0183

NeighborSpaceNeighborSpace works with community groupsthat are interested in creating and maintainingopen space in their neighborhoods. It providesassistance with issues such as ownership,funding, materials, and technical assistance. www.neighbor-space.org T 312-431-9406

Neighbors ProjectNeighbors Project is a growing movement of ageneration of people living in cities who wantto connect with their diverse neighbors toimprove the neighborhood for everyone. www.neighborsproject.org

OpenlandsAn independent, nonprofit organization dedi-cated to preserving open space in northeasternIllinois, Openlands accomplishes its missionthrough three program branches: Greenways,Policy, and Urban Greening, as well as a spe-cial initiative program, Corporatelands.Openlands also works with CorLands, an affili-ate organization to help communities in north-eastern Illinois increase the quantity and quali-ty of open space for public enjoyment www.openlands.org www.corlands.org T 312-427-4256

Resources

RESOURCES72

The Trust for Public Land: Chicago OfficeFor the last 10 years, the Trust for PublicLand’s Chicago Office has worked diligentlywith public agencies and citizen organizationsto plan for future. The Trust for Public Land'sGreenprinting, Natural Areas, and Urban Parksprograms assist government partners and com-munities with prioritizing land for protection,finding funding sources, and acquiring land forparks and open space that are sorely needed inmany parts of the Chicago region. www.tpl.org/chicago T 312-408-1733

PROGRAMS

Chicago Transit Authority: Arts in TransitThis initiative pairs the Chicago TransitAuthority and Department of Cultural Affairs inproviding more artwork at CTA rail stations. Thetwo agencies successfully partnered to selectartists and artwork for eight renovated BlueLine CTA stations, and six renovated Red Linestations, and are currently completing 18 reno-vated Brown Line stations. http://ctabrownline.com/artstransit.htmlT 1-888-YOUR-CTA

Chicago Transit Authority: Adopt-a-StationThrough the Adopt-a-Station program, the CTApartners with communities to create distinctivestation designs and ensure ongoing communitymaintenance of the design. www.transitchicago.com/downloads/brochures/adopt.pdfT 1-888-YOUR-CTA

City of Chicago: Chicago Alternative PolicingStrategy (CAPS)CAPS brings the police, community, and othercity agencies together to identify and solveneighborhood crime problems, rather thanreact to their symptoms after the fact. Problemsolving at the neighborhood level is supportedby strategies, including neighborhood-basedbeat officers; regular Beat CommunityMeetings involving police and residents; train-ing for both police and community; efficientuse of city services that impact crime; and newtechnology to target crime hot spots.www.cityofchicago.org

City of Chicago: Department of Planning andDevelopment, Special Service Areas (SSAs) SSAs are special tax districts that are allowedto use tax dollars for the benefit of those beingtaxed. Much like an association fee, these dol-lars can be used to amplify services alreadyprovided to the city. Past projects include mar-keting campaigns for neighborhoods, paradeand festival funds, and small-scale capitalimprovements for local businesses. www.cityofchicago.orgT 312-744-8356

City of Chicago: Department ofTransportation, Chicago Streetscape ProgramWorking with community groups, CDOT initiat-ed the Chicago Streetscape Program to beauti-fy and enhance commercial districts.www.cityofchicago.org T 312-744-3600

City of Chicago: Department ofTransportation, Open Space Impact Fee When a new development takes place in thecity, there is a certain amount of land thedeveloper must leave as greenspace. If thedeveloper cannot provide for it, they must paywhat is called an ‘open space impact fee.’ Themoney from these fees are used by the city toincrease green space and recreational facilitiesfor the neighborhood residents.www.cityofchicago.org T 312-743-3600

City of Chicago: Mayor Daley's LandscapeAwardsEvery year, the city recognizes residents andbusinesses in Chicago that help to beautifytheir neighborhoods through landscaping. Theawards are open to all residents of Chicago,and nomination forms are available on the Web site. www.cityofchicago.org/city T 312-744-6066

Percent-for-Art Program Since 1978, Chicago's Percent-for-ArtProgram has funded the installation andmaintenance of the city's vast collection ofpublic art, such as the Picasso in DaleyPlaza, and "The Bean" in Millennium Park.www.cpag.net T 312-742-1164

RESOURCES 73

CONTRIBUTORS74

CONTRIBUTORS

MPC Placemaking CommitteeCheri Heramb, C H A I R

Samuel AssefaChicago, Dept. of Planning and DevelopmentJanet AttarianChicago Dept. of TransportationKathleen DickhutChicago Dept. of Planning and DevelopmentChris GentChicago Park DistrictLuann HamiltonChicago Dept. of TransportationJohn F. HartrayNagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects Ltd.Ben HelphandNeighborSpaceJoe IacobucciChicago Transit AuthorityJohn LaMotteThe Lakota GroupTrung LeOWP&P Architects, Inc.Paul O’ConnorKeith PrivettChicago Dept. of TransportationChristy UchidaThe Boeing CompanyMaria Choca UrbanCenter for Neighborhood Technology

Project for Public Spaces staffCarly ClarkEthan Kent Fred KentRobin Lester Kathy MaddenIsla Meynell Sandy Pan Craig Raphael

Metropolitan Planning Council staffKatherine BucarPeter SkoseyKarin Sommer

Special Thanks toHelen DoriaMaria GrayChicago Public Art GroupPia HermosoKit HodgeNeighbors ProjectMeg MacIverJohn SaidElmhurst Dept. of Planning, Zoning and EconomicDevelopmentPeggy StewartChicago Park DistrictPamela Van GiessenRogers Park Garden GroupAlison ZehrRogers Park Garden Group

PhotographyAnthony Bowman: page 24Katherine Bucar: cover illustration, page 5, 14, 32Ramzi Dreessen, flickr.com/photos/ramzidreessen: page 27Josh Hawkins: ii, 8, 9Ben Helphand: page 22David Jenkins: page 36, 36Ethan Kent: page i, 6, 10, 18, 19, 44, 45, 46The Lakota Group: page 25Michael McLaughlin: page 17Pat Mirj: page 45Erich Schrempp: page 5Senn Park Unity Garden: page i, 20, 34Paul Smith: page 20, 23, 37, 39, 40Karin Sommer: page ii, 6, 14, 15, 20, 29, 41, 43, 44, 46Mike Spadafore: page 43, 44Emily Tapia: page ii, 35, 38Ross Taylor: page 26Ryan Wilson: page 15

Project for Public Spaces

New York, New York

www.pps.org

T 212-620-5660

F 212-620-3821

Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit organi-

zation that has pioneered a “Placemaking”

approach to revitalizing public spaces.

Established in 1975, PPS has worked with over

2,000 communities, large and small, helping

residents transform grow their public spaces

into vital community places, utilizing programs,

uses and people-friendly settings that highlight

local assets, spur rejuvenation, and serve com-

mon needs. PPS has worked in settings as large

as New York City, the organization’s home base,

and in towns as small as Woodmere, Ohio (pop.

800), in the United States and around the world.

Metropolitan Planning Council

Chicago, Illinois

www.metroplanning.org

T 312-922-5616

F 312-922-5619

Founded in 1934, the Metropolitan Planning

Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of

business and civic leaders committed to serving

the public interest through development, promo-

tion and implementation of sound planning poli-

cies so all residents have access to opportunity

and a good quality of life, the building blocks of

a globally competitive greater Chicago region.

Copyright ©2008 by Project for Public Spaces,Inc., and Metropolitan Planning Council. All rights reserved.

www.placemakingchicago.com

Project for Public Spaces

New York, New York

www.pps.org

T 212-620-5660

F 212-620-3821

Metropolitan Planning Council

Chicago, Illinois

www.metroplanning.org

T 312-922-5616

F 312-922-5619

A Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicagois generously supported by

THE RICHARD H. DRIEHAUSFOUNDATION

placemaking guide

Documents

neighborhood placemaking

placemaking process

principles of placemaking

public spaces pps

citys public spaces

great spaces

project leader

place great