Placemaking and the Future of Cities
Project for Public Spaces (2012)
This report is a collaborative effort by the Project for Placemaking and UN-HABITAT to tackle the issues facing public space in the Global South and promote placemaking strategies as a possible solution. From urbicide and sprawl, due to private development, to segregation and top-down planning, the issue of public space is inherently political. However, it is often a low priority on government agendas in the Global South. To highlight the potential of investing in public space, the report proposes placemaking, a bottom-up, community-oriented approach to urban planning that promotes public space design, encouraging ownership, diversity, and inclusion. The report proposes ten possible interventions, including multi-use parks, place-enhancing design, and an integrated public health agenda, as well as providing case studies of successful placemaking projects. Not only does functioning public space promote peaceful societies, but the placemaking process itself can be harnessed as a peacebuilding strategy.
Link: https://www.pps.org/product/placemaking-and-the-future-of-cities