10 Ways You Can Become a Placemaker

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2006 will be remembered as the year Placemaking began to take root in many people's imaginations. Here at PPS, we have found that it holds a profound, emotional meaning for many people.

When we asked visitors to our website "What is Placemaking?" earlier this year, we received more than 750 definitions (some of which appear in the graphic above). This enthusiastic response brought home the fact that growing numbers of citizens share our passion for creating great places, and that Placemaking is taking on a life of its own, far beyond the many communities where we are working.

This year we boosted Placemaking initiatives in over 100 communities in 13 countries. And we're taking on broader challenges than ever before. Major new projects involve planning a Placemaking Institute to do a higher level of research and public education; training entire departments of city governments; writing a book on how citizens can improve their neighborhoods (out next Spring); stepping up our training programs and certifying Placemaking trainers across the globe (we now have accredited trainers in Scotland and Serbia).

For 2007, we are planning to strengthen our connections with grassroots Placemakers in order to make a difference around the world. And we need your help, in terms of money, expertise, and ingenuity. Here are ten ways you can make a much-needed contribution to the new and growing Placemaking movement:

Donate to PPS.

As a non-profit, PPS relies on contributions from people like you to make our advocacy, communications, and partnerships more effective.
Become a PPS member.

If you give $50 or more, you can become a member of PPS. As our thanks, you'll receive discounts on PPS books, videos, and images, as well as priority registration and special rates at PPS training courses and conferences -- not to mention a free PPS totebag!
Start a conversation about Placemaking!

Whether in your neighborhood, with friends, at work, or as part of the discussion forums on our website, there's nothing like word of mouth to excite people about the promise of these new ideas to improve their lives.
Discover handy and inspiring Placemaking tools.

The PPS website is a great place to start. It's chock full of information on practical steps you can take to make a difference in your hometown. Catch up with our info-packed newsletter Making Places (it's free). Browse through our wide-ranging collection of over 10,000 images. Explore Placemaker Profiles, exhilarating stories of heroes like Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte who pioneered the Placemaking movement. You'll also find PPS books and videos for sale, which can you further fuel your efforts to change the world.
Nominate your favorite places.

The places you hold dear in your community and the wonderful spots you've enjoyed on your travels deserve recognition on our Great Public Spaces website. It's a Hall of Fame for the best parks, streets, neighborhoods, streets, markets and buildings. And if you know some place that is a particularly bad and wrongheaded example, submit it to our Hall of Shame. Please note, you will be asked to log in or register at the PPS site before the nomination form appears.
Tell us how you think PPS can expand its impact.

Over the years, we've been blessed by people like you who have come to us with innovative ideas for new programs and pointed us in exciting directions we would not otherwise have explored.
Conduct a Placemaking inventory of the places around you.

Gather a group of citizens to evaluate how well public places in your community work or don't work. Submit your results to local government, civic organizations and the media, along with suggestions on how to improve things. Talk to your elected officials and local institutions about bringing in PPS to help make the change. We have programs dedicated to transportation, parks, squares, civic buildings, markets, and campuses, and our Great Cities Initiative can yield enormous improvements for your entire city.
Invite PPS into your community.

If you are connected to a professional association, civic group, government, business, foundation or other organization whose members have an interest in our message, invite PPS to speak or lead a workshop at your annual conference, gathering, or retreat.
Sign up for our "How to Turn a Place Around" training course.

Or tell a friend or local leader about it. It's an inspiring and fun introduction to Placemaking techniques, which usually ignites action when people return home. Citizens, public officials and professionals often come in groups so they can work as a team to make changes.
Help us find more funders.

If you know of foundations or individual donors who would be willing to help us make Placemaking a household word, please contact us and we will put together a detailed proposal. We welcome any ideas you have on raising more money to support this important work.