The Placemaking Round-Up
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
The Biweekly Bazaar
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
A biweekly newsletter with public space news, resources, and opportunities.
A curated dispatch on all things public markets plus the latest announcements from the Market Cities Program.
Yes, the space must be outdoors, free, and open to the public. Public spaces that qualify include public transit stations, parks, plazas, waterfronts, museum grounds, streets, empty lots, the outdoor areas around a library, farmers markets, and more. Not sure if your space qualifies? Contact us at grants@pps.org.
Three recipients will be selected for the Winter 2025 round of Community Placemaking Grants.
No. This grant includes technical assistance from Project for Public Spaces to facilitate a participatory community process to identify design and programming improvements for the space.
Yes, as long as the nonprofit provides us with an agreement from the public agency stating that they have permission to make changes to the space and that the public agency with collaborate with us.
Yes, as long as you are affiliated with a local nonprofit organization or public agency that can accept the grant on your behalf and assist with administration and implementation.
Yes! A recent Community Placemaking Grant grantee was Midtown Alliance in Atlanta, GA. TheirNorth Avenue MARTA Statin Plaza received a much-awaited public space transformation in an effort to address the area’s lack of public spaces. The station sees 15k transit riders every day, but the simple plaza was empty and unwelcoming. Through the grant, we brought color and a focal point to the plaza that can host performances and community gatherings, while improving rider and visitor experience and visibility. You can check out more of their story here.
Another great example comes from our work at Salisbury, MA’s Beach Center. The end of the commercial street leading to the beach had become more of a loop for cars than a destination highlighting the community’s charm. We created a "lighter, quicker, cheaper" design with a flexible lawn, seating, festive lighting, a mini parklet, and street paint to expand the pedestrian space. These activations changed this car drop-off into a human-scaled and oriented experience. You can learn more about these improvements and see photos here.
Not necessarily, however 65% of the grant must support physical improvements or amenities in the space, and any temporary improvements should have a lasting impact on the community.
For example, a seasonal activation could be used to build support or test ideas for a long-term improvement. We generally expect grantees to have the capacity to maintain (or update) the improvements for three years.
All pre-application questions or inquiries must be made in writing to grants@pps.org. The Community Placemaking Grant team will contact you promptly, so please do not contact otherProject for Public Spaces staff.
