Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit organization based in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place (geography), place, Norm (social), norms, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Identity (social science), identity. Communiti ...

, in an effort often termed

placemaking Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that improve urban v ...

. Planning and design rooted in the community form the cornerstone of PPS's work. Building on the techniques of

William H. Whyte William Hollingsworth "Holly" Whyte Jr. (July 11, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American urbanist, sociologist, organizational analyst, journalist and people-watcher. He identified the elements that create vibrant public spaces within the city ...

's "Street Life Project", this approach involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people in a community to discover their needs and aspirations. It was founded in 1975 by

Fred Kent Fred Kent is the founder and president of the nonprofit organization Project for Public Spaces. The organization is dedicated to creating public places that foster communities. He studied with Margaret Mead and worked with William H. Whyte on the " ...

References

External links

Official Website
(includes extensive place database & articles) Urban planning organizations Community {{US-org-stub Non-profit organizations based in New York (state) 501(c)(3) organizations