Report: The State of Public Spaces

Public space advocacy organization Project for Public Spaces has released a landmark report on the challenges and opportunities facing public space today. The report, which is based off of a survey of over 700 public space practitioners from around the world, marks the organization’s 50th anniversary.

The report shows that only 5 percent of practitioners believe that public spaces are meeting the needs of their communities. Instead, 63 percent said that they need improvement, and 32 percent reported that spaces are outright failing.

The report breaks down seven key takeaways from the survey:

1. The funding systems for public space are broken 
2. Bureaucratic hurdles are blocking public space gains
3. Public spaces are bearing the weight of the housing and homelessness crisis
4. Physical, financial, and cultural barriers are blocking the public’s access to public spaces
5. Public spaces are the antidote to the loneliness epidemic 
6. Public spaces are threatened by, but also critical for the adaptation to climate change
7. Equitable development without displacement is key to placemaking as a force for good

“Much like parenting, successful placemaking requires an approach that puts the holistic care of a public space at the center, and wraps around resources and services that allow the caretakers to do their work well. Until we do this, our cities and towns will fail to unlock the full potential of our parks, streets, markets, public buildings, and other civic infrastructure,” the report states.