'Placemaking,' the process by which cities and developers supposedly create appealing public spaces, is in a crisis, writes critic James Russell. Too many "made" places are generic and lack true relevance to the cities that build them.

The nonprofit Project for Public Spaces has, for years, championed the creation of plazas, parks, public markets, and other outdoor spaces that invite activity and make cities more appealing. They have been involved with as many as 3,000 projects to date. While "placemaking" may pursue lauadable goals, archtiecture critic James Russell cautions that some placemaking efforts are as generic as the dead cityscapes that they aim to improve.
Russell is particularly concerned about sense of place—the unique attributes of a city—rather than formulaic notions about amenties. He writes on his blog, "After you hack through thickets of slogans and vagaries, Placemaking seems to comprise a community-driven process for designing public spaces (streets, sidewalks, plazas, squares, campuses, parks, and so on) that are mixed use, host a variety of activities for diverse audiences, and are well-connected to the larger city or town."
Russell blames PPS—but not entirely:
"Placemaking could only gain currency because our building and development processes create so little that is inviting and memorable. America’s default is to assemble standardized real-estate products along roads engineered for auto throughput, and call it a day. Placelessness is so ubiquitous and such second nature that it is actually hard to think about what it takes to make a building or streetscape that’s appealing, that feels as if it belongs."
Russell offers a few examples of what he considers successful, unique places—including Seattle's Glassworks, La Jolla's Salk Center, and New York's Broadway Apple Store—and a few that represent what he considers tired New Urbanist retreads.
FULL STORY: Enough of Bogus “Placemaking”

Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023
The world is changing, and planning with it.

Chicago Red Line Extension Could Transform the South Side
The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.

More Affordable Housing for People, Less for Cars
Most jurisdictions have off-street parking requirements that increase motorists’ convenience but reduce housing affordability. It’s time to reform these policies for the sake of efficiency and fairness.

A ‘Black Market’ for Short-Term Rentals Grows in NYC
While many owners are listing their rentals on other websites, others are moving them back to the long-term rental market.

Vision Zero at Work: Hoboken Celebrates Seven Years of Zero Traffic Deaths
The New Jersey city implemented simple yet impactful changes to eliminate traffic fatalities.

Seattle Council Rejects Transportation Impact Fee
Councilmembers who opposed the proposal say the fee would have slowed housing development and raised housing costs.
San Joaquin County
University of New Mexico - School of Architecture & Planning
Placer County
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Arizona State University, Ten Across
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.