Placemaking - Creating the City of the Future...Michigan Municipal League September 23, 2009 Placemaking - Creating the City of the Future Michigan Communities Detroit Flint Holland

Michigan Municipal League September 23, 2009

Placemaking - Creating the City of the Future

Michigan Communities

DetroitFlint Holland Grand Rapids Battle Creek MidlandAnn Arbor

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

CASE STUDY: Campus Martius Park Detroit, Michigan


Campus Martius – Introduction

Mayor’s vision: To develop “the best public space in the world”

PPS worked with the Campus Martius Mayor’s Task Force and Detroit 300 Conservancy

Designer: Rundell Ernstberger Associates, LLC

Campus Martius opened in November 2004

CASE STUDY: Campus Martius Park Detroit, Michigan


Campus Martius – Conclusions

“Campus Martius has become a very special place. It is the lynch pin connecting downtown.”Danny Sampson, Vice President of Brokerage, Sterling Group

2.24 million square feet of new or renovated space in

the lots fronting on Campus Martius, including new ground floor retail

$454 million spent on new buildings fronting Campus Martius, with multi-million dollar projects still underway

Approximately 300 new condos/apartments planned within a 2-block radius of Campus Martius

New ¾ acre park expands and extends Campus Martius

Huge variety of programming includes daily activities, large events and festivals, and both active and passive uses

Active management presence with Campus Martius as its sole focus


Current Economic Situation, is-

An opportunity to fix and redefine cities around Local Values and AssetsThe competition to build great cities aroundAuthentic Destinations is the “New” AgendaThe new/old Development Strategy is around “Public” DestinationsGreat Cities are more and more defined by their NeighborhoodsThere is a growing interest in connecting Green with Place…or Sustainability with Placemaking


Regions where Placemaking has RootsSingaporeSouth KoreaJapan Hong Kong

Czech RepublicMontenegroSerbiaKosovoCroatiaHungary PolandSlovakiaRomaniaBulgariaGeorgiaArmenia

AustraliaNew Zealand

NetherlandsNorwayUK/ Scotland

Canada

MexicoColombiaArgentinaChileBrazilSt Kitts/Nevis

South AfricaTanzaniaDubaiAbu Dhabi

Chicago



Metropolitan Planning Council

“Placemaking” is an overarching idea and a hands-on tool for improving a Neighborhood, City or Region. It has the potential to be one of the most transformative ideas of this century


SIX Big “low/no” Cost Ideas

• Comfort and Affection• Placemaking• Power of 10• Zealous Nuts – It has to be a Campaign• The Community is the Expert/Process• Convergence








PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACESCitisense June 23, 2009, Sandefjord, Norway


















48 U.S. States, 7 Canadian Provinces30 Countries2500 Communities2 Million visitors to our web sites (2008)35,000 people get our electronic newsletter

34 Years of Placemaking


William H. (Holly) WhyteThe Organization Man,1956The Exploding Metropolis, 1958The Last Landscape, 1968Plan for the City of New York, 1969The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, 1980City: Rediscovering the Center, 1988


One of the best things about water is the look and feel of it…It’s not right to put water before people and then keep them away from it.



Museum of Modern Art - NYC

Blank walls are an end in themselves. They declare the supremacy of architecture over humanity, of a building over a person.


Benches are artifacts, the purpose of which is to punctuate architectural photographs. They are not so good for sitting.


If you want to seed a place with activity, put out food.


If no one wants to go out to the Park, no one is going to stop them.

─ Yogi Berra


What Makes a Great Place?

sociability uses & activities

access & linkages comfort & image

Welcoming

evening usevolunteerism

street life

transit usage

parking usage patternspedestrian activity

Walkable ConvenientAccessible

Charm CleanAttractive

Historic

Safe

building conditionsenvironmental data

sanitation ratingcrime stats

CooperativeNeighborly

property valuesland-use patterns

retail sales

business ownership

Special Real

FunActive Vital

Connected

Key AttributesIntangiblesMeasurements

PLACE


What is Placemaking?

Placemaking is a dynamic human function: it is an act of liberation, of staking claim, and of beautification; it is true human empowerment.Placemaking is turning a neighborhood, town or city from a place you can’t wait to get through to one you never want to leave.

Citisense June 23, 2009, Sandefjord, Norway


When you focus on a place, you do everything differently.


When you focus on a place, you do everything differently.



Why don’t we have better Centers, Streets or Public Spaces today?

• Fear• Narrow Development Goals• Project-driven vs. Place-

driven Planning• Discipline-Based

Planning/Design vs. Community-Based Placemaking

• Governmental Structure


The best way to handle the problem of undesirables is to make a place attractive to everyone else. –William H. Whyte



Old Way

New Way


Crisis driven, Politically initiated Relies on

professionals and “experts”

Expensive

Community is resistant

Static designs

Results in limited experience of place

Narrow Goals

Proj

ect /

Dis

cipl

ine

Driv

en A

ppro

ach


Each profession has become its own audience. ─

Pope Coleman

Project/DisciplineDriven Approach

• Empowers Communities• Attracts partners, money

& creative solutions• Professionals become

resources• Design supports uses• Solutions are flexible• Engagement and

commitment grow

Plac

e / C

omm

unity

Driv

en A

ppro

ach

1. The community is the expert2. You are creating a place not just a design3. You can’t do it alone4. They always say it can’t be done5. You can see a lot just by observing6. Develop a vision/power of 107. Form supports function8. Triangulate9. Start with the petunias10. Money is not the issue11. You are never finished

Principles of CreatingGreat Public Spaces

Translating IdeasInto Action

Implementation

Underlying Ideas

Planning & OutreachTechniques


1. The community is the expert2. You are creating a place not just a

design3. You can’t do it alone4. They always say it can’t be done

11 Principles of Placemaking

Underlying Ideas


The Power of Ten

Layering of uses to create synergy (Triangulation) =

District

Region/City/Town/Neighborhood

Destinations

Place

10+ destinations

10+ places

10+ things to do


Singapore - 10 Sites


NYC Destinations 1980


Power of 10 Destinations Today


New York City Transformed:Rockefeller Center Times Square

Bryant Park Union Square


Rockefeller Center











Bryant Park




Union Square




Placemaking in Times Square


Festival with 46th Street CrossoverTimes Square


Building Community through TransportationCommunity Anchors Public Markets & Local Economies Great Places, Great Cities

Transformative Agendas


Streets as PlacesThinking Beyond the Station

PPS Initiative: Building Community Through Transportation

The street is the river of life,the place where we come to together,

the pathway to the center.– William H. Whyte

What if We Built Streets as Public Spaces?


The erosion of cities by automobiles proceeds as a kind of nibbling. Small nibbles at first but eventually hefty bites. A street is widened here, another is straightened there, a wide avenue is converted to one way flow and more land goes into parking. No one step in this process is in itself crucial but cumulatively the effect is enormous.

Jane Jacobs, 1954



When you design your community around cars…you get more cars.


When you design your community around people …you get more people.

From Adequate to Extraordinary

Main Street

Littleton, NH

Cottage Street


“The only way to make a busy road intersection safe is to make it feel dangerous.”

Shared Streets

STREETS AS PLACES

Drachten, Holland


Shared StreetsDrachten, Holland

STREETS AS PLACES

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACESSTREETS AS PLACES





ActualCrashes

STREETS AS PLACES

Before

AfterAfter


Quality of Traffic Flow

Before

AfterA after After


Quality of Public Space


“If you want vehicles to behave like they are in a village, build a village.”

"Essentially, what it means is a transfer of power and responsibility from the state to the individual and the community.

-Hans Monderman

STREETS AS PLACES





PPS Initiative:

Public Markets & Local Communities






Barcelona

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACESGraham Street Market – Hong Kong


Types of Markets

1. Open AirParking lots/Vacant sitesParks and other public spacesStreet markets (with/without adjacent retail)

2. Covered Markets3. Market Halls

Structures Built for MarketsRe-use/building conversions

4. Market Districts


Benefit of market to community(customer’s view)

5.1% 5.9%

12.2% 12.6%13.7% 15.0%

17.7%

28.2%

11.1%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Business

opport

unities

Entertai

nment

Freshness

Conven

ience

Help Economy

Price

Products

Brings p

eople togeth

erOther


Public markets and community:A new paradigm

Public market goals

• Effective location

• Functional design

• Critical mass of customers

• Sustainable operations / economic viability

• Successful local businesses

• Community gathering place

Community development goals

• Jobs/entrepreneurship

• Neighborhood revitalization

• Health / nutrition

• Urban/rural connection

• Active public space

• Community service delivery


10%

28%

16%

22%

13%11%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

$0-100 $101-500 $501-1,000

$1001-5,000

$5,001-10,000

>$10,000

Start up cost for market vendors


Case Study: Granville Island













Key Opportunities

Entrance to Granville Island

Basford Park Railspur Alley & ParkWaterfront Park & Triangle Square

Keg Square & Anderson StMarket Square


PPS Initiative Community Anchors

An Architecture of Place



The Return of the Civic Square


Managing a Civic Square:Pioneer Courthouse Square






Pioneer Courthouse Square -- Events

Events Schedule289 Programmed Events 2002333 Programmed Events 2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

Jul-02 Aug-02 Sep-02 Oct-02 Nov-02 Dec-02 Jan-03 Feb-03 Mar-03 Apr-03 May-03 Jun-03


Pioneer Courthouse Square -- Events

Types of Events

Charity Fundraisers

3%

Community Gatherings

24%

Concerts5%

Festivals17%

Private Events2%

Product Promotions

11%

Public Info/Education

10%

Video Shot3%

Unprogrammed Days22%

Political Events1%

Event Promotions

2%


Security -- City Funding

23%

Facility - Parks

Department6%

Event Rentals18%

Tenant Leases

24%

In Kind Donations

17%

Event Sponsorships

12%

Pioneer Courthouse Square -- Revenue




Guggenheim Museum – Bilbao, Spain


“I don’t do context” --Frank Gehry









Urban Age Conference with London School of Economics – Feb. 2005

“It is a shame that Jane Jacob’s work has disconnected the study of cities from cities…she has created an era of hyper-nostalgia which gets in the way of progress”

Rem Koolhaas

“Jane Jacobs was the first real brave attempt to understand how cities work”

Michael Sorkin


Seattle Public Library

A Tale of Two Libraries

Theatres/Museums

Transit

HospitalCoffeeShop

Library

Schools

Parks

Civic Institutions Today

CommunityCenter

City Hall

Parks

City Hall CommunityCenter

Theatres/MuseumsTransitHospital

CoffeeShop

Library

Schools

Civic Spaces, Community Gathering

Spaces/Markets

Civic Institutions of the Future


“The blunt calculation by public officials that if they can’t make their downtowns and neighborhoods appealing, they can’t compete… all of these hinge on the deceptively simple challenge of creating places… that people intuitively like.”-- Governing Magazine

“Converging Ideas around Place”



Environmental Sustainability

Civil Society/Democracy Building

Public Health and Community Livability

Community Development &Smart Growth

Energy & Consumption

Convergence of Movements

PLACES

Local Food Systems

Transportation & Land Use

Local Economies

Historic Preservation



• Good places breed healthy activity.

• People attract people attract people.

• When you focus on place, you do everything differently.

• It takes many disciplines and skills to create a place.

• It takes a community to create a place.

• Amenities that make a place comfortable are critical.

• You can’t know what you are going to end up with.

• Each place has its own identity.

• You can’t have anything less than excellence.

• You have to have zealous nuts.

• It has to be a…

Characteristics of Great Public Spaces


It has to be a Campaign

Developa vision

Become greatcommunicators

Search forimpediments

Organize astrong team

AttackComplacency

Produce short term

wins

Take on bigger

challenges

Connect changeto the culture

of the community

People Who Make Dramatic Change By John Kotter


Free Making Places

Newsletter

Training & Conferences

Publications & Resources

www.pps.org [email protected]

Documents

Placemaking - Creating the City of the Future...Michigan Municipal League September 23, 2009 Placemaking - Creating the City of the Future Michigan Communities Detroit Flint Holland