National Trust for Historic Preservation and Project for Public Spaces Partner to Create More Livable Communities
Posted June 22, 2010 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Washington, D.C., (June 22, 2010) – The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Project for Public Spaces (PPS) are partnering to enrich towns and cities across the country through the power of Placemaking. This collaboration unites two powerhouse community development strategies – the National Trust Main Street Four-Point Approach®, a proven tool and foundation for revitalizing commercial and neighborhood districts, and Project for Public Spaces' Placemaking, a process that fosters the creation of vital public destinations by promoting collaborative community involvement. Creating Main Streets that are pedestrian-friendly with balanced transportation options will be a particular focus.
"Our partnership with Project for Public Spaces will bring new tools and resources to Main Street and the preservation community, breathing new life into public spaces that are rich in cultural diversity," said David Brown, acting president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We are particularly eager to spread knowledge among communities on how to work hand in hand with departments of transportation."
The principles of Placemaking can be distilled into a concept called the Power of 10: any great destination needs to offer at least 10 things to do or 10 reasons to be there. These could include a place to sit, playgrounds to enjoy, art to touch, music to hear, food to eat, history to experience and people to meet. Ideally, some of these activities are unique to that particular spot and are interesting enough to keep people coming back. Communities play a critical role in this Placemaking process and the National Trust and PPS will be putting them back into the planning and development of their towns and cities.
After jointly developing Placemaking programming to empower and engage Main Street communities and preservationists, a pilot project will launch in a National Trust Main Street community. The town, which will be selected from a pool of applicants and named in July, will be aided in design and implementation of a transportation improvement plan that incorporates the principles of Placemaking.
"I believe that integrating the Placemaking process into the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street efforts is the next logical big step for an organization that has shifted its sights from individual buildings to whole communities," said Robert Bass, chairman emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Bass and his wife Anne provided the funding for this initiative.
The partnership launched in May with training of Main Street leaders at the 2010 National Main Streets Conference in Oklahoma City. Additional training for historic preservationists will be provided at the 2010 National Preservation Conference in Austin this October.
"Historic Main Streets and districts are some of the best places we have in this country today." said Fred Kent, president of Project for Public Spaces. "We need to help make these places even more successful, and apply that knowledge to creating new places that people will want to preserve in the future."
About Project for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs. PPS was founded in 1975 to expand on the work of William (Holly) Whyte, the author of The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Since then, we have completed projects in over 2500 communities in 40 countries and all 50 US states. Through research, conferences, and strategic partnerships, PPS promotes Placemaking as a transformative agenda to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. In its broadest application, Placemaking is a catalyst for building healthy, sustainable and economically viable cities of the future.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
