Some thoughts on the term placemaking

My relationship to the term placemaking is constantly evolving. I’m using it here for the sake of a (relatively) common understanding of the term in reference to the creation and management of public space. I believe that placemaking goes beyond beautification and includes all types of place-based work from mutual aid ​and restorative justice​ to trauma-informed planning​ and community development.

To some, placemaking connotes gentrification (displacement), white washing and the privatization of public space. I acknowledge the disconnect between that and the stated values of this newsletter. If the collective of people working in and around this industry agree on a more inclusive term, I’m happy to evolve with the field.

For now, Project for Public Spaces’ definition of placemaking as a participatory process for shaping public space that harnesses the ideas and assets of the people who use it, is a good starting point. Roberto Bedoya coined the terms place-keeping and place-knowing, both of which deepened my understanding of place-based community work.