How to Turn a Place Around: A Handbook for Creating Successful Public Spaces

Author(s):

Project for Public Spaces, Inc.

Organization:

Project for Public Spaces, Inc.

Publisher/Date:

Project for Public Spaces, Inc., 2000, 2005

Rating:

Very Useful

Abstract:

How to Turn a Place Around: A Handbook for Creating Successful Public Spaces was re-issued on the 30th anniversary of Project for Public Spaces, Inc, an organization which has offered technical assistance, research, education, planning and design to more than 1200 communities. The book represents the development of performance-evaluation methods for functioning public spaces, ideas and tools, and examples from communities. The evaluation methods are designed for all people (professionals and non-) to use. PPS identifies four qualities that are key to successful places: Accessibility, Activities, Comfort, and Sociability. Accessibility includes: Readability, Walkability, Reliability, Continuity, Proximity, Connectedness, Convenience, and Accessibility. For a place to be easy to get to – all of its elements must contribute to easy circulation.

Like Dan Burden, Project for Public Spaces asserts that the community is the expert. The community is defined as anyone who has a stake in a place. This includes anyone who uses it or potentially would as well as the professional stakeholders. PPS suggests a working group of people who represent entities larger than themselves who act as liaisons to their respective groups use the methods they advise. They suggest methods for identifying these. PPS provides a solid analysis of the obstacles to community process in general. They point out that the “safety and mobility” missions of transportation engineers can be at odds with that of the community and that they need to apply their skill sets to that of others’ missions. The primary goal of PPS is re-defining the mission for public space design while the longer goal is a new national training program for creating good public spaces.

Unlike Dan Burden and Walkable Communities, there is no discussion of accessible design as good design for everyone. While there are references to looking at all age groups usage and surveying perceptions and preferences, people with disabilities are addressed as a separate entity without attention to the value of the expertise of people with disabilities as ‘experts’ in good pedestrian design.

Number of Pages:

119

Table of Contents?

Yes

Index?

No

Illustrations?

Yes (Chart, Line Drawing, Photograph)

Material Type:

Book

Key Document?

Yes

Categories:

Guidelines, Educational, Advocacy, Planning, Conceptual Design

Keywords:

Pedestrian Planning, Pedestrian Design, Community Development

Strengths:

• Identifies the community as the most valuable source of information.
• Provides methods to enhance community involvement in a design process.

Weaknesses:

Separation between accessible design and optimal pedestrian design.

Record Last Updated:

July 2006