Introduction to the American experience of Placemaking” by Angelica Fortuzzi, PhD

S S h l 2013 A t 21/28 J l 2013Summer School 2013 Artena, 21/28 July 2013
introduction to
placemaking
Angelica Fortuzzi, PhD / Summer School 2013
placemaking
by Angelica Fortuzzi

What is placemaking?
is an approach
• multi-faceted
• community driven• community-driven
• bottom-up
to the planning, design
and management
f bliof public spaces.

What is placemaking?
liti hi h d fi th hqualities which defines the approach
what it is:
ll b ti it d i i blcollaborative, community-driven, sociable
culturally aware
context-sensitive
multi disciplinary
YES!!! :-)
multi-disciplinary
visionary, inspiring
function before form, focused on creating destinations
adaptable inclusive ever changing transformativeadaptable, inclusive, ever changing, transformative,
flexible
what it is not:what it is not:
imposed from above
reactive, exclusionary, static, privatized, a quick fix
project-focused, design-driven, discipline-driven, one-
(
p j , g , p ,
size-fits-all, one-dimensional
monolithic development, dependent on regulatory
controls, overly accommodating of the car
NOT!!! :-(
y g
A blanket solution
benefit analysis, a cost

3 different steps3 different steps
discover
create a common vision
implementation

3 steps: discover
a) the people/community
b) the place
c) the life and the living way
a) people and the community:
> looking at> looking at
> listening to
> asking questions
to the people who work and play
Questions:
so what’s special in this community?
Placemaking takes root when a
community expresses needs and
desires about places in their lives,
even if there is not yet a clearly
defined plan of action.

3 steps: discover
b) discover the place:
view a place in its entirety,
pay attention to issues on the small
scales.
Tuning with place with a fresh eye
Framing with questions:
How many quality places are located
nearby?
and how are they connected?
Are there places that should be more
meaningful but aren’t?
- look at connection with surroundings /
and the community;
- look at the degree of public/private
spaces, at their boundaries, if any;
- look at the dimension of the space
and how it affects the relations
between people
between people.

3 t3 steps:
create a common visioncreate a common vision
the information gathered is then used
to create a common vision for that
place.
implementation
the vision can evolve quickly into an
implementation strategy

Create a network:
the power of 10
One great place is not enough, needg p g
a number of them to create a truly lively
city
Power of 10 is a framework forPower of 10 is a framework for
communities and stakeholders
principle is: starts from smallest scale to
accomplish big things
The need of a network of good places at
different scale:different scale:
Place > neighbourhood > city > region
is a collection of interesting communities
on a regional scale by linking towns and
cities, with major public spaces and mixed-
use neighborhoods serving as the
connections
connections.

The power of 10!p
The core idea is that
any great place itself needs to offer at
least
10 things to do
or 10 reasons to be there…
a place to sit, playgrounds to enjoy, art to
touch, music to hear,
food to eat, history to experience, and, y p ,
people to meet.
A park is good. A park with a fountain,
playground and popcorn vendor isplayground, and popcorn vendor is
better. A library across the street is even
better, more so if they feature storytelling
hours for kids and exhibits on local
history. If there’s a sidewalk café nearby,
a bus stop, a bike trail, and an ice
cream parlor, then you have what most
people would consider a great place
people would consider a great place.

The power of 10p
Aid the community to unfold their
potential
let everyone to think about what’slet everyone to think about what s
special in their communities
questions:
• How many quality places are located
nearby?
• and how are they connected?
• Are there places that should be more• Are there places that should be more
meaningful but aren’t?
This helps to focus the community
energies.

11 Principles
1. The Community Is the Expert
The important starting point in developing a concept for any public space isp g p p g p y p p
to identify the talents and assets within the community – inviting
people into the process - who have an interest or stake in a particular
place, such as those who live or work there - is crucial in deciding how to
develop or improve a placedevelop or improve a place.
In any community there is
- historical perspective,p p
- valuable insights
- how the area functions,
- understanding of the critical
issuesissues
- what is meaningful to people.

11 Principles11 Principles
2. You Are Creating a Place, Not Just a
DesignDesign
Creating a place entails a broader view
that goes beyond design; a successful
public space possesses four key
attributes:
accessibilityaccessibility,
activities,
comfort by physical changes
and sociability
Goal: create a place with a strong sense of
community and a comfortable image,
ith tti d ti iti dwith setting and activities and uses

11 Principles11 Principles
3. You Can’t Do It Alone
A good public space requires moreA good public space requires more
resources and expertise than any one
individual or organization can offer.
4. They Always Say “It Can’t Be
Done”
When an idea stretches beyond the
reach of an organization and andreach of an organization and and
someone says, “It can’t be done,” what
that usually means is, “We’ve never
done things that way before.”
5. You Can See A Lot Just by
Observing
When people observe a space theyWhen people observe a space, they
learn about how it is actually used,
rather than how they think it is used.

11 Principles
6. Develop A Vision
A vision for a public space should be
defined primarily by people who will live,
work around, and use the space.
7. Forms Support Function
The most successful places grow out ofThe most successful places grow out of
understanding what a space needs to
offer so that people will use it. By
following and incorporating the uses
articulated by the community, a designer
can not only make the space interesting to
look at and be in, but also very functional.
8. Triangulate
The concept of triangulation relates to
locating elements in such a way that the
h f i i i d hchances of activity occurring around them
is greatly increased. For example, if a children’s
reading room in a new library were located next to a
playground in a park with a food kiosk, more activity
ld th if th f iliti it d t l
would occur than if these facilities were sited separately.

11 Principles
9. Lighter. Quicker. Cheaper.
Many great plans become bogged down
because they are too big, cost too much,
and take too long to happenand take too long to happen.
Short-term actions, like planting flowers, can
be a way of not only testing ideas, but also
giving people the confidence that change isg g p p g
occurring and that their ideas matter.
10. Money is Not the Issue
All too often the lack of money is used asAll too often, the lack of money is used as
an excuse for doing nothing. In fact, too
much money often discourages the
inventiveness, creativity, and persistencey p
required to create a great place.
11. You are never finished
About 80% of the success of any public spaceAbout 80% of the success of any public space
can be attributed to its management. No
matter how good the design of a space is, it
will never become a true place unless it is
cared for well.

place
diagram

Examples of good space according to placemaking approach: Paris
(Hazel Borys, www.pps.org)

Examples of good space according to placemaking approach: Paris

Examples of good space according to placemaking approach: Berlin

what’s the purpose ofwhat s the purpose of
placemaking in Artena?
create spaces with small
actions,
gradually developedgradually developed,
with fractal structure
putting the body at the
centre
goal: healing spaces in
healing citieshealing cities
Unfold life of the space
p

REFERENCES
• Project for Public Spaces, Placemaking for Communities,
www.pps.org
• Hazel Borys “Paris: What People Want”• Hazel Borys, Paris: What People Want
www.placemakers.com/2013/07/01/paris-what-people-want/
• Hazel Borys, “Berlin’s Cultural Clusters”
www.placemakers.com/2013/06/24/berlins-cultural-clusters/
• Jan Gehl, www.gehlarchitects.com
• Jane Jacobs, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”,
Vintage, 1992.
• William H. Whyte, www.pps.org/reference/wwhyte

Introduction to the American experience of Placemaking” by Angelica Fortuzzi, PhD

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