Placemaking process

How to turn a place around? We need to turn everything upside down to get it right-side up!

The placemaking process (Madden, 2018) is a Place-Led, Community- Based Process. It is a practical process for transforming public spaces. It is centered on observing, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space in order to understand their needs and aspirations for that space.

Step 1: Define place and identify stakeholders. Selecting the right site and stakeholders is a crucial first step to turning a place around.

Step 2: Evaluate space and identify issues. In this step participants take stock of how a space is used and how it can be improved.

Step 3: Place vision. In this step key stakeholders develop a place vision, based on insights from former steps and ideas from organized sessions.

Step 4: Short-term experiments. A very important step within the placemaking process is implementation: putting the vision into action.

Step 5: Ongoing re-evaluation & long-term improvements. A public space project will never be finished!

Read more about the five steps in the Placemaking Process.

The Placemaking Process - Madden (2018)

The placemaking process is helpful in transforming public spaces into great places. There are some key indicators of a great place. Learn more: What makes a place great?