"The social life of small urban spaces is not found by the planners, it is found by the people who use them."

Squares can be small, and still include many layers of purpose and meaning. Piazzetta Capri, Italy @placemakingx.bsky.social @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

Articles to help us learn how to make great squares from @sociallifeproject.bsky.social: www.sociallifeproject.org/tag/squares/

This is awesome! Whyte’s work on plazas is eternally relevant

Wish I could be in NY for this event. The film makes Whyte's work so clear and accessible. It would be super fun to see it with a crowd!

Block parties always bring out the best in Brooklyn. @sociallifeproject.bsky.social @stoopstories.bsky.social

If the federal show of force in Washington has had a deterrent effect on crime, it appears to have deterred entirely normal aspects of city life, too. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...

Social life is down on DC streets. "The best way to handle the problem of ‘undesirables’ is to make a place attractive to everyone else" #WilliamHWhyte

Global Ideas for Local #Placemaking by @spacingradio.bsky.social's @glynbowerman.bsky.social: soundcloud.com/spacingradio... @spacing.bsky.social @placemaking-canada.bsky.social @tjhfx.bsky.social @andrew-pask.bsky.social @ethankent.bsky.social @evergreencanada.bsky.social #GlobalPlacemakingSummit

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Revisiting the newly restored classic film by William H. Whyte www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l... @anthologyfilm.bsky.social @placemakingx.bsky.social @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social #Placemaking #PublicSpace #Urbanism #WilliamHWhyte

Rhinebeck, New York was looking charming, drawing many to stroll and socialize. @sociallifeproject.bsky.social #StreetsAsPlaces

Join us in New Zealand this November! With @tjhfx.bsky.social @placemaking-canada.bsky.social @guillbernal.bsky.social @cityshaper.bsky.social @ethankent.bsky.social #PlacemakingAotearoa #PlacemakingNZ #Placemaking #UrbanHealth #HealthyPlaces

#ICUH25 presents its third plenary on "Place Matters"! We're lucky to welcome @ethankent.bsky.social ED @placemakingx.bsky.social — whose decades of #placemaking work continue to shape #communities around the world Eager to learn from Ethan? Join us in Wellington this fall! Tickets: icuh2025.org

📣 Announcing: the 5th Int'l #PlacemakingWeek is heading to #Detroit, Michigan, USA, June 24–26, 2026! 🎉Co-hosted by Downtown Detroit Partnership, this global gathering celebrates #publicspaces, creativity, & community. 🔗 Learn more: placemakingweek.org #Placemaking #DowntownDet #DowntownDetroit

🎞️ "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces"—William H. "Holly" Whyte’s iconic 1980 doc—has been digitally restored! Premieres Fri, 9/26 at 7pm at @anthologyfilm.bsky.social in partnership w/ MAS NYC, followed by a panel. 🎟️ www.pps.org/events/the-s... #PPSTurns50 @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

Let’s Build Place-Led Power for Civil Society Place leadership — networked locally and globally — has a vital role in building resilience & resistance amid the unprecedented attacks on NGOs & civil society. Reflections on "The End of the Age of NGOs": www.linkedin.com/posts/ethanb...

When there's not enough seating in #publicspace, people look for other places. Preferably somewhere with a backrest (and thus protection from behind), with a view and in the shade (on sunny days). 🧵 (1/3) #streetphotography #urbanphotography #humansofbluesky #urbanism @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

In celebration of Project for Public Spaces' 50th anniversary, our friends at Fundación Placemaking México have translated our Eleven Principles of Placemaking into Spanish! 🔗 www.pps.org/article/11-p... #PPSTurns50 @placemakingx.bsky.social @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

Sidewalks should support social life! The point of #cities is more than to be able to move about efficiently, but to be able to connect & exchange. Let's turn upside down the shaping of cities to start with the social life of #sidewalks! #Streets #Placemaking #PublicSpace @placemakingx.bsky.social

"Cars get you from pt A to pt B, sealed up in a metal box and disconnected from the city" "..riding a bike, you can interact w/ the world, stop ... if smthg / s/o catches your eye, chat ..., and go off route" "𝗕𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁."

Bikes give their riders freedom and social opportunities in a way that cars simply can't. #MobilityIsEquity www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l...

Bikes Can Propel Human Connection. Biking isn't just a mobility method, it's a culture – a culture that values freedom and connection, being active, and engaging with one's environment. AAA cycling: All Ages & Abilities SAFE CONNECTIVITY! By Fred Kent, Kathy Madden, Tayana Panova bit.ly/40DYWHf

The Social Life of Cycling: How Bikes Can Propel Human Connection Bike culture enriches social life and creates a bridge between sidewalk activity and the street www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l... by @sociallifeproject.bsky.social @drtpanova.bsky.social

The global #placemaking movement is defined, debated, & developed by people grounded in #publicspace work from diverse destinations, disciplines & demographics around the world. Help us shape, connect & grow the collective learning, advocacy, & impact #Placemakers everywhere!

"If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places." [Fred Kent]

Paris, July 10th 8:50am CET.🚴🏽‍♂️🚴🏼🚴🏼‍♀️🫶🏻 If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places. Fred Kent Kudos @annehidalgo.bsky.social 💫

double loaded sidewalks with single stair buildings 💪💪💪

Let's take streets and sidewalks to the next level of safety, economic activity, and social life! #DoubleLoadedSidewalks are essential to making great #sidewalks: www.sociallifeproject.org/double-loade... By Fred Kent and @drtpanova.bsky.social #urbanplanning #urbanism #placemaking

Thanks for sharing this @sociallifeproject.bsky.social article, and thanks for being part of the @placemakingx.bsky.social and @placemaking-canada.bsky.social #GlobalPlacemakingSummit!

Join the global launch of #DistrictsInPlacemaking! @placemakingx.bsky.social w/ #PlacemakingEurope, The Place Institute & Global Cultural Districts Network will support & connect districts working to apply #Placemaking, #PlaceGovernance & #PlaceLedDevelopment: www.linkedin.com/events/distr...

🕰️ From the Archives: The 1st Museum Mile Festival in NYC, summer 1978. 5th Ave was closed to traffic & museums were open for free w/music entertainment. 📖 See more on our blog, “Reflections from Our Founders” by PPS co-founders @sociallifeproject.bsky.social: 🔗 bit.ly/PPSReflectio... #PPSTurns50

Street Vendors and Public Markets Can Drive the Future of Thriving and Inclusive Cities - @ethankent.bsky.social www.sociallifeproject.org/street_vendo...

A pioneering document for #placemaking - the master plan that our Fred Kent led for #BryantPark in 1980 after founding @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social in 1975 to put William H Whyte’s work into practice: uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5810e16fbe87... @bryantpark.bsky.social #UrbanParks

On the final day of the summit: Our ED Giselle Sebag shared the closing plenary's stage with @ethankent.bsky.social & other longtime partners & friends leading the #placemaking movement globally A heartfelt thanks to @placemakingx.bsky.social & @placemaking-canada.bsky.social for having us!

The closing picture of our 4-day #GlobalPlacemakingSummit! Convened with 300+ participants, from 20+ countries, at 6 amazing venues across Toronto. @placemaking-canada.bsky.social @evergreencanada.bsky.social @jasonthorne.bsky.social @tjhfx.bsky.social #PlacemakingCanada #Placemaking

What a week in Toronto! @placemakingx.bsky.social #GlobalPlacemakingSummit brought together a dynamic global #community working toward healthier & more joyful #cities Honored to be part of this important gathering and already looking forward to the next summit! #UrbanHealth

A few powerful moments from @placemakingx.bsky.social #GlobalPlacemakingSummit: Fred Kent @sociallifeproject.bsky.social on the importance of accessibility in public spaces Amanda O'Rourke @880cities.bsky.social on placemaking for the underhoused Clara Bitter from Gehl on data-driven design

Welcome to Toronto to all the placemakers that are here from around the world for the Global Placemaking Summit! @placemakingx.bsky.social @placemaking-canada.bsky.social

Our Fred Kent, a founding board member of @transalt.org, meeting the Executive Director, @bfurnas.bsky.social, at the #StreetsForPeople party, thanks to Alison Sant. #NYCStreets @jonorcutt.bsky.social @streetfilms.bsky.social @ethankent.bsky.social

For #WorldBicycleDay we share our latest on how embracing bike culture can humanize cities: www.sociallifeproject.org/how-embracin... by Fred Kent, @drtpanova.bsky.social, and Kathy Madden @placemakingx.bsky.social @transalt.org @bfurnas.bsky.social #biking #bikes #Bicycles

🕰️ In the '80s, as a favor to photographer Scott McKiernan, our Co-Founders, Kathy Madden, Steve Davies, & Fred Kent (L-R) "posed" as architects. See many more treasures from over the years in our latest article by our founders! @sociallifeproject.bsky.social 🔗 bit.ly/ppsturns50re...

A well-designed #park offers something for everyone: to read, play, draw, work, eat, sports, exercises, and meet. The movable chairs facilitate all of this. It's #publicspace at its best. 📸 Gardin du Luxembourg, #Paris @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social @sociallifeproject.bsky.social #placemaking #urbanism

The Magic of Luxembourg Gardens: www.sociallifeproject.org/magic-luxemb...

Can't make it for the full Summit? Join us on Weds June 11 for a one day placemaking extravaganza - taking place at #EvergreenBrickWorks. www.placemakingx.org/summit25

Building Consciousness through #Placemaking youtu.be/1mGNxWSAwVk?... @ethankent.bsky.social keynote for The Centre for Conscious Design #UrbanDesign #CommunityEngagement #CCities25 #ConsciousCities #EthanKent #PlaceAttachment #SocialCohesion #UrbanPlanning

🕰️ From the Archives: Early illustration of our Place Diagram from the 1st edition of "How to Turn a Place Around," published in 2000! 📖 See more in an article by co-founders Steve Davies, Fred Kent, & Kathy Madden: 🔗 bit.ly/PPSReflectio... #PPSTurns50 🎨 Annie Bissett @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

Another great article @sociallifeproject.bsky.social. This time about rethinking intersections so that they can become vibrant #publicspaces: www.sociallifeproject.org/using-shared... 🎬 #Paris is full of good examples. Hear those urban sounds!

The 2nd #GlobalPlacemakingSummit will reach capacity shortly! We've also opened up one-day registrations for June 11th at Evergreen Brickworks. Program & registration: placemakingx.org/summit25 Thanks to @placemaking-canada.bsky.social for hosting! #Placemaking #PlacemakingCanada

Grateful to Fred Kent, Kathy Madden, and Steve Davies, Co-Founders of Project for Public Spaces - PPS. Their 11 Principles for Creating Great Community Places are as valid today, as 50 yrs ago! Honored to have worked with them in multiple cities. Congrats! bit.ly/4iHc18N

Where the Sidewalk Continues: Using Shared Space to Bridge Social Life Across Intersections www.sociallifeproject.org/using-shared...