Our Story
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At the Project for Public Space's US Placemaking Week in October 2019, Ethan Kent of PlacemakingX tasked Ryan Smolar (SoCal BID Leader/Food Systems Alliance Co-Director) with initiating a new placemaking network to cover the United States.
It's surprising the US is late to the table as it's home to such historic placemaking heavyweights as Jane Jacobs, Fred Kent/Kathy Madden and even William "Holly" Whyte, but as the saying goes: better late than never. "I am so inspired by our counterparts in Europe," said network initiator, Ryan Smolar. |
"Placemaking Europe has shown us the way, bringing many countries together for collaborative work and comradery."
Smolar is working to bring Placemakers in the US together with several West Coast engagements in 2020. Join him in Portland, Oregon this Summer for a deep exploration of sustainability, permaculture and "village raising" and this Fall in Southern California for a deep dive into local food culture, economics, immigration and poverty alleviation. Interests piqued? Please reach out to Ryan as he will be working to bring representatives from all of the networks -- from Europe, Latin America, Asia and others. |
MEET T H E T E A M
PlacemakingUS Leadership
We are collectively building PlaceamkingUS by connecting and sharing our talents, stories and resources. Join us in collectively shaping and building PlacemakingUS:
GLOBAL COORDINATING PARTNER
PlacemakingX
REGIONAL COORDINATING PARTNERS
Placemaking Europe
Japan Tactical Urbanism & Placemaking Network
Placemaking LatinoAmerica
Placemaking Asia
Michigan Municipal League
Singapore Placemaking Network
US NETWORK PARTNERS
Placemaking Vermont Network
Placemaking SoFlo (South Florida)
Placemaking Raleigh
City Repair, Portland
PlacemakingSF
Long Beach Fresh & Open Silo, Southern California
DOMESTIC PRACTITIONERS/LEADERS HELPING US
Ryan Smolar, Downtown Santa Ana BID and Long Beach Fresh food policy council, Southern California & Portland, OR
Ethan Kent, Co-director of PlacemakingX, our global coordinating partner, New York
Josh Kent, Co-director of PlacemakingX, our global coordinating partner, New York
Nate Hommel, University City District, Philadelphia
Tina Govan, architect, Raleigh
Jes Mcbride, Open Silo, Los Angeles
Ian Litwin, city planner, Philadelphia
Scott Strawbridge, Public housing masterplanner and healthy, sustainble city advocate, South Florida
Madeleine Spencer, depth psychologist and public arts, culture, education & inclusive economics leader, Santa Ana, California
Leslie Mattie Rich, Westwood Works, Cincinatti
Emma Blondin, bicyle masterplanner, Raleign
Hunter Franks, social practice artist, San Francisco
Jim Walker and Elizabeth Nash, Big Car social practice arts collective & neighborhood, Indianapolis
Mark Lakeman, Communitecture, Portland
Rebecca Sanborn Stone, Community Workshops LLC, Vermont
Greg Raisman and Richard Eisenhauser, Portland Bureau of Transportation
Alexandra Gonzalez, Hive Public Space architect and urban designer
Alan Pullman, Studio 111, architect and placemaker
GLOBAL COORDINATING PARTNER
PlacemakingX
REGIONAL COORDINATING PARTNERS
Placemaking Europe
Japan Tactical Urbanism & Placemaking Network
Placemaking LatinoAmerica
Placemaking Asia
Michigan Municipal League
Singapore Placemaking Network
US NETWORK PARTNERS
Placemaking Vermont Network
Placemaking SoFlo (South Florida)
Placemaking Raleigh
City Repair, Portland
PlacemakingSF
Long Beach Fresh & Open Silo, Southern California
DOMESTIC PRACTITIONERS/LEADERS HELPING US
Ryan Smolar, Downtown Santa Ana BID and Long Beach Fresh food policy council, Southern California & Portland, OR
Ethan Kent, Co-director of PlacemakingX, our global coordinating partner, New York
Josh Kent, Co-director of PlacemakingX, our global coordinating partner, New York
Nate Hommel, University City District, Philadelphia
Tina Govan, architect, Raleigh
Jes Mcbride, Open Silo, Los Angeles
Ian Litwin, city planner, Philadelphia
Scott Strawbridge, Public housing masterplanner and healthy, sustainble city advocate, South Florida
Madeleine Spencer, depth psychologist and public arts, culture, education & inclusive economics leader, Santa Ana, California
Leslie Mattie Rich, Westwood Works, Cincinatti
Emma Blondin, bicyle masterplanner, Raleign
Hunter Franks, social practice artist, San Francisco
Jim Walker and Elizabeth Nash, Big Car social practice arts collective & neighborhood, Indianapolis
Mark Lakeman, Communitecture, Portland
Rebecca Sanborn Stone, Community Workshops LLC, Vermont
Greg Raisman and Richard Eisenhauser, Portland Bureau of Transportation
Alexandra Gonzalez, Hive Public Space architect and urban designer
Alan Pullman, Studio 111, architect and placemaker
JOIN THE TEAM
Become a PlacemakingUS Leader
PlacemakingUS is a voluntary PlacemakingX regional network inspired by our sister networks in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
If you would like to join us in helping jumpstart our nation's network, your participation could take a few different forms including:
Contact Network Leader Ryan Smolar to get started!
If you would like to join us in helping jumpstart our nation's network, your participation could take a few different forms including:
- Helping administer the main group's activities, communications, funding and strategy.
- Organizing your local state, city or sub-regional network for the national network to coordinate with (there are already local networks in San Francisco, Michigan, Vermont and a budding one in the Southeastern US!)
- Organizing a national topic workgroup around issues like Climate Change, Tool Testing, Publications/Reports or Inclusivity. See a full list of Europe's established workgroups here: https://mailchi.mp/efc444713149/octobernewsletter
- Organizing a Placemaker Week or Placemaker Weekend, trainings or topic events in your area in coordination with PlacemakingUS, our international sister networks, and our global partner, PlacemakingX.
Contact Network Leader Ryan Smolar to get started!
