We're on the Road to the Recovery

In 2020 we got clearcut. This year, we replant.

​Lo! We've packed our bags, loaded-up the placemobile and left Southern California for a three month roadtrip across America. Along the way, we're connecting with placemakers in 50+ cities and talking with everday folk to promote that 'people and places' play a part in our country's pandemic recovery.

Carpe Loci

Our motto is Carpe Loci, to "seize the place" in this rare moment when the status quo has been temporarilyy disrupted by COVID at the same time that $350 billion dollars has become available for community restoration.

This windfall of federal cash has breached the dam in Washington DC and is flowing fast and fierce to our states, counties and cities. While a lot of this money is going directly to help people and businesses with immediate assistance and to replenish depleted local government accounts, there is a large amount left in the till which needs more community involvement if it's end results are to live up to the White House's ideals for this money to "build back better" as opposed to "business as usual."

PlacemakingUS recognizes this moment and we are spreading the message far and wide across the land: we want the American Recovery to celebrate the old placemaker adage that, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

What would it look like if every human could help co-create their environment to make their world a better place?

Our strategy is to learn and spread how placemakers across the country are tackling problems and finding solutions. We're starting to call this their placemaker superpowers, that niche where they have natural proclivities, exhaustive experience and a passion to help others. On our recovery roadtrip, we hope to connect with you to learn about your superpowers and help spread your secrets to success across the country. 

What's your placemaking superpower?

We want to look forward to visiting your town as much as we are excited to visit:

•  Denver where Zeppelin Development is tackling the future of offices and what place-based, human-centric workplace looks could like without restraint. 
• Boston, we'll learn how to go from  "Vacancy into Vibrancy" with pop-up placemaking by CultureHouse that leads to revitilized spaces for a balance of community and commerce. 
• State College, Pennsylvania, we'll learn from 3 Dots Downtown about co-locating public and private live and work spaces to generate innovation.
• New York City, we'll be bolstering discussions and visions for Open Streets.
• Birmingham, Alabama, we'll learn from Elevators on 4th about Entrepreneurship as Equity by exploring black supply chains and micro-enterprise opportunities in Red Mountain Park.
• And on and on and on from there. 

We hope we will connect with you along the way and create a meaningful interaction that helps imbue locals to get the people and places they love prioritized in their town's take on the American Rescue Plan. Keep checking here and on Instagram and our Facebook Group to see what we're learning and. 

Current Riders: Ryan Smolar, Steven Homestead
Listening to: On the Road Again, Canned Heat