Only 5% of public space professionals think public spaces are meeting community needs according to the recent State of Public Space Survey Report from Project for Public Spaces. The new report details how public spaces are faring today, according to the professionals who plan, design, steward, and advocate for them every day.
Since it was founded in 1975, Project for Public Spaces’ mission has grown to help hundreds of thousands of people around the world understand and improve public spaces in their own communities, from parks and playgrounds to squares, streets, marketplaces, and more. In November 2024, Project for Public Spaces invited planners, designers, place managers, artists, researchers, activists, and others to share insights about the greatest challenges and opportunities facing these vital community places today. More than 700 individuals from 57 countries and 48 U.S. states contributed to the data set, and overwhelmingly voiced their concern for public spaces.
Some 95% reported that public spaces need to improve or are outright failing to meet community needs. To understand this resounding sentiment, Project for Public Spaces sorted through the findings to pinpoint the most pressing societal and practical issues in public spaces today, landing on seven takeaways:
1. Aging infrastructure: The way we fund public space is broken, with ongoing difficulties securing funding for maintenance, programming, regular design improvements, and ongoing community engagement.
2. Bureaucracy: Cutting red tape could make limited resources go further in public space.
3. Homelessness: Public space is on the frontlines of the housing crisis.
4. Access: Physical, financial, and cultural barriers prevent many from accessing the benefits of public space.
5. Social Isolation: Public space can break the vicious cycle of loneliness.
6. Climate Change: Extreme weather is making public space less welcoming, but public space can adapt.
7. Disinvestment & Gentrification: Big public space investments need a plan for development without displacement.
In response to the key issues identified, Project for Public Spaces turned to its 50 years of expertise and network of innovators to offer additional context and promising case studies for addressing these challenges in an increasingly uncertain time. The organization stresses the need for public space funders and regulators to seek new models, and the opportunity for public space professionals to contribute to some of the greatest challenges facing the world today.
“While our public space colleagues have largely voiced concerns about the current performance of public spaces, one principle remains unchanged. We cannot stop advocating for them, especially in these pivotal times. Investing in public spaces is, and always will be, a commitment to the health of communities,” said Nate Storring, co-executive director of Project for Public Spaces. “Public space work is powerful, addressing many root issues that jeopardize livelihoods, community resilience, and even democracy. While current affairs often demand that we act urgently on many fronts, we must not forget the foundational importance of public space to the well-being of our towns, cities, countries, and world.”
For more information, visit www.pps.org.