Project for Public Spaces announced today that it has selected three nonprofits to receive Community Placemaking Grants: Streets as Places & Destinations Stations to transform outdoor public spaces that will improve street safety and mobility. The three nonprofits are Open Plans for redesigning Clarkson Street in New York, NY, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation for developing a mobility hub at the Joy-Alpine Trailhead along the Joe Louis Greenway in Detroit, MI, and Atlanta Downtown for enhancing mobility at Garnett Station Plaza in Atlanta, GA. Thanks to support from General Motors, each organization will receive $100,000 each in direct funding, as well as planning, implementation, and capacity building assistance from Project for Public Spaces.
Launched in fall of 2021, Project for Public Spaces’ Community Placemaking Grants enable US-based nonprofits and government agencies to address inequality of access by working directly with local stakeholders to transform public spaces or co-create new ones. This cohort of grantees, which includes the 20th project since the program’s inception, was awarded for project goals that align with one of two outlined initiatives of focus. One initiative, “Streets as Places,” will improve traffic safety while enhancing the role of streets as the most accessible public spaces across the U.S. and the other initiative, “Destination Stations,” will improve user experience and raise awareness of micro-mobility options, EV charging, and public transit at mobility hubs through public space amenities and programming.
The selection criteria required applicants to engage community groups, participate in an open-ended visioning process, demonstrate the ability to deliver the project on time and on budget, and form strong partnerships with relevant organizations and public agencies. The placemaking projects funded through this grant program will take a “lighter, quicker, cheaper” approach, which emphasizes high-impact, low-cost improvements that contribute to long-term community goals.