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Placemaking Chicago

Helping People Improve Their Communities, One Place at a Time

Cities around the world are recognizing that safe, well-used public spaces are just as important to healthy communities as quality housing and reliable transportation. To remain a globally competitive city, Chicago must continue to sustain and enhance all of its public areas. Placemaking Chicago supports the creation and care of public spaces across Chicagoland through policy advocacy, close collaboration with public agencies and elected officials, direct outreach to residents and community organizations, and an active social media and online presence.  Through Placemaking Chicago, MPC helps create and enhance public spaces that bring people together and foster healthier, more social, and economically viable communities.

Placemaking Chicago fact sheet

Watch this short video to learn more about Placemaking.


Technical Assistance

Placemaking Chicago provides technical assistance to communities around Chicago. Read about our work to transform the Polish Triangle in the Wicker Park neighborhood, and to engage residents in planning for the proposed CTA Red Line extension on Chicago's South Side.


Advocacy

Safe streets are some of our most valuable public spaces. The Pedestrian Safety Bill makes streets safer by clarifying the responsibility of pedestrians and drivers. With your support, this bill passed through the Senate and was signed by Gov. Quinn this summer.

Collaboration with city agencies

This year, Placemaking Chicago strengthened its partnership with the city by partnering with the Chicago Dept. of Transportation on a series of Complete Streets workshops, the Dept. of Zoning and Land Use Planning on a Placemaking workshop, and hosting a public roundtable on pedestrian friendly public spaces.

Articles

Vote now through Sept. 10 for Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana's favorite 'undiscovered' public place
What’s Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana’s favorite hidden public place? Between Aug. 9 and Sept. 10, vote online at PlacemakingChicago.com for your favorite of two dozen finalists in the “What Makes Your Place Great? Your Secret Corner of Chicagoland” photo and video…
The Creative City: Keeping Chicago Vibrant and Viable

Bob McNulty of the Partners for Livable Communities spoke to a sold-out crowd at MPC’s first 2009 roundtable, “The Creative City: Keeping Chicago Vibrant and Viable.”

Residents come out in force to shape the future of the Polish Triangle

More than 700 residents have participated in MPC’s Placemaking project to create a vision for the Polish Triangle, at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Division Street, and Ashland Avenue.

Great Chicagoland Places

MPC continues to advocate for community-planned and programmed public places in the Chicago region. Check out www.placemakingchicago.com for more information.

Streets as Places: Sold out roundtable creates buzz about rethinking how we use our streets

Learn the secrets of “placemaking” from Fred Kent, founder and president of internationally-renowned Project for Public Spaces, and join the movement to transform your community’s rundown streets into desirable neighborhood places.

More related articles »

Multimedia

Placemaking at the Polish Triangle
  • Publication
  • (21 MB)
  • July 7, 2010
In 2009, MPC teamed up with WPB (the Special Service Area for Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods) to transform the Polish Triangle, located at the intersection of Division Street, Ashland Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue, into a well-used public space. Through an online network group, online…
Talking the Walk: The Importance of Pedestrian Friendly Public Spaces
  • Audio
  • April 21, 2010
Listen to MPC's April 21, 2010, "Talking the Walk" roundtable, featuring Sam Schwartz, Mike Toolis, and John Tolva discuss how cities around the world are promoting walkable, safe streets; what Chicago is doing to plan for and design quality streetscapes; and how pedestrians are leading the way to…
Placemaking Chicago
  • Video
  • (2:05)
  • September 4, 2009
A short video on Placemaking, produced in August 2008 by Metropolitan Planning Council and Tu Multimedia.
The Micro Revolution: Neighbors Making a Difference - Part 2
  • Audio
  • January 24, 2008
At this MPC roundtable luncheon, Chicagoland residents shared their experiences bringing about positive changes in their school communities, by forging partnerships between parents and school administrators to improve public education and encourage community renewal.
The Micro Revolution: Neighbors Making a Difference
  • Audio
  • September 20, 2007
At this MPC roundtable luncheon, Jay Walljasper, author of The Great Neighborhood Book and senior fellow at Project for Public Spaces, discussed lessons learned from real-life stories of successful neighbor-driven improvements. He moderated a panel of motivated residents from the Chicago area who…

More related multimedia »

Links

Reconnecting America
Reconnecting America is a national nonprofit working to integrate transportation systems and the communities they serve, with the goal of generating lasting public and private returns, improving economic and environmental efficiency, and giving consumers more housing and mobility choices. More info »
Streetsblog
Streetsblog is a daily news source, online community, and political mobilizer for the worldwide Livable Streets movement, working to transform our cities by reducing dependence on private automobiles and improving conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders. More info »
Project for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Founded in 1975, PPS has become an internationally recognized center for best practices, information, and resources about Placemaking. MPC partnered with PPS to create “A Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicago.” More info »

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Project manager

Photo of Karin Sommer Karin Sommer
ksommer@metroplanning.org
(312) 863-6044

It's time to vote for the best undiscovered public space in the region! Visit PlacemakingChicago.com by Sept.10 to cast your vote.

Visit the Placemaking Chicago web site, Chicagoland’s hub for information about Placemaking, to download the free “Guide to Neighborhood Placemaking in Chicago.”

Every month, Placemaking Chicago uncovers true stories about the region's great spaces.  Check out this month's story on the Co-Prosperity Sphere.

 

Collaborators

Partners

Project for Public Spaces, New York, NY

Funders

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Prince Charitable Trusts