Transformative placemaking is a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to place-based development that engages public, private, and civic sector leaders to generate more widespread and inclusive social, economic, and public health benefits for communities across the urban, suburban, and rural spectrum.
Over the past several decades, planners, community and economic development groups, and other place-based organizations have elevated the importance of placemaking, density, proximity, and walkability in fostering more economically, socially, and environmentally responsible inclusive development. For all their successes, however, such efforts have often been constrained by funding and investment structures that fail to leverage the often-overlooked assets of communities to build broad-based community wealth and well-being.
Since 2018, Brookings Metro’s Transformative Placemaking scholars have brought together a wide range of multidisciplinary stakeholders dedicated to advancing models for creating more connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities through the following transformative placemaking framework:
- Nurturing economic ecosystems that are regionally connected, innovative, and rooted in the assets of residents and local businesses.
- Supporting built environments that are accessible, flexible, and advance community health, safety, and resiliency.
- Fostering social cohesion that reflects community history, culture, and identity.
- Encouraging civic infrastructure that supports locally organized, inclusive, and capacity-building efforts to uplift community-centered organizations.
To learn more about how this work translates into concrete, impactful outcomes at the local level, see our collections of research related to:
- Community Ownership of Real Estate, where we highlight collective ownership models that balance outcomes such as wealth-building, preserving affordability, and fostering community-led development.
- Community Safety, where we take a holistic approach to examining the place-based factors that influence public safety, as well as promising place-based solutions for reducing crime and supporting holistic community well-being.
- The Future of Downtowns, where we expand on how central business districts in places large and small can advance economic, social, and environmental value across changing economic and demographic circumstances.
- Placemaking Postcards, where policymakers and practitioners guest-author articles on promising placemaking efforts from across the U.S. that foster connected, vibrant, and inclusive communities.
Through these insights, Brookings provides a hub for thought leadership and practical knowledge on the intersection of place, placemaking, and inclusive economy-building, while offering insights for public, private, and civic sector leaders who want to advance transformative, place-led systems change.