"Streets as Places" Training | Project for Public Spaces (PPS)

"If we can develop and design streets so that they are wonderful, fulfilling places to be – community-building places, attractive for all people – then we will have successfully designed about one-third of the city directly and will have had an immense impact on the rest.“ --Alan Jacobs

The "Streets as Places" Training Course is now open. Click here to register.

With this idea in mind, PPS offers “Streets as Places,” a two-day transportation & Placemaking training seminar intended to introduce participants to new ways of thinking about streets and how Placemaking can be used to build great streets and great communities.

It is intended for anyone who is interested in creating a great street, including transportation professionals who want to learn more about how streets can contribute to better communities; civic and elected officials who realize the social and economic benefits that can result from changing the way that roads are designed; and citizen activists who understand that the time for change is now.

Who:		Everyone—Transportation professionals, elected officials, developers and concerned citizens alike
What:		A two-day training seminar on streets, transportation, and Placemaking
When:		Thursday, April 2 and Friday, April 3, 2009
Where:		New York City, NY
Why:		More and more people are realizing the important impact that both transportation and Placemaking can have on communities– the time for change is now!

Presentations and discussions will focus on how roadways and transit facilities can be designed and managed to benefit communities, while also serving mobility needs. Practical tools for assessing a variety of street typologies and case studies of cities and towns that have moved beyond simply trying to address mobility to building community will be presented, and participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with each other.

Topics will include:

Context Sensitive Solutions - designing streets and highways that benefit communities
Walkability - linking destinations with pedestrian-friendly streets
Land Use - how smart land use decisions can leverage transportation investments most effectively
Placemaking on Streets - a series of tools and techniques for designing streets as places
Community Engagement - how to do it effectively and without pain
Street Design Flexibility - how to engage transportation agencies for better outcomes
Transit (Thinking Beyond the Station) - how to create community-supportive transit service and stations
Bicycle-Friendly Streets - best practices for safe cycling
Parking- how to better manage parking supply and demand
Transportation Campaigns - advocating for a new transportation planning paradigm

Training Course Agenda

Thursday, April 2: Introductory sessions; “Street Audit” exercise; reception with PPS Staff
Friday, April 3: Tools & techniques; specialized topic sessions; application workshop

Training Course Location

A course group

Visiting New York City is an educational experience in itself. And, in recent years, the streets of New York City have been undergoing a transformation – from congested conduits for vehicular traffic to streets that are now making room for separated bicycle lanes, dedicated bus lanes, wider sidewalks, and public plazas.

The training course will showcase some of these improvements, with before and after comparisons and first-hand knowledge of how to transform streets into places for people.

Project for Public Spaces (PPS): Training Course Host

Project for Public Spaces, Inc. is a non-profit technical assistance, research, and educational organization.

We believe that transportation investments – in both streets and transit facilities – have enormous potential to reshape communities and be catalysts for more livable, economically viable and sustainable cities. PPS’s initiative, Building Communities through Transportation, provides the framework through which cities can work in partnership with transportation agencies to achieve this critical goal. Streets as Places is a key component of this initiative.

Click here for more information on PPS’s Building Community through Transportation initiative.

Instructors for this course are:

Gary Toth

Fred Kent,

Cynthia Nikitin

Renee Espiau

Training Course Cost

The registration fee covers breakfast and lunch on both days and a cocktail reception, along with educational materials. Enrollment in training courses also includes a PPS membership! You can view all the benefits of being a PPS member here.

Early registration (before February 20th): $550 for non-profits and individuals, $650 for government agencies and private companies

Late registration (after February 20th): $600 for non-profits and individuals, $700 for government agencies and private companies

Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a discount rate. Prices per person: $450 for non-profits and individuals, $550 for government agencies and private companies

We do offer a limited number of discounted registrations for non-profit organizations and individuals. These scholarships are based on merit. Please contact Dana Kitzes at dkitzes@pps.org for more information.