Yogi Berra once said: "You can see a lot just by observing." Over the past 27 years, Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) has applied this idea to its work in making urban public spaces function more effectively for people. By spending time in an area, observing how people use it and asking the people who are there what they like or don't like, it is possible for just about anyone to experience first hand how a place functions. This knowledge then becomes an important tool in determining how specific places can be improved. Yogi Berra once said: "You can see a lot just by observing." Over the past 27 years, Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) has applied this idea to its work in making urban public spaces function more effectively for people. By spending time in an area, observing how people use it and asking the people who are there what they like or don't like, it is possible for just about anyone to experience first hand how a place functions. This knowledge then becomes an important tool in determining how specific places can be improved.

The experience of looking at these spaces can actually be fun as well as educational -- especially if structured to involve teams of people in a creative way. In St. Louis, Missouri, for example, the transit agency used this approach in planning new light rail stations. By looking at existing stations as well as interviewing transit riders on the trains, community representatives and station planners found new insight into the positive and negative qualities of the existing stations which will aid them in their own planning efforts. They also found the experience entertaining!

Visit PPS's website to learn more about placemaking training.