Social Life Project

03/27/2026

https://www.sociallifeproject.org/proposal-for-brooklyn-waterfront-improvement/

A vision for the Brooklyn waterfront aimed at transforming it into a thriving public place that supports social life, joy, and community.

03/22/2026

Ice Cream…spring is around the “corner”. Time to consider exploring. An ice cream stand could be part of the experience. Send us your examples with images showing how people connect

A simple ice cream stand can incite a renaissance of activity in an area by anchoring a variety of commercial offerings and public spaces.

03/09/2026

"Placemaking succeeds when we design for behaviors and interactions rooted in everyday life. Objects support that work, but they are not the reason we practice it. If we want vibrant, equitable, democratic , we must prioritize what people do over what physical objects we put there." Guillermo Bernal explains his VITAL Framework for in today's Social Life Project post:
https://www.sociallifeproject.org/the-vital-framework-for-public-seating/

PlacemakingX

03/04/2026

Creative Placemaking - How Murals, Sculptures, and Public Art Inspire Social Life

https://www.sociallifeproject.org/creative-placemaking-murals-sculptures-public-art-inspire-social-life/ by Fred Kent and Tayana Panova, PhD

01/30/2026

A guide to our best articles about creating better sidewalks to revive social life, build great neighborhoods, grow economic activity, and save the planet.

01/21/2026

How Catalyzed the Transformation of Midtown Manhattan and Inspired Everywhere (new article!): https://www.sociallifeproject.org/how-bryant-park-catalyzed-the-transformation-of-midtown-manhattan-and-inspired-public-spaces-everywhere/

by Fred Kent, Stephen Davies and Dr. Tayana Panova

Including the 1980 PPS master plan report.

01/19/2026

01/14/2026

This year, the Placemaking Movement reached important milestones worth celebrating. We've come a long way since our start, and we've still got a long way to go.