Social Life Project

08/04/2026

If there are no people in a place, it often means there are no reasons to be there.

The solution is to add reasons. Ten is a good place to start. Then ten more, then another ten, and another… And another! Eventually, you’ll have created the Power of 10+.

What ten things did you spot in the photo? And a bonus question, is the photo an example of a city, a destination, or a place? Let us know in the poll.

Our new article describes the Power of 10+ and how to apply this tool to streets, parks, waterfronts and more. Link in bio. Co-authored by Fred Kent and Tayana Panova, PhD.

07/16/2026

Turning the shaping of communities and cities upside-down to start with the social life of public spaces is what we're all about! Our Fred Kent developed the Power of 10 Placemaking concept to apply this approach at all scales.

Before founding Social Life Project and PlacemakingX in 2018, Fred Kent founded Project for Public Spaces in 1975, and led it for 43 years, developing and applying placemaking principles and tools through work in 1000s of communities in 45 countries. The Power 10 shows us how cities can be transformed through clustering of small activities at the human scale to create successful places, destinations and districts.

Check out our new article explaining the Power of 10 written by Fred Kent and Tayana Panova, PhD:

In order for people to spend time in a place, there need to be things to do there. Through our placemaking work, we've learned that 10 is the magic number.

06/22/2026

Reciprocal Gestures and Improvisation: How One Small Placemaking Act Can Precipitate Great Places
https://www.sociallifeproject.org/reciprocal-gestures-and-improvisation-in-placemaking/ by Fred Kent and Tayana Panova, PhD

One placemaking act can make a difference by becoming catalytic and spreading its impact down the block through the power of reciprocal gestures and improvisation.

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