NOTE: The Spacing Wire will be posting only occasionally throughout the next week — The Editors
Probably the best North American resource for learning about issues that affect the public realm is the website of the Project for Public Spaces [ www.pps.org ]. Planning and development departments from all over North America (including the City of Mississauga) are using PPS’s knowledge of the built urban form to make their local public spaces work. Each month they put out a newsletter called Making Places that focuses on a theme, and find wonderful examples of good and bad city building. From their December newsletter:
People today are crying out for lively gathering places where civic life flourishes and different cultures can mix, places that heal social isolation. Any community that wants to discover the rewards of public life can make a square its centerpiece. PPS shows why great squares are not just for tourists to admire — they belong right in our backyards.
here are some highlights:
Top 12 Public Squares in the U.S. and Canada: Toronto readers should note that Dundas Square is NOT on this list, but Montreal’s Square St. Louis is included.
The World’s Best Squares: Great public gathering spaces from Mexico to Italy to Iran.
The 16 Squares Most Dramatically in Need of Improvement: Mississauga’s City Centre (Square One) comes in at #14.
