Progress in Placemaking

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Acknowledgements

This commentary stems from ideas developed through meetings, presentations and work conducted between 2021 and 2023 as part of the Models of Urban Evolution project. The authors appreciate the input of all the researchers who contributed and shared ideas and feedback through these discussions. We thank Andy Inch for engaging with our work and providing insightful editorial feedback. Lastly, we are particularly grateful to our colleague Dan Silver for his contributions, and for fostering a collegial environment for debate.

Authors’ Contributions

This commentary was conceived of, primarily written and edited by Noga Keidar and Shauna Brail. This work is connected to a broader, collaborative research project on Placemaking. The following people contributed by reviewing and editing the commentary: Mark Fox, Odeya Friedman, Yair Grinberger, Tharaa Kirresh, Yang Li, Yaara Rosner Manor, Diego Rotman and Emily Silverman.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 While we recognize that placemaking is a term that has application beyond public space, including in the planning of private spaces that may mimic the appearance of public spaces, our primary focus in this commentary is analysis of placemaking practices in public and community spaces.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – University of Toronto Research & Training Alliance as part of the Models of Urban Evolution project.

Notes on contributors

Noga Keidar

Noga Keidar is a post-doctoral fellow at the Urban Clinic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include urban sociology, urban policy, sociology of culture, political sociology, and science and technology studies.

Mark Fox

Mark S. Fox is a Distinguished Professor of Urban Systems Engineering, Director of the Centre for Social Services Engineering, and Director of the School of Cities’ Urban Data Centre at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on AI Knowledge Representation (Ontologies) and its application to Smart Cities, including impact modelling in social services.

Odeya Friedman

Odeya Friedman is a B.A. student of Sociology and Anthropology and Amirim (a humanities honors program) at the Hebrew University. Her research interests are textual and semiotic anthropology, hermeneutics, and urban sociology.

Yair Grinberger

Yair Grinberger is a lecturer of geoinformatics at the Department of Geography, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research interests include geo-cultural analysis, urban modeling, crowd-based geographic data, mobility analysis, and geographic information science.

Tharaa Kirresh

Tharaa Kirresh is a Palestinian Jerusalemite with a BSc in architectural engineering, and a master’s degree in urban planning from Hebrew University. Her research is centered around the impact of Placemaking in ‘conflict’ contexts, with a specific focus on creating inclusive and meaningful public spaces that address the challenges faced by marginalized communities.

Yang Li

Yang Li is a Sociology PhD student at the University of Toronto. His research interests are in the area in urban sociology, placemaking, and policy interactions in post-industrial cities.

Yaara Rosner Manor

Yaara Rosner Manor is an architect and urban planner with 20 years of professional experience. Her professional work as well as her research is focused on informal urban structures, and especially on mediating the needs and aspirations of local communities and planning system(s).

Diego Rotman

Diego Rotman is a Senior Lecturer, researcher, artist, and curator. His research focuses on performative practices as related to local historiography, performance, and art practices at the urban space, Yiddish theater, and research-creation projects. He is the Head of the Department of Theater Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is the founding academic director of the Urban Clinic and a faculty member at the Hebrew University Geography Department. She has led placemaking projects and workshops in Israel and is a senior advisor with PlacemakingX.

Shauna Brail

Shauna Brail is an associate professor at the Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the transformation of cities as a result of economic, social, and cultural change.