Spaces to Places

Transforming Public Spaces into Vibrant Places for the Community.
Written by Fran Cormier, Executive Officer, Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS® The idea for our placemaking project all started when Stephanie Barnes, president of the Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS® (GFBOR), was on a field trip with her...
This is another update of a re-post which will introduce you to the resources NAR provides to REALTOR® associations to help them become engaged in placemaking projects in their communities. The first several posts introduced you to this thing...
It's been 3 years since the first postings in Spaces to Places.   As more and more people are hearing about placemaking, I think it's a great time for a re-post from 2014 that defines placemaking.   So have another look and start thinking about...
Many of us remember a time when walking, and bicycling, to school was a part of everyday life.  But times have changed.  Walking and biking to school is not like it used to be in the good old days. According to the Federal Highway Administration,...
Walkable neighborhoods with access to public transit, housing, amenities and parks and open spaces are the key to a happier and healthier lifestyle and make great places to live.  How does your neighborhood measure up?  Maybe it’s time to find out...
An earlier post, Transform an Unused Railroad Corridor into a Lively Trail, detailed how many towns have  railroad corridors that have been abandoned and now have become unused, unsafe, and unwelcoming parcels of land in a community.   These...
Residents and a design team worked with the tourist town of Crosslake, Minnesota, used an NAR grant for a Walkable Communities WalkShop to help empower and inspire local residents to design new ways to enhance the ability of people to walk or bike throughout the town.
Written by Sarah Rayne, Government and Public Affairs Director, Coastal Association of REALTORS® Pocket Park on Smith Island The Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR) is a big fan of NAR’s Placemaking Grant and has received funding for two...

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Community Outreach Programs

Housing Opportunity Grant
Housing Opportunity Grants support state and local REALTOR® Associations’ affordable housing activities. The goal of the program is to position REALTORS® as leaders in improving their communities by creating affordable housing
opportunities.

Smart Growth Grant
Smart growth is an approach to development that encourages a mix of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods, and community engagement. The Smart Growth Program offers state and local REALTOR® Associations to way to engage with government officials, community partners and the general public in planning and designing community’s future.

Diversity
Planned diversity initiatives makes good business sense. REALTOR® Associations with well-planned diversity programs create a stronger sense of community, particularly in neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreign-born and minority residents who are moving up the socioeconomic ladder and are buying homes.

NAR Placemaking Resources

Placemaking Guide: A Guide to Transform a Public Space into a Community Place
REALTORS® and state and local association staff can learn the details of Placemaking, the kinds of projects placemaking entails, how to organize them, and where to go for assistance and resources.

Placemaking Webinar Series
Our Placemaking Webinar Series will provide more in depth information on the various types of Placemaking and how REALTORS® were involved in Placemaking activities in their communities.

Placemaking Grant
The Placemaking Grant funds the creation of new public spaces, like pocket parks, trails & gardens, in a community. The grant focuses on “lighter, cheaper, quicker” placemaking projects, which can be built under a year and cost less  than $200,000.

Comment Policy

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Smart Growth

The healthier a community, the better the environment for REALTORS®. Keeping a community attractive, livable and functioning well is a complex task.