Spaces to Places

San Francisco parklet with tables and chairs

Check out some placemaking projects from the AARP Community Challenge Grant to figure out what would and would not meet the criteria of NAR's Placemaking Grant.

Although PARK(ing) Day isn’t until September, specifically the third Friday in September, now is the perfect time to start planning.

Cape Fear Shiner County Park REALTOR® volunteers with shovels building a storybook trail

The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® used NAR’s Placemaking Level 2 Grant to help build the first Harnett County Storybook Trail.

NAR’s Placemaking Grant helped the Ponca City Development Authority in Oklahoma to add more picnic tables and shade areas to Central Fare – a community project.

A REALTOR® volunteer pushing a wheelbarrow full of mulch during the Adams Park workday restoration, Panama City, FL

The Central Panhandle Association of REALTORS® used NAR's placemaking grant to help rebuild Adams Park destroyed by the Hurricane Michael in Panama City, FL.

The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors® transformed a vacant lot in the City of Hanahan, SC into the “Hanahan Hub”—a public space for the community.

Before and after images: an alley between Tyler Street and a parking lot in Pittsfield (MA) became "Umbrella Alley."

Too many narrow spaces between and behind buildings have gotten a bad rap. That's why communities are "activating" their alleyways. Learn more.

Urban Thinkspace transformed an abandoned lot next to a bus stop in West Philadelphia into an interactive play space.

Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) is an initiative that marries the science of child development with urban design to embed learning opportunities.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at the Hopkinsville Dog Park in Hopkinsville, KY

NAR’s Placemaking Grant has been around since 2014 and has provided over $1.4 million in funding to help build pocket parks, parklets, trails, and more.

Find out about Rails-to-Trails Conservancy mission to build a nation connected by trails and learn more about its TrailNation™ projects.

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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.