Spaces to Places

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

Thompson Garden by the River, Thompson, CT

The Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS® helped to create the Thompson Garden by the River located on a vacant historic mill property in Thompson, CT.

A new year is upon us and it’s time to think about creating new outdoor public spaces and destinations in your community, especially in light of COVID-19.

Jefferson Street Pedestrian Underpass mural and pop-up space, Rockford, IL

The Rockford Area REALTORS®, IL used NAR's Placemaking Grant to help create a mural and pop-up space at the Jefferson Street Pedestrian Underpass.

The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® teamed up with the City of Melbourne and several other businesses to build the Eau Gallie Dog Park.

Living outdoors has become a necessity as COVID-19 restrictions and public safety concerns have limited, or banned, indoor activities. What about the winter?

The idea behind parklets is to create a spot that allows people to stop, sit, and rest while purposing former car-parking spaces for a community gathering place.

The Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS® used NAR’s Placemaking Grant to create two areas for a dog park in The City of Georgetown, SC.

Aerial view of Meadowbrook Park, Prairie Village, Kansas

85 percent of U.S. residents identify proximity to parks, playgrounds, open space, or recreation centers as an important factor in deciding where to live.

Parklet in Springfield, IL funded with NAR’s Placemaking Grant

After months of staying home, communities are witnessing an unprecedented demand from residents for places to walk, hike, relax and simply get out of the house.

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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.