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Spaces to Places

Transforming Public Spaces into Vibrant Places for the Community.

The Before and After

May 6, 2015
Commercial & Investment Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate Lending, Smart Growth

The National Association REALTORS® encourages our state and local REALTOR® Associations to partner with others to make their communities better places to live and work. Our Placemaking Micro-grant is available to our REALTOR® Associations to help fund local placemaking projects.

Since the launch of the Placemaking Micro-grant in January 2014, we have approved over $200,000 in funding for over 100 community placemaking projects. As part of the grant requirements, we ask for a before photo of the current space and a photo of the same space after the project has been completed to show how a space could be transformed into a gathering place for the community.

We are now starting to receive some of the “after” photos which we would like to share with you. Note that some of these are still works in progress as spring was late in coming and the April showers have yet to bring the May flowers.

In addition, here is some feedback on our Placemaking Micro-grant from our REALTOR® associations who have received the grant.

  • “I think NAR’s Placemaking Grant was one of the most fun grants we've ever gotten because it allowed us to be creative, artistic, and partner with the artists in our community which is something we don't normally do with other grants.”  Connie Legris, Executive Officer, Kankakee-Iroquois-Ford Association of REALTORS®
  • “It truly was a wonderful experience and if this first project is an example of what to expect from these grants, we will certainly be doing many more.” Colleen Pappas, Executive Vice President, WRAR
  • “This was a great project that brought together REALTORS®, builders, and contractors. The project made a huge difference for the Community Gardens and was greatly appreciated.  Thank you for believing in this project!” Jennifer Roche, Governmental Affairs Director, Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS®
  • “MOR’s donation to the playground boosted my sense of pride in the project even more. I’ve taken my family there already and my kids absolutely loved it.” Missoula Organization of REALTORS®, President Brint Wahlberg.

REALTOR® Associations Placemaking projects:

Kankakee Iroquois Ford Association of REALTORS® (IL).  “The Art of Sitting”.   Built and painted benches for a farmer’s market.

Greenwood Association of REALTORS® (SC).  REALTOR® Trail.   New walking trail in a 54-acre park.

Merrymeeting Board of REALTORS® (ME). Outdoor Community Garden & Reading Room.  Outdoor gathering place next to the newly built community library.

Missoula Organization of REALTORS®.  Silver Summit: A Playground for Everyone. Playground designed for children with and without disabilities.

 Caldwell Board of REALTORS® (ID).  Caldwell Veterans Garden.  Pavilion as part of a community garden/sanctuary.

Coeur D’Alene Association of REALTORS® (ID). REALTOR® Playground.  A playground for everyone.

Greater Pocatello Association of REALTORS® (ID). NeighborWorks® Pavilion at Caldwell Park.  Picnic tables for the pavilion.

Wilmington Regional Association of REALTORS® (NC).  Community Garden.  Launch of a project to create a sustainable model for creating community gardens in the Wilmington-area.

If you have an unused, underused, unwelcoming space in your community, maybe it’s time to transform it into a more welcoming place for the community to gather.

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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.

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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.