Ethan Kent

“Ultimately, a place is more than the physical environment. It’s about creating a virtuous cycle, where people and places build each other up, generating infinite potential for connection, wisdom, and joy.”

"Shared public spaces can bridge divides, unite communities, and serve as platforms for a more inclusive future." - Parkly Step into the world of placemaking and inclusive cities with Ethan Kent, one of the leading voices shaping the movement.

“#PublicSpace and #placemaking are tools to break down silos, foster collaboration, and drive innovation at the intersections of movements.” @ethankent.bsky.social
interviewed by Päivi Raivio of #PlacemakingFinland, #NordicPlacemaking and #PlacemakingEurope: parkly.city/interview_et...

Got to visit the Bronx #NewRootsCommunityFarm for their Harvest Festival. Part of Aley Kent’s national #NewRootsIRC program at International Rescue Committee.

An inspiring example of connecting #RefugeePlacemaking, #UrbanAgriculture & #PublicMarkets.

#RefugeesWelcome #LocalFood #PlacemakingNYC

It was awful, and has not actually stopped. Constant low flying helicopters would make anyone’s neighborhood unlivable, with people unable to work or go about their lives. That is what
@flyblade.bsky.social is doing to millions in the NYC area.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Revisiting the newly restored classic film by William H. Whyte

Some background on how Whyte formed the foundation of our work and the recent restoring of his classic film: www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l...

YouTube video by Streetfilms® William “Holly” Whyte in His Own Words, “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces” (1980)

Very exciting! The seminal 1980 documentary "The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces" by William H. "Holly" Whyte has been RESTORED and screening in NYC this week!

I wanted to honor his work and used his words in the companion book and produced this 11 years ago.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU2v...

How Vienna’s Rathaus, and other public buildings, often do well in contributing to public space: www.sociallifeproject.org/why-turning-...

#TheWarOnCars needs to help get car advertising to stop taking over our best public spaces!

@thewaroncars.bsky.social

Car companies have used this kind of #Placetaking to be extractive of #publicspaces and maintain their dominance in cities.

20 years ago I wrote about this trend of car advertising as part of a spoof April Fools article: www.pps.org/article/cars... @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social

Usually Vienna’s City Hall Plaza is wonderfully programmed. Currently it is a car show!

Cars are effectively privatizing and protesting the civic and pedestrian use of public space. This should be protested!

#PlacemakingAustria #PlacemakingEurope

#PlacemakingWeekEurope is this week! In the spirit of co-creation, collaboration and inspiration, over 600 placemakers from all over the world will meet to share, test, question and connect.

The #PlacemakingWeek program:
placemaking-europe.eu/pwe/reggio-e...

#Placemaking #PlacemakingEurope

Articles to help us learn how to make great squares from @sociallifeproject.bsky.social:
www.sociallifeproject.org/tag/squares/

Squares can be small, and still include many layers of purpose and meaning.

Piazzetta Capri, Italy

@placemakingx.bsky.social @sociallifeproject.bsky.social

Highlights from the Bienalle of Public Space in Rome today, with #publicapace and #Placemaking leaders gathering from around the world.

Our @ethankent.bsky.social led the session for UN Habitat’s Global Public Space Network.

Join us in Rome, or virtually, the next few days, for the Biennial of #PublicSpace.
www.cityspacearchitecture.org?e=78

A montage of photos of volunteer events and Zohran. It says: “50 Days To Win A New York We Can Afford.”

50 days to victory.

Pledge to vote: zohranfornyc.com/pledge

Sign up to canvass: zohranfornyc.com/events

Let’s turn the page on the broken politics of the past and win a city we can actually afford.

Block parties always bring out the best in Brooklyn.

@sociallifeproject.bsky.social @stoopstories.bsky.social

Voices from the #GlobalPlacemakingSummit. Great conversation from @spacing.bsky.social's podcast @spacingradio.bsky.social.

With @placemaking-canada.bsky.social, @tjhfx.bsky.social, @andrew-pask.bsky.social
#PlacemakingCanada #Placemaking

Thanks so much Glyn for coming to the #GlobalPlacemakingSummit by @placemaking-canada.bsky.social & @placemakingx.bsky.social, and for masterfully conducting this podcast with @tjhfx.bsky.social @andrew-pask.bsky.social, myself and others. We're very grateful to @spacing.bsky.social.

“The best way to handle the problem of ‘undesirables’ is to make a place attractive to everyone else" #WilliamHWhyte

Episode 89: Global Ideas for Local Placemaking In this episode we bring you the highlights from Global Placemaking Summit which took place in March at Evergreen in Toronto. First, we drill down into the meaning to the term with some of the event

Global Ideas for Local #Placemaking by @spacingradio.bsky.social's @glynbowerman.bsky.social: soundcloud.com/spacingradio...

@spacing.bsky.social @placemaking-canada.bsky.social @tjhfx.bsky.social @andrew-pask.bsky.social @ethankent.bsky.social @evergreencanada.bsky.social
#GlobalPlacemakingSummit

PODCAST: Spacing Radio 089, Global ideas for local placemaking - Spacing Toronto In this episode we bring you the highlights from Global Placemaking Summit which took place in March at Evergreen in Toronto. First, we drill down into the meaning to the term with some of the event o...

On th latest @spacingradio.bsky.social, we bring you the highlights from the Global Placemaking Summit held at @evergreencanada.bsky.social. We speak to experts from around the world: spacing.ca/toronto/2025...

October 1st Screening: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Please join us for a Special Screening of William H. (“Holly”) Whyte's newly restored film–The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces–with the Founders of Project for Public Spaces and The Social Life Proj...

📽️ 🍿 October 1st Screening: The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

Please join us for a Special Screening of #WilliamHWhyte's newly restored film–The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces–with the Founders of @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social & The Social Life Project:
www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l...

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

Revisiting the newly restored classic film by William H. Whyte
www.sociallifeproject.org/the-social-l...

@anthologyfilm.bsky.social @placemakingx.bsky.social @ppsplacemaking.bsky.social

#Placemaking #PublicSpace #Urbanism #WilliamHWhyte

Loved Kingston, NY’s walkable, dynamic, compact and all-scale #downtown.

@sociallifeproject.bsky.social
@kingstonny.bsky.social #StreetsAsPlaces

Rhinebeck, New York was looking charming, drawing many to stroll and socialize. @sociallifeproject.bsky.social #StreetsAsPlaces

Join us in New Zealand this November!

With @tjhfx.bsky.social @placemaking-canada.bsky.social @guillbernal.bsky.social @cityshaper.bsky.social @ethankent.bsky.social

#PlacemakingAotearoa #PlacemakingNZ #Placemaking #UrbanHealth #HealthyPlaces

#ICUH25 presents its third plenary on "Place Matters"!

We're lucky to welcome @ethankent.bsky.social ED @placemakingx.bsky.social — whose decades of #placemaking work continue to shape #communities around the world

Eager to learn from Ethan? Join us in Wellington this fall!

Tickets: icuh2025.org

Looking forward to participating! #PlacemakingAotearoa #UrbanHealth #HealthyPlaces

📣 Announcing: the 5th Int'l #PlacemakingWeek is heading to #Detroit, Michigan, USA, June 24–26, 2026! 🎉Co-hosted by
Downtown Detroit Partnership, this global gathering celebrates #publicspaces, creativity, & community. 🔗 Learn more: placemakingweek.org
#Placemaking #DowntownDet #DowntownDetroit