How to tap into the evolution of placemaking from public good to global brand and place marketing asset

Placemaking has long been about creating vibrant, people-centered spaces. It’s a movement that traces its roots back to urban visionaries like Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte, who challenged the idea that cities should be designed around cars rather than people and communities.

But today, the impact of placemaking has evolved far beyond public benefit alone. In an era where social media dictates where people go and what they experience, the best placemaking projects don’t just enhance quality of life—they become some of the most powerful marketing assets available to developments and cities.

At Resonance, we’ve seen firsthand how strategic placemaking can elevate a city’s global brand, attract investment, and drive tourism. It’s why destinations and developers are now recognizing placemaking not just as an urban design tool, but as an essential piece of their place marketing strategy.

The topic is top-of-mind for us these days. Placemaking and place communications aren’t just about aesthetics—they are powerful economic drivers that attract talent, tourism, and investment.

Later this month, on Monday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET, Resonance VP, Strategy, Jeremie Feinblatt, is leading a session at the International Economic Development Council Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., titled “Placemaking Is Place Marketing: Strategies to Attract Talent, Visitors and Investment.”

If you’re attending, let us know and check out Jeremie’s session. Can’t make it? Check out these inspiring global examples of recent placemaking that’s elevating their cities’ ability to be in the conversation among new residents, talent, visitors and investment.

From Good Design to Economic Driver

Placemaking is often tossed around as a buzzword, applied liberally by developers and city planners alike. But at its core, successful placemaking can be categorized into three approaches:

• Strategic Placemaking: Long-term investment in public spaces that drive economic development and private-sector investment.
• Creative Placemaking: Leveraging art and culture to activate underutilized areas and engage communities.
• Tactical Placemaking: Short-term, low-cost interventions that test new uses of public spaces before making permanent changes.

When done well, these approaches don’t just serve residents—they shape a city’s identity and become organic marketing assets that visitors, locals, and the media can’t stop talking about.

Here’s how some of the most exciting placemaking projects today are putting cities on the map.

Strategic Placemaking: Revitalizing Cities and Driving Investment

Strategic placemaking initiatives have the power to transform urban landscapes, driving economic growth and revitalizing communities. Let’s delve deeper into notable examples, exploring their origins, rationales, and the key players involved in their development.

Campus Martius Park | Detroit, MI

By the late 1990s, Detroit’s Campus Martius area had deteriorated into a desolate expanse dominated by vehicular traffic, with vacant lots and minimal pedestrian activity. Once a bustling retail and transportation hub, it had lost its vibrancy, leaving behind a lifeless urban core. City leaders recognized the need to rejuvenate downtown Detroit to stimulate economic development and restore civic pride. The vision was to create a dynamic public space that would serve as a focal point for community activities, attract businesses, and encourage investment in the surrounding areas. 

The transformation began in 1999, spearheaded by a public-private partnership between the City of Detroit and the nonprofit Detroit 300 Conservancy. The project involved reconfiguring traffic patterns, relocating the historic Michigan Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, and developing a 1.2-acre park featuring performance stages, sculptures, and an ice-skating rink. Completed in 2004, Campus Martius Park has since become a vibrant gathering space, catalyzing over $500 million in adjacent redevelopment and serving as a model for urban revitalization.

Penn’s Landing | Philadelphia, PA

Situated along Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront, Penn’s Landing was historically underutilized and disconnected from the city’s urban fabric by the barrier created by Interstate 95. Despite its prime location, the area remained isolated, lacking the vibrancy of a thriving public space. The goal was to reconnect the city to its waterfront, creating a cohesive and accessible public realm that would serve as a catalyst to enhance urban livability, attract tourism, and stimulate private investment in the surrounding areas.

Led by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), the redevelopment plan includes the construction of a 12-acre park spanning from Front Street to the river between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, effectively capping a portion of I-95. The $225-million project features amenities such as a skating rink, water features, and a café, designed to accommodate both active and passive recreational activities. The DRWC selected The Durst Organization, a New York-based real estate firm, to develop the adjacent mixed-use spaces, which will encompass residential units, retail spaces, and a hotel.

More than just a public space, the project is expected to unlock over $2 billion in adjacent mixed-use development, turning what was once a disconnected stretch of land into one of the most desirable addresses in the city.

The Underline | Miami, FL

The land beneath Miami’s Metrorail was an underutilized corridor, characterized by vacant lots and neglected spaces that offered little value to the community. The vision for The Underline was to transform this 10-mile stretch into a linear park that would promote urban mobility, enhance public health, and stimulate economic development: a tropical (and street-level) High Line. 

The project includes pedestrian and cycling paths, native plantings, recreational areas, and public art installations. Spearheaded by the nonprofit Friends of The Underline in partnership with Miami-Dade County, the initiative has garnered support from various public and private entities. Upon full completion later this year, The Underline is expected to serve as a catalyst for billions in surrounding real estate investment, positioning Miami as a leader in sustainable urban development.

Creative Placemaking: When Public Art Becomes a City’s Calling Card

Creative placemaking integrates art, culture, and performance to bring a place to life. More than ever, these projects are not just enhancing cities—they’re turning them into global tourist attractions.

Superkilen | Copenhagen, Denmark

A triumph of multicultural placemaking, Superkilen Park transformed a once-ignored Copenhagen neighborhood into a vibrant, internationally renowned public space. Designed as an homage to the city’s immigrant communities, the park incorporates design elements from more than 50 different countries, including Moroccan fountains, Brazilian benches, and Japanese playground equipment.

The result? A neighborhood revival, rising property values, and a destination featured in global travel and design publications.

HOTA Outdoor Stage | Gold Coast, Australia

The Gold Coast, once primarily known for its beaches, has been redefining itself as a cultural powerhouse through creative placemaking. The HOTA Outdoor Stage—an architecturally stunning amphitheater—has transformed the city’s Home of the Arts precinct into a year-round cultural hub, hosting everything from live concerts to interactive art installations.

Not only has it solidified the Gold Coast’s cultural credentials, but it has also become one of the most Instagrammed locations in the region, proving that great placemaking is also great place marketing.

Tactical Placemaking: Small Moves, Big Impact

Sometimes, the most powerful placemaking projects start as temporary experiments that quickly prove their value. These tactical placemaking interventions, often low-cost and community-driven, help test new ideas before cities make permanent commitments.

Peachtree Shared Street | Atlanta, GA

What started as a pilot project—closing a stretch of Peachtree Street to traffic for a day—has now led to a permanent transformation of downtown Atlanta’s busiest corridor. After overwhelming public support, Atlanta is now designing a long-term vision for Peachtree as a European-style pedestrian boulevard—one that is already boosting foot traffic and property values.

The Bentway | Toronto, Canada

In 2018, Toronto unveiled The Bentway, a groundbreaking transformation of the unused space beneath the Gardiner Expressway into a multi-use urban park. It started as an experiment—a few skating trails, pop-up performances, and art installations—but quickly became a beloved destination.

Today, it’s a full-fledged public space that attracts millions of visitors annually, hosts global cultural events, and has sparked adjacent development, proving that underutilized infrastructure can become a city’s competitive advantage.

Placemaking is the New Place Marketing

When Project for Public Spaces first coined the term placemaking, it was about fostering social connection and enhancing quality of life. Today, those principles still hold—but the impact has expanded.

At Resonance, we see placemaking as one of the most powerful marketing tools cities and developers have at their disposal. The right placemaking strategy can:

• Increase global awareness: Social media and digital storytelling turn public spaces into international attractions.
  
• Drive tourism and investment: When done well, placemaking makes neighborhoods and cities more desirable.
• Shape brand perception: More than a skyline, a city’s public spaces define its experience and identity.

The best part? Cities no longer have to guess what works.

Through data-driven research, strategy development, and place branding expertise, Resonance helps destinations and developers craft placemaking initiatives that don’t just improve cities—they transform them into powerful, shareable, and high-impact marketing assets.

Interested in learning how placemaking can elevate your project, community and city? Let’s talk.