Project for Public Spaces awards $240,000 in grants

New York-based nonprofit Project for Public Spaces recently selected three organizations in Northwest Arkansas to receive Community Placemaking Grants for transforming their outdoor public spaces, according to a press release.

With the support of the Walton Family Foundation, the grant recipients will each receive $80,000 in planning, implementation, and capacity-building assistance from Project for Public Spaces to transform an underperforming public space into an active community space.

The project recipients include Farmington Public Library, Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville, and Twin Springs Park in Siloam Springs. They were selected based on several criteria, including commitment to equity and inclusion, community reach and partnerships.

Applicants participate in an open-ended community visioning process led by Project for Public Spaces. Throughout each project, the nonprofit also helps develop a budget for the costs of the improvements, programming, staffing and grant management. The nonprofit will also help develop plans and designs and provide guidance on implementing the improvements.

In its project, the Farmington Public Library wants to turn an underused lawn into a community hub for events. The library looks forward to making it an accessible and more functional outdoor venue and gathering place.

Leverett Elementary School wants to transform a large, underused lot into a multifunctional space as an extension of the traditional classroom. The school envisions a space to host events that bring together community members.

Twin Springs Park along Sager Creek in Siloam Springs is expected to “experiment with new programming that can reimagine traditional expectations and expand the possibilities for how the public might interact with the space in the future,” the release shows. “The engagement process will explore how the city can support self-led uses and new activations in the park and along the waterway.”

The Project for Public Spaces’ placemaking team has started working with grant recipients to organize visioning sessions within their communities before planning, designing, constructing and implementing programs. Projects are expected to be completed by October 2025.