Public spaces play a vital role in all our lives. They are the paths we bike on, the public parks we play in, and the town centers where we shop. Decisions about how to design and manage these spaces can have long-term impacts on the social, economic, and environmental health of our communities.

Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, a signature program of Purdue Extension Community Development in collaboration with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, addresses public spaces and their role in enhancing the quality of place by helping regions, communities, and neighborhoods plan and prepare for a sustainable future.

The Indiana-based curriculum is designed for use by decision makers and local leaders who oversee and manage community public spaces, such as parks boards and planning commission members, public officials and their staff, and members of organizations whose missions are related to providing services, programs, or management of public spaces. The program provides a framework for collecting data on community assets and using that data to design a high-quality plan that can guide impactful improvements on public spaces.

For more information, visit the Purdue Extension Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces website.