Placemaking Week is a global gathering of public space professionals and advocates that emphasizes hands-on learning and innovative social events, while leaving behind a placemaking legacy in host cities.
This conference will take place over three days and consists of plenaries, breakout sessions, on-site and off-site workshops, networking receptions, and more.
Embracing a wide variety of sectors and disciplines, the event creates a dynamic forum for attendees to develop and share concrete strategies to advance placemaking both locally and globally. The International Placemaking Week conference has proven to be a vital platform to build connections and share ideas across borders, to provoke local debate and action on public space, and to experience the host city’s places, issues, and initiatives firsthand.
The next International Placemaking Week will be in Detroit, Michigan, USA, from June 24-26, 2026!
Placemaking Week 2026 sessions and receptions will take place in a number of special sites around Downtown Detroit! We’ll gather in prominent public spaces like Campus Martius and Beacon Park, and also at iconic venues like Michigan Central and The Department at Hudson’s. We’ll share more information on venues and their locations in the coming weeks!
Read the latest article on our blog to learn why we’re excited about #PlacemakingWeek in Detroit and why YOU should join us!
Don’t miss out on important announcements! We will continue to update www.placemakingweek.org, including this FAQ page, with all conference news as soon as they’re available, including registration, program content, speakers, hotels and travel, events, and more.
Early registration is now open. We strongly encourage registering early—our last Placemaking Week SOLD OUT!!
Make sure to sign up for Project for Public Spaces’ Placemaking Roundup newsletter to receive the latest right in your inbox!
Support of Placemaking Week aligns your organization with a globally recognized movement for community-driven public spaces while connecting you to tens of thousands of public space leaders worldwide. Your support directly funds scholarships, helps us showcase innovative public spaces, and connects an international audience for deeper collaboration.
Check out our Sponsorship Package for more information. For questions about sponsorship, please contact Jacob Cohen at jcohen@pps.org.
The Call for Proposals for Placemaking Week breakout sessions has closed. If you submitted a proposal, you will be sent a notification in February 2026.
The 2026 program for Detroit will begin to roll out in March 2026. In the meantime, to learn more about Placemaking Week—its programming, activities, and impact—check out the conference report from our most recent event in Baltimore, Maryland, which includes a highlight video and photo gallery that will give you a sense of what to expect. You can also see the reports from our conferences in 2019, 2017, and 2016.
Early registration will open on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
Individual registration starts at $625 and will include access to all conference activities, including plenary and breakout sessions, a mobile workshop of your choice, coffee breaks, and evening events, some of which will include a drink and small bites. There may be opportunities to sign up for offsite activities as well, such as tours.
To get a sense of the Placemaking Week experience, check out the conference report from our most recent event in Baltimore, Maryland, complete with highlight videos and photo galleries.
Yes, attendees are eligible for AICP credits. After the conference, visit the American Planning Association website to register for AICP CM credits for the plenaries, workshops, and breakout sessions that you attended!
You may apply for scholarships by completing this form by March 30, 2026, 11:59pm ET. Scholarships will follow a pay-what-you-can model where applicants will propose what they are able to pay to attend this conference. This amount will not be considered as part of the selection process. Applicants will be notified of their status in early April 2026.
Any scholarship amount awarded applies directly to the cost of registration fees only. We are unable to offer support for travel, accommodation, or other expenses.
Historically, urban planning, design and related fields have mostly been accessible to a privileged few. This scholarship application process will prioritize practitioners from low-income communities, communities of color, and other communities affected by social inequities, as well as emerging practitioners (under 5 years of experience). Given recent disruptions in the civil service, state and federal workers in relevant fields who have lost their positions since January 1, 2025, will also be eligible for scholarships. All applicants must clearly describe how the conference will support their current work or professional development.
You can find hotel and travel information on our dedicated Travel & Venues page, where we are offering a limited number of rooms in several hotel blocks.
Stay tuned as we share more information about Placemaking Week’s various venues, along with other helpful tips such as restaurant recommendations and transit links to help you plan your stay.
Registered attendees will be able to sign up for a Mobile Workshop on our conference platform, Whova, starting on March 26, 2026. Full descriptions are available on Whova, and linked here for your convenience. Capacities are limited for each workshop and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
The placemaking movement is vast and growing worldwide! Between our International Placemaking Week conferences, please visit our partners at PlacemakingX, which curates and supports many regional placemaking networks and events around the world. These networks grew out of earlier efforts by Project for Public Spaces and our partners to convene placemaking leaders around the world.
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Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, Project for Public Spaces has spent the past five decades bringing some of the most successful public places in the world to life. Today, it remains committed to putting community participation at the center of everything it does, from placemaking partnerships with corporations and foundations to workshops, trainings, conferences, on-the-ground design and planning services, and more. The interdisciplinary team has helped over 3,500 communities in 52 countries create inclusive places that change society for the better. Project for Public Spaces is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
