Placemaking in Planning: A simple buzzword or a new planning movement?
This article is an investigation into the role of placemaking in the modern planning profession, with a focus on the evolution of placemaking, evaluation through the lens of a case study in Edmonton, AB, and analysis through three planning theories. It is argued that the ideas of placemaking have existed for much longer than the word itself. A brief background is provided detailing the development of placemaking. Examples of placemaking throughout history are discussed with a focus on the writings of Jane Jacobs. The Imagine Jasper Avenue and Experience Jasper Avenue pilot projects are explored, with a discussion of their placemaking elements. The history of Jasper Avenue as Edmonton’s main street and efforts to reimagine Jasper Avenue in the face of intense public scrutiny are investigated. Finally, placemaking is analysed through three planning theories: Planning as Design, the theories of Michel Foucault, and Semiotics. The major themes of these theories and their application to both placemaking and the case study are examined.