DPPC presents at Walk/Bike/Places in New Orleans

Last month, Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy (DPPC) Executive Director Cliff Wood and Program Director Jen Smith attended the Project for Public Spaces and Southwest Airlines Walk/Bike/Places conference. Connecting people from cities around the globe, this conference focuses on work being done on biking, walking and placemaking.

This summer, the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy was awarded a $125,000 Heart of the Community grant from Southwest Airlines, in conjunction with Project for Public Spaces. According to a Southwest Airlines blog post announcing the winners, “This year, the Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community grant was made available to previous recipients between 2013 – 2016 to support the ongoing evolution and sustainability of their public spaces. We are proud to announce this year’s recipients and continue our support of these great places!”

Program Director Jen Smith was one of five grant recipients to be named to the 2018 Southwest Airlines Heart of the Community Cohort Advisory Committee and was invited to speak at this year’s Walk/Bike/Places conference. She presented a history of the work the DPPC has done in Greater Kennedy Plaza since its inception in 2010, followed by an overview on fundraising and fostering creative partnerships.

The relationship with Project for Public Spaces and Southwest Airlines has been instrumental in helping the DPPC team continue to grow their programming and help transform Greater Kennedy Plaza.

Learn more about the DPPC by visiting their website, or attending one of their free events in Burnside Park such as Spooky Storytime + Haunted Art in the Park.