Lee County Library System to Receive Placemaking Grant from Southwest Airlines

FORT MYERS, Fla. - April 22, 2015 - PRLog -- Southwest Florida, April 22, 2015– Today, Southwest Airlines  grew their multi-year commitment to Placemaking and local community development, announcing that Lee County, one of six locations across the U.S. will receive a Heart of the Community (http://www.pps.org/heart-of-the-community/) grant to enhance the Cornog Plaza on the campus of the Fort Myers Regional Library. Southwest Airlines will provide a $50,000 grant to the Lee County Library System (http://leelibrary.net/Pages/default.aspx) to transform the Cornog Plaza into an interactive space through a combination of expanded amenities and family-oriented programming. The Library System will work with the community to determine a clear vision and programming platform for the space. The grant also funds a variety of physical amenities, such as tables and chairs, outdoor reading rooms and information kiosks – bringing new life and vibrancy to public spaces.

Placemaking is an emerging movement with environmentalist roots that positions public spaces as engines for urban development, serving as catalysts for building sustainable, healthy, inclusive and economically viable neighborhoods. For more than 40 years, Southwest’s lead partner Project for Public Spaces (PPS) has refined the participatory Placemaking process. Now in the second official year of the program, two former Heart of the Community grant recipients open spaces today in Baltimore and San Diego; ongoing projects in Chicago and Houston will open later this year. Three transformative pilot projects in Detroit, Providence and San Antonio gave strong credence to the connecting and catalytic power of Placemaking.

“We are extremely happy to be recipients of the initiative. Southwest Airlines and the Project for Public Spaces are trailblazers and we are gratified to be working with them,” says Sheldon Kaye, Lee County Library System Director.

The five additional public spaces to be developed as part of Southwest’s Heart of the Community initiative include: Albuquerque, New Mexico: Civic Plaza; Jacksonville, Florida: Hemming Park; Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 4MKE: 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue; Portland, MAINE: Congress Square Park and St. Louis, Missouri: Strauss Park.

“Cities are more than destinations—they are places of human connections and livelihood,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman, President and CEO of Southwest Airlines.  “Our Purpose at Southwest is to connect People to what’s important in their lives.  What better way to do that than by helping to create more access to our public spaces where communities can come together.”

Strengthened by broad community participation and engagement, Placemaking incorporates the planning, design, management and program development for public spaces as a means to advance vibrant, sustainable communities. Placemaking strengthens the connection between people and the places they share. For the past half-century, common urban problems, like traffic dominated streets, unused parks and isolated, underperforming capital improvement projects have led to increased feelings of social isolation and division.

Tantamount to the social benefits of Placemaking, the process minimizes environmental impact by challenging individuals to reimagine public space without reliance on major capital projects and overconsumption of natural resources.

“The best way to build a sustainable world is by focusing on Place,” said Fred Kent, Founder and President of PPS. “Placemaking is more than how we design public spaces—it is a means by which people are collectively and intentionally shaping their environment and building deep and lasting community ties. Placemaking turns our approaches to land-use, transportation, governance and the environment upside-down by asking people what they fundamentally need in a public space and empowering them to be a part of the development process”

These six Heart of the Community spaces were selected through a competitive application process. Proposed projects are evaluated in terms of preliminary work and preparedness, capacity for local impact, potential for catalytic backing and strength of the commitment demonstrated by local partners.

Nonprofit organizations in each of the cities will administer the local grants. Partners include Downtown ABQ Main Street Initiative, Lee County Library System, Friends of Hemming Park, Creative Alliance Milwaukee, Friends of Congress Square Park and Grand Center, Inc. As a part of the Heart of the Community grant, each local partner will receive technical assistance from PPS to set a clear vision and programming platform, activating the space.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines  continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually.  Southwest operates more than 3,400 flights a day, serving 93 destinations across the U.S. and five additional countries.

Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s most recent data, Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer Bags Fly Free® (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply), and there are never change fees, although fare differences might apply. In 2014, the airline proudly unveiled a bold new look:  Heart. The new aircraft livery, airport experience and logo, showcase the dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what’s important in their lives.

From its first flights June 18, 1971, the launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 42 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet.

ABOUT PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES
Project for Public Spaces is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Its pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs. The organization has completed projects in over 3000 communities in 43 countries and all 50 US states and are the premier center for best practices, information and resources on Placemaking. www.pps.org and www.pps.org/heart-of-the-community

To schedule an interview with an official from Southwest Airlines or Project for Public Spaces contact Ashley Bain at ashley.bain@edelman.com or 214-443-7586.