Through a nine-month capacity building and leadership development program, as well as through financial support, the Boston Foundation intends to elevate an important, if unsung, field of practitioners who steward, enhance, and champion our shared places.

Creative, culturally vibrant, and equitable public spaces require dedicated stewards. These stewards are as varied as the places under their care: Main Streets, parks conservancies, Business Improvement Districts, CDCs, and others. These types of organizations have been increasingly responsible for the shape of their neighborhoods. They formulate policy, advocate for city services, activate public spaces, and so much more. Though they differ vastly in mandate and capacity, what unites these place managers is their vital role in representing community interest in the design and activation of shared spaces.

The Place Leadership Network will connect and strengthen leaders in the place management field. For nine months, local place-based leaders will learn from one another, access a network of expertise and resources, and develop transformative projects for their communities. Participants in the program, representing a diverse scale, geography, and constituency of the region, will be compensated for their participation. At the conclusion, the Boston Foundation will dedicate a meaningful fund available to participants to implement programs and projects that are developed as part of the Place Leadership Network.

This event is co-hosted by The Boston Foundation and the Boston Society of Architects/AIA (BSA).