DALLAS, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) grew its multi-year commitment to
placemaking and local community development, announcing that six
cities across the U.S. will receive Heart of the Community
grants to reimagine and activate important, underutilized local
public spaces.
In conjunction with Earth Day,
Southwest Airlines Employees will complete environmentally-focused
volunteer projects in many of the Heart of the Community
cities. Placemaking, an emerging movement with environmentalist
roots, positions public spaces as an engine for urban development,
serving as a catalyst for building sustainable, healthy, inclusive,
and economically viable neighborhoods.
Southwest's lead partner, Project for Public Spaces (PPS), has
refined the participatory placemaking process for more than 40
years. 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 and 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.
Throughout 2015, the following six public spaces will be
developed, programmed, and activated as part of the Southwest
program:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Civic Plaza
- Ft. Myers, Florida: Cornog
Plaza
- Jacksonville, Florida:
Hemming Park
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
4MKE: 4th Street and Wisconsin Avenue
- Portland, Maine: Congress
Square Park
- 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.
"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 large-scale public-private
partnerships, and strength of the commitment demonstrated by local
partners.
Nonprofit organizations in each of the cities will administer
the local grants. Partners include DowntownABQ MainStreet
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. 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.
Read more about the key role public spaces play in community
building: Places in the Making, an MIT whitepaper. Southwest's ongoing commitment, via
Employee volunteering and the Heart of the Community
grants, is to award $1 million
in 2015 across the six cities in order to aid their placemaking
projects.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV)
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 3,600 flights a day, serving 94 destinations
across the United States and six
additional countries. Southwest service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, begins in
June 2015; and subject to government
approvals, service to Belize City,
Belize begins in October 2015.
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. The Company operates
the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, the majority of
which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate-to-gate
connectivity while over the United States. That connectivity
enables Customers to use their personal devices to access streaming
music provided by Beats Music or to view video on-demand movies and
television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV
compliments of our valued Partners. 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) to
everyone, and there are never reservation 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 on June 18,
1971, Southwest Airlines 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 whenever the carrier enters new
markets. 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. The 2013 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found
at Southwest.com/citizenship.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online
at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
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. PPS was founded in 1975 to
apply and expand on the work of William
(Holly) Whyte, the author of The Social Life of Small Urban
Spaces. Since then, 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
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines