The concept of placemaking has long faced challenges of definition and measurement. While often celebrated for transforming public spaces and fostering community engagement, its true impact on people’s emotions, behaviors, and sense of belonging has remained difficult to quantify. A groundbreaking study, The Value and Impact of Placemaking, now provides robust evidence of what many designers and planners have long suspected: placemaking works.
Conducted by Toronto Metropolitan University in collaboration with Entro, The Daniels Corporation, Lemay, and MASSIVart, the study offers empirical evidence that placemaking interventions yield measurable improvements across emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions.
Built environments augmented through placemaking were found to generate significantly more positive responses, from feelings of safety and relaxation to stronger identification and willingness to spend time and money in those places.
Participants across five virtual environments, including retail, real estate, office, public, and transit spaces, reported remarkable differences when comparing “baseline” settings with those enhanced through placemaking.
Creative placemaking increases positive ROI, study from Toronto Metropolitan University and industry leaders finds
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50%
increase in the intention to spend time in the built environment
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53%
increase in positive perceptions of the location, resulting in environments that were seen as culturally vibrant, safe, friendly, and supporting an improved quality of life
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63%
increase in positive feelings towards the locations, resulting in environments that were more inviting, beautiful, stimulating and comfortable
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77%
increased likelihood for individuals to recommend the site to friends, family, and acquaintances
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74%
increased likelihood for individuals to share information about the location, which can translate to organic conversations that could create increased foot traffic and exposure through word-of-mouth or social media sharing
“This research opens up new possibilities for evidence-based design of cities, buildings and spaces. The study provides a strong empirical foundation to inform design and decision-making, and helps us understand the immediate and enduring benefits of implementing placemaking for retail, real estate, transit and public spaces.”
Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois, Associate Professor at the School of Creative Industries at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University
From Perception to Participation
The implications of these findings reach far beyond aesthetics. Placemaking was shown to boost the alignment between people’s self-identity and their surroundings, by 53 percent. This reinforces the notion that people are more likely to engage with, share, and return to spaces that reflect their values and aspirations.
The research also recorded a 77 percent increase in people recommending such spaces to others and a 74 percent increase in the likelihood of sharing information about them online or through word of mouth. This demonstrates how well-designed environments foster community interaction while also serving as organic amplifiers for visibility, loyalty, and economic activity.
Entro’s Role in Evidence-Based Placemaking
As one of the key industry collaborators, Entro played a central role in shaping both the conceptual and practical aspects of the study.
Drawing from its extensive expertise in experiential design, wayfinding, and environmental branding, Entro helped create interventions that reflect how design influences emotional and cognitive engagement. Its contribution highlighted the importance of integrating visual communication, signage, and identity systems as part of the placemaking process, helping to enhance clarity, safety, and the sense of belonging in shared spaces.
Entro’s work demonstrates the firm’s commitment to designing spaces that invite participation and connection. Through this collaboration, Entro continues to advance an evidence-based understanding of how design translates into tangible social and economic value.
This study redefines placemaking not as a soft or artistic pursuit but as a measurable, impactful strategy that supports business performance, community well-being, and civic identity. By proving that people are 50 percent more likely to spend time in spaces enhanced through thoughtful design, it positions placemaking as a catalyst for both emotional resonance and commercial vitality.
In a world where every interaction with space matters, the evidence is clear: placemaking is not just about place, it is about people.
Read a more detailed summary of the research process and findings here or access the full study published in the March 2023 issue of City, Culture and Society.