Events and Funding News

NPC Newsletter January 31, 2026

Sharing events, grant and proposal deadlines

• Mini-Course • "An Introduction to Inclusive & Equitable Community Engagement" (Online Training), presented by Project for Public Spaces and led by Connect the Dots on March 17 and 19, will teach you how to connect public voices to decision-making processes. Early registration is open and a scholarship opportunity is available! Register.

• Call for Proposals • "Great Places Awards" by Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) seeks to recognize great places that combine expertise in design, research, and practice. Due February 1. Submit.

• Grant • National Trust Preservation Funds by the National Trust for Historic Preservation supports ongoing preservation projects. Due February 2. Apply.

• Webinar • Meeting community need through redevelopment of oversized parking lots in the Hudson Valley. Dive into the research conducted by Pattern for Progress. February 3 at 9:00 a.m. Register.

• Call for Proposals • The 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference by Center for Community Progress is looking for presenters. Due February 11. Submit.

• Call for Proposals • The APBP Conference by The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals is looking for session speakers. Due February 15. Submit.

• Grant • National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places, provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America. Applications due March 3. Learn more here.

• Grant • T-Mobile Hometown Grant Program by Main Street America is now accepting applications for grants up to $50K. Due March 31. Apply.

• The New York Community Trust, helping nonprofits thrive and innovate in New York, Long Island, Westchester, and beyond. Ongoing competitive opportunities. Read more here.




Reusing overbuilt and underutilized parking lots.

In their recent report, Built for Cars, Ready for People, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress examines how communities are becoming more creative and aggressive with their policies on reusing oversized parking lots to address community needs.

Case studies look at projects in the Hudson Valley, but can guide any town in thinking through outdated zoning codes and old land use decisions and address modern climate and environmental issues.


The Public Square


As we walk through alleyways of skyscrapers and drive through town centers to local parking lots, the landscape of colonial cities and towns feels far away. In those early days, the "village green" or "town square" served as the focal point for community gathering - a central working space where activities of civic, social, spiritual life, and even livestock grazing took place.

In this 250th anniversary year of American Independence, we take time to reflect on ideas that shaped community interaction in public spaces and in the way towns and villages organized the built environment.

Early greens were mud-filled spaces where animals grazed, militia practiced, religious activities took place, vendors hawked their wares and news was shared.

The vitality of the central space was cultivated after the Revolutionary War, codifying spaces where organizations, foundational to a democratic society, would be located and the public would gather.

Town centers, public squares and open streets remain vital to livable communities today.

Above: Original layout of the Town of Windsor, CT

Above: American Colonial Village - Old New England and Virginia, collection of Newberry Library

Union Square, New York City

Have a question or idea about your neighborhood preservation project?

Share your thoughts, suggestions, or resources by emailing us at:

info@nycnpc.org

NPC Newsletter Contributors

L. Danielle Cylich: NPC Board President, Danielle Cylich is always ready to share enthusiasm about the rich history and beauty found in the built environment and the people who inhabit our neighborhoods, and in protecting our natural resources.

The Neighborhood Preservation Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and enabling conversations about the need for community space - both physical and virtual - in order to improve the urban environment and quality of life.

We work to facilitate mutually beneficial connections between like-minded groups in the livable cities sector, share resources and champion neighborhoods.