Creating Places People Want to Be
A strong economy needs more than jobs and buildings. It needs communities where people want to live, build careers, raise families, visit, and invest.
Placemaking is the intentional work of creating and improving the spaces, amenities, and experiences that bring people together and strengthen their connection to their community.
Quality of place matters to economic vitality. BSED works with community partners to support parks, trails, arts and cultural amenities, recreational facilities, gathering places, public facilities, and other investments that make Yellowstone County an attractive place to live, work, and visit.
What Does Community Placemaking Include?
Parks & Trails
Supporting planning, partnerships, funding strategies, and projects that expand recreational opportunities, improve access to the outdoors, and connect people with their community.
Community Amenities
Community amenities are the places and facilities that contribute to quality of life and create opportunities for recreation, culture, learning, connection, and community activity.
These can include:
- Arts and cultural venues
- Recreation and sports facilities
- Libraries and community centers
- Parks, trails, and open areas
- Stadiums and event facilities
- Public gathering places
- Other civic and community facilities
Locally, amenities such as the Amend Recreation Campus (ARC), Signal Peak Energy Ice Arena, Daylis Stadium, Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM), Billings Public Library, and community centers all contribute to the quality of place that helps make our community a desirable place to live, work, visit, and invest.
Public & Gathering Places
Supporting welcoming and accessible areas where residents and visitors can gather, connect, participate in community life, and build a stronger sense of place.
Community & Downtown Vitality
Supporting projects and partnerships that add activity, identity, connection, and vibrancy to neighborhoods, downtowns, and community gathering areas.
Project Development
Helping organizations turn community ideas into actionable projects through planning, partnerships, resource identification, grant development, and collaboration.
From Ideas to Action
Community placemaking projects rarely happen through the work of one organization alone. BSED helps bring partners together, identify resources and funding opportunities, develop projects, coordinate stakeholders, and create a path from an idea to implementation.
Why Placemaking Matters
Communities compete for people as well as businesses. Quality parks, recreational facilities, arts and cultural venues, public places, civic amenities, and vibrant neighborhoods all contribute to a community’s ability to attract and retain residents, workforce, businesses, and visitors.
Great places help communities:
- Attract and retain workforce
- Strengthen neighborhoods
- Create opportunities for recreation and connection
- Support arts, culture, and community identity
- Improve quality of life
- Create community pride
- Support tourism
- Strengthen long-term economic vitality
Space2Place is one of the ways BSED supports smaller-scale placemaking efforts throughout Yellowstone County.
Current Projects
Coulson Park
Coulson Park is being developed as a regional outdoor destination and gateway connecting Interstate 90 with downtown Billings. Working with the City of Billings Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Department and community partners, a master plan has been created to guide the park’s long-term development.
With continued support from community partners and advocates, implementation of that vision is underway, creating new opportunities for recreation, community gathering, and connection to the Yellowstone River.
