Sugar Loaf, N.Y. – Aug. 25, 2014 – The Orange County Citizens Foundation has organized a “Placemaking Tour” of the Village of Montgomery, N.Y. for Saturday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The tour will provide community leaders, interested citizens, and planning and zoning board members a chance to learn more about how to create quality places at home.

Placemaking is a method that approaches planning, design, and management of public spaces in a multi-faceted way. It takes a hard look at a certain place, asking questions of its residents to determine their needs and aspirations. This information lays the groundwork for a common vision of that area, which can quickly evolve into an implementation strategy. Those plans start small, with do-able improvements that immediately bring benefit to public spaces and the people who use them.

“Our goal is to begin a candid discussion among people in our communities who are interested in placemaking to find the best techniques available to meet their goals,” said Nancy Proyect, president of the Orange County Citizens Foundation. “We want attendees to not only be inspired to create great communities, but to learn placemaking tools and develop connections with those who are already doing it.”

The guided walking tour – which starts and ends at Montgomery Village Hall, located at 133 Clinton St., Montgomery – will feature presentations by community and government officials about successes and challenges in making great places.

The program includes:

• Light breakfast
• Pre-tour presentations
• Guided walking tour
• Wrap-up discussion

There is no charge for this event and the public is invited. The excursion will be held rain or shine.

In the past, the Citizens Foundation has organized placemaking tours of Middletown, Beacon, Cornwall, Goshen, Pine Bush, Monroe, Sugar Loaf, Walden, and Warwick, as well as Ramsey, N.J. and Milford, Pa.

For more information, to sponsor, or to register, contact the Orange County Citizens Foundation at 845.469.9459 or info@occitizensfoundation.org.