This holiday season, I’ve been reflecting on ways to give more meaningful gifts to loved ones. While I’ll still gift much-loved LEGO city skylines or artisan goods inspired by my favorite places, this year I’m considering something with a broader impact: donations to initiatives that are building better cities.

As cities facing mounting challenges, it feels like the right time to try something new. For years, governments have increasingly turned to public-private partnerships (P3s) to drive critical infrastructure and placemaking projects. Lately we’ve seen the rise of philanthropic capital leading to a transformative new type of model: public-private-philanthropic partnerships, or P4s.

This season, I’m bringing together the spirit of giving with one of my favorite topics—P3s. By adding a dash of philanthropy to the mix, these partnerships create a kind of holiday magic that will reshape how communities are built, sustained, and revitalized.

Hope this gets you thinking,

Founder and CEO, Building Better Cities

Philanthropy brings a unique advantage to the table: a higher tolerance for risk, longer time horizons, and flexibility to navigate the complexities of urban development. These qualities can bridge public and private resources and build projects that might otherwise stall due to limited government budgets or short-term private interests. Here are some of my favorite organizations that are augmenting public and private initiatives to build better cities:

Revitalize Downtowns with P4s

These two efforts are the most conventional P4s on the list. This October, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro launched an initiative to revitalize downtown Pittsburgh by uniting public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Similarly, Mayor Karen Bass’ LA4LA program uses a P4 model to address Los Angeles’ housing challenges. Hear more about this in the latest Building Better Cities podcast!

Placemake with Civic Crowdfunding

Some of you might remember my research on crowdfunding’s ability to shape our cities. Crowdfunding platforms like Patronicity and Spacehive empower communities to lead transformative projects. From parks to public art, local governments are matching donation to double the impact. The magic of crowdfunding can be seen in the picture at the top: London’s Camden Highline.

Empower Communities to Protect Affordability

Trust Neighborhoods helps neighborhoods facing gentrification pressures by creating a mixed-income neighborhood trusts. Your donation helps build Trust Neighborhood’s capacity so they can be more responsive to community leaders who are seeking to stabilize rents, preserve affordability, and protect residents from displacement. Stay tuned for an upcoming podcast episode on this topic!

Rebuild Cities After Natural Disasters

This year has been marked by natural disasters that have devastated cities, leaving them in urgent need of both immediate relief and long-term strategies for building resilience. Alongside public and private efforts, organizations like the American Red Cross and Global Giving Disaster Relief Funds promote sustainable recovery initiatives, helping communities rebuild stronger for the future.

Deliver On-The-Ground Projects with Local NGOs

Consider supporting NGOs dedicated to revitalizing neighborhoods and empowering residents. Groundwork USA’s local chapters focus on building sustainable communities through brownfield redevelopment and urban greening. Your donation supports projects that transform underutilized spaces into thriving community assets. 

We have published 5 (yes- FIVE!) episodes. Have you hit subscribe yet? Take a listen to Building Better Cities on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure to follow/subscribe/like and share with your network! Here’s the latest:

The election postmortem is well underway and this year provided plenty of material for reflection. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), infrastructure performed exceptionally well in state and local elections, citing the billions of dollars that voters approved or renewed at the ballot box. However, the approval rates among ballot measures impacting city development reflect nuanced voter priorities. We’re revisiting the four ballot measures we discussed in October to explore how they fared and what their outcomes mean for the future of cities.

Let’s connect! I would love to hear from you and learn more about your work. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a conversation. In the meantime, please forward this email and subscribe your friends.