March 16, 2022 – Niantic, developer of Pokémon GO and provider of augmented reality (AR) technologies, has announced that it has partnered with Project for Public Spaces, a US nonprofit organization focused on supporting local organizations in their efforts to create useful, vibrant, and inspiring public spaces for everyone.
The company stated that it is aware of the importance of public space and is very interested in supporting public spaces in places that are lacking in green space, funding, and overall support.
As part of its journey to create games and technology that help encourage outdoor exploration, Niantic will work with Project for Public Spaces to help fund a Community Placemaking Grant project to help a community-wide destination better serve people who have historically been left out.
Project for Public Spaces has created a Community Placemaking Grants website where organizations currently seeking out a grant opportunity to rehabilitate or better support a public space can find more information.
According to the organization, Niantic’s funding will help support a placemaking project in one American city or town to help a major destination engage and improve the visitor experience for underserved members of the community. The selected applicant will have the opportunity to work with local residents and partners to facilitate a placemaking process in collaboration with Project for Public Spaces that results in “physical and programmatic improvements to the space.”
The selected recipient will receive:
- USD $40,000 in funding for physical and programmatic improvements to a public space;
- Design, research, community engagement, and implementation support from Project for Public Spaces;
- Peer learning opportunities to meet, learn from, and share with fellow grantees and others; and finally,
- Promotion and programming for the public space through Niantic’s augmented reality games.
“We’re ecstatic to be working with a social impact partner that shares our values so closely,” said Nate Storring, Deputy Executive Director of Project for Public Spaces. “We have long been admirers of Niantic’s dedication to virtual experiences that invite people into real public spaces and encourage them to connect with each other, and we look forward to giving those opportunities to more people through this partnership.”
In a company blog post, Yennie Solheim, Director of Social Impact at Niantic stated that the company is now looking for US-based organizations that have “creative, thoughtful ideas, and an openness to engaging in an open-ended planning process with their communities.”
For more information on Niantic and its augmented reality software and games that inspire users to engage with the physical world, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: Niantic
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.