With a staff of 24, PPS worked in 31 states and 11 countries last year, joining with local citizen groups, public officials, foundations, and businesses to engage in "placemaking." This means taking every opportunity to look at streets, parks, buildings, transportation, and public markets with an eye toward promoting public life and pedestrian activity.

It is fitting that the Jerde Partnership would be headquartered in L.A., the mini-mall capital of the world. Founded by Jon Jerde in the city's Venice neighborhood, the firm has become wildly successful at what it calls "placemaking."

This involves designing shopping malls, hotels, resorts — whatever. Jerde isn't interested in making an architectural statement with its buildings; it bills itself as in the business of giving patrons a memorable experience.

The company advertises on its Web site: "Experience makes people want to come to a place, and more importantly, want to come back."

Lancelot Brown called his work 'placemaking'. He saw himself as Nature's partner, striving to remove the accidental defects and to reveal the ideal character of a place which would then stimulate the imagination of the beholder. Never before or since has so much soil been moved for beauty's sake.