Building neighbourhood connections through neighbour-led projects
Neighbourhood Placemaking is an annual program that supports neighbours to connect through neighbour-led projects. The program encourages residents to apply to lead the design and creation of place-based projects in their neighbourhood. Successful applicants will receive training, guidance and support funding.
Neighbourhood project ideas may include but are not limited to:
- Creating a pollinator garden or building a mini seed library.
- Painting on municipal street intersection(s) or basketball court(s).
- Creating a stepping stone path from upcycled materials.
- Building a creative neighbourhood bench.
- Making an outdoor community film screen.
- Any other creative idea you can think of that helps build relationships in your neighbourhood.
NEW: Apply to our climate stream
Residents are encouraged to submit applications for placemaking projects that address environmental sustainability. Projects submitted to the climate stream will be evaluated on:
- environmental Impact
- meaningful neighbourhood engagement and participation
- budget feasibility
- timeline feasibility
Projects can apply for between $1,500 and $10,000. The top-rated projects will be accepted until the total climate stream funding of $10,000 is fully allocated.
Apply for the program
We encourage interested applicants to attend an upcoming information session on October 1. Applicants can register for the free course Neighbourhood Placemaking 101 (course code: 23762) at halifaxregionalmunicipality.perfectmind.com.
Interested in applying but can’t attend the information session? Reach out to your local Community Developer with your project idea.
Applications close on October 30, 2025.
Learn more about the program
Neighbourhood Placemaking celebrates a community’s unique identity while fostering connections among neighbour and creating inviting public spaces. The goal: vibrant, welcoming neighbourhoods where people feel at home and have more chances to connect.
Local placemaking advocate, Greg Woolner, describes it as: Community working together to make (a) place special. They make it a place where people want to go to, where they feel safe and welcome. They make it beautiful and interesting. They make it meaningful, an expression of their own local culture.
Municipal employees support residents by helping to secure approvals and collaborating on accessible, creative and successful designs.
To learn more about Neighbourhood Placemaking, check out our new program resource documents, program FAQs and past program examples below.
- Program resources
- FAQs
- What level of commitment is required to take on a placemaking project?
Placemaking projects require a core team of committed neighbourhood volunteers to lead neighbourhood meetings, communicate with the neighbourhood, liaise with municipal team members, recruit volunteers, and plan and lead the celebration day. The core team typically works on the project from February until the event day. Successful projects require a committed team and are not possible with just one or two committed Core Team members.
- What level of community engagement is required?
The core team will organize neighbourhood meetings with demonstrated neighbourhood support, where the design, location, and volunteer recruitment will be discussed. We recommend additional forms of engagement, such as surveys, one-on-one conversations, flyers, and online polls and promotions.
- I’m not an artist or skilled trades person. How will we make a design we like?
Artists, designers and trade professionals are everywhere. You may be surprised to find professionals in your neighbourhood when you connect with residents about your project. Your Community Developer will support you through the process to make sure you connect with people who have the skills required.
- My project idea is not on municipally owned property. Can I still apply?
You are still welcome to apply to Neighbourhood Placemaking. The primary requirement is that your group has been given permission by the property owner to install or host your project on their property and that the location you choose is publicly accessible.
- How do I know if a property or street is municipally owned?
Most paved residential streets in the core are municipally owned and municipal parks will have Halifax branded signage. If you’re not sure, you can contact your local Community Developer to confirm for you.
- What is an encroachment?
An encroachment is a fixed structure that is placed on the right-of-way, including the sidewalk, street or grass area between the street and sidewalk. Projects cannot be built in an encroachment area unless your project includes only planting in the boulevard between the street and the sidewalk.
- Who is on the project team from the municipality?
The municipal team is made up of members from our Parks & Recreation, Traffic & Right of Way and Risk & Insurance divisions. They help core teams design a safe and impactful placemaking project
- What level of commitment is required to take on a placemaking project?
- Past successful applicants
- Hoops & Hues Basketball Court (2024)
Neighbours in the Woodlawn area of Dartmouth came together to transform their neighbourhood basketball court into a vibrant community destination. The initiative included painting a mural on the court, adding shaded seating and installing a rack with basketballs for public use. With support from local businesses, the residents’ association and enthusiastic volunteers, the project beautified the space and made it more welcoming for all ages.
Community engagement was central, with outreach through social media, door-to-door conversations and public meetings to gather ideas and recruit helpers. The revitalized court now serves as a lively, inclusive space that encourages connection, play and pride in the neighbourhood. Union Street Community Stepping Stones (2015)
Local residents wanted to continue to build on the success of a recently built community garden in this area by creating a series of stepping stones that were made by children and families in the neighbourhood.
Community members of all ages came together to remove pounds of Japanese Knotweed, pick up garbage and reclaim the overgrown path that once led through the woods to the garden. Stepping stones have now been installed along the forest footpath.Findlay Community Centre Film Screening Wall and Mural (June 2015)
Residents of the Findlay Community Centre/Hawthorn Elementary School area came together to plan a project to celebrate community identity and pride, grow new and deepen existing community connections, explore diverse uses of community space and provide an intergenerational opportunity for all neighbours to collaborate on a fun and creative project.
An outdoor, community-operated film screen space is now installed on the rear wall of Findlay Community Centre. This has become a new venue for residents to use as a backdrop for presentations, movie nights, community and regional arts events and for outdoor classroom opportunities.
The screening area is attractively framed by beautiful wall mural artwork of important Dartmouth imagery designed by local artist Lee Cripps and created by community participants.Pilot Project: Black Street and Northwood Terrace Intersection Painting (2011/12)
On July 14, 2012, neighbours came together to transform the intersection at Black Street and Northwood Terrace by painting a large community-created design on the street as part of a pilot project, cosponsored by the 4Cs Foundation. A group of community members, operating under the name of Placemaking Halifax, spearheaded this project in collaboration with the municipality. It was the first municipally supported, community driven street painting project in Canada.
The project was open to all residents of the neighbourhood, who gathered several times over the spring months. Painting day became a celebration with music, food, children’s activities, drumming circle, resident-led art installations, community discussions, and the intersection painting. Hundreds of people came by through the day to watch and participate.The success of this pilot project turned Placemaking into a permanent municipal program and invites neighbourhoods to initiate projects that activate shared public spaces to give a sense of place and build community.
- Hoops & Hues Basketball Court (2024)
- Contact us
Program questions? Email placemaking@halifax.ca or call 902.717.4483.