Southwest Airlines is accepting applications for its Heart of the Community grants until Dec. 5 to strengthen communities and stimulate local economies through placemaking, according to a Southwest Airlines news release.

Dallas-based Southwest and partner, Project for Public Spaces, are teaming up again to fund the peacemaking projects that use inspiration from the local community to create a public space and “contribute to people’s health, happiness, and well being.”

“Everyone has the right to quality public spaces, and we all have a role to play in shaping them,” said Fred Kent, founder and president of Project for Public Spaces. “By collectively reimagining public spaces at the heart of every community, we can strengthen the connection between people and the places they share and maximize their shared value, resulting in positive social, economic, and environmental benefits.”

“Everyone has the right to quality public spaces, and we all have a role to play in shaping them.”
Fred Kent

The grants fund plaza areas with great offerings but low curb-appeal to make improvements that will draw the community together.

The Pratt & Light Plaza in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, gained events, landscaping, and seating while Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, New Mexico, got a proper spring cleaning and beautifying from Southwest employees, according to Southwest: The Magazine. 

“At Southwest Airlines, we have spent the past 45 years democratizing the skies—now we are creating an open seating policy in public spaces by helping people build meaningful connections with those around them,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest vice president and chief communications officer. “These connections are creating the foundation for more resilient communities where local residents have a sense of ownership and pride in the places they call home with the people they love.”

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