Plattsburgh Project for Understanding Place
Research
The PPUP project represents our spirit of curiosity for the place we live-- the Adirondacks of northern New York, and the Lake Champlain Basin of Vermont, New York and Quebec. We ask important questions about how residents and visitors, businesses and government interact to create this place and the social-ecological system that sustains it. We strive for validity, reliability and transferability. Our research agenda is localized and applied, and we aspire to contribute to ongoing conversations and decisions about the future of our home.
Outreach
As PPUP learns, we give back. As our team collects data and generates understanding about the place we live we create reports, posters, online materials, videos, podcasts and presentations about our findings. Our desire to foster and contribute to ongoing conversations about place reinforces the public and applied nature of our work. We enjoy presenting our work at local events such as local government meetings and planning events, press conferences, research conferences and workshops.
Community Building
PPUP does not only observe and report. We also strive to shape the future of this place. We host events that bring residents together, teach, foster conversations and build community. Our premier event is Late Night for the Planet at Olive Ridley's, Plattsburgh's first and only late night talk show about the environment. PPUP events are based on placemaking and placekeeping, and we hope to build place meaning and attachment among participants. Other events we host include place-based games and simulations, design charrettes, and reading circles, among others.