OJB*places is a vital advisory practice created to find solutions to our clients’ challenges across three key areas: governance and staffing, programming and activation, and budget and revenue generation. We develop programming that meaningfully activates the space, help define staffing and operational budgets and recommend strategies to secure sustainable annual funding. Through a collaborative process, we ensure each solution is tailored, actionable, and aligned with the client’s long-term goals for the space.
Approach
OJB*places assesses the potential for revenue and financial sustainability within a landscape, and crafts strategies that ensure enduring success.
OJB*places collaborates with the design team at every project stage to ensure spaces are planned for maximum return on investment through diverse programming, robust activation, and sustainable business operations. Our planners and public realm experts work with both public and private entities to preserve, restore, and expand access to open space and landscape environments.
Investment in greenspace catalyzes lasting impact, unlocking potential across communities, ecosystems, and economies.
Beautifully designed greenspaces drive economic, social, communal and environmental impact. We believe spaces must balance passive and active uses, attract diverse audiences, and be truly welcoming to all. When paired with successful activation strategies and a sustainable business model, the right mix of spaces unlocks the full potential of the landscape.
Tara earned a Master of Sports Administration from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a Certified Sports Event Executive. As Principal of Public Realm Strategies, Tara works with designers, consultants, clients, and communities on project programming, governance and staffing, and budgeting. Her ability to build support for activation and self-sustaining operations has been pivotal to the success of several of OJB’s major urban parks, university campuses, and mixed-use developments. Keenly attuned to how open spaces can add to the quality of civic life, Tara’s role is to help clients achieve their goals with sound planning. Having grown up in multiple places across the United States, Tara is a passionate student of human nature, which serves her well as a community engagement specialist.
Maissa joined OJB in 2023. She earned a Master of Urban Placemaking and Management from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Urban, Community, and Regional Planning. As a Public Realm Design specialist, Marissa seeks to create unique and accessible outdoor experiences in our daily urban environments. She believes a public space should be intentionally designed and accessible to all users. Motivated to create landscapes that are both dynamic and satisfying to all, Marissa is skilled in planning spaces that can be enjoyed by both active and passive users. Before coming to the Dallas office, Marissa’s previous experience expanded her knowledge in advocacy, business development, urban planning, and placemaking. She had an internship as a Project Coordinator at Public Works Partners, another internship as a Planning Intern at The Municipal Art Society of New York, and right before coming to OJB, she worked at a regional consulting firm as an Urban Planner/Designer. In her spare time, she loves dancing, exploring new restaurants, and traveling to new distant cities.
