In 2024, Collier Point Park, a public waterfront access point on Providence’s South Side, closed unexpectedly, remaining inaccessible for months. This closure, coupled with a lack of transparency, led to the park being listed on the Providence Preservation Society’s Most Endangered Places list in 2025. The listing sparked the society’s deeper investigation into privately owned public spaces (POPS) in the city. POPS are public recreational areas owned and managed by private entities, often created through zoning incentives that allow developers to build higher in exchange for maintaining open spaces. Collier Point was designated a POPS in 1996 under an agreement between the city and former landowner Narragansett Electric.

The Providence Preservation Society, led by Policy and Trades Programs Manager B.L. Jordan, launched a research project to identify and understand POPS in Providence, enlisting summer fellow Sachin Dubey to assist. Their work revealed challenges due to the absence of a centralized database or clear records on POPS. Dubey, with a background in public policy and geography, highlighted difficulties navigating city archives and the complexity of zoning ordinances, which do not always reflect how POPS are established. The project aims to improve transparency and management of these spaces for public benefit.