In 2024, Collier Point Park, a key public waterfront access on Providence’s South Side, abruptly closed for months, sparking public concern and its 2025 listing on the Providence Preservation Society’s Most Endangered Places list. This event highlighted the challenges surrounding privately owned public spaces (POPS), which are recreational areas open to the public but owned and managed by private entities. In Providence, POPS often arise through zoning incentives that allow developers to build taller structures in exchange for creating and maintaining public open spaces. Collier Point was designated a POPS in 1996 via an agreement between the city and the then landowner, Narragansett Electric.

Following the park’s closure, the Providence Preservation Society launched a research project on POPS, led by Policy and Trades Programs Manager B.L. Jordan, with assistance from summer fellow Sachin Dubey. Their work revealed the lack of a centralized database for POPS information in Providence, complicating efforts to identify and track these spaces. Dubey, new to both the city and preservation research, faced challenges navigating city archives and understanding historical zoning practices. The project aims to improve transparency and management of POPS to better protect public access in the future.