Community led design brochure by Chris Bodle

COMMUNITY LED DESIGN Facilitating the engagement of local people in placemaking

Cardiff 4 Stangate House, Stanwell Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 2AA 029 2040 8476 Belfast 250 Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8GJ 028 9080 6055 Reading 1210 Arlington Business Park, Reading RG7 4TY 01189 298 040 soltysbrewster.com ISO 9001 + ISO 14001 A CarbonZero速 Company Soltys Brewster Consulting is the trading name of Soltys Brewster Consulting Ltd. Registered Office:- 4 Stangate House, Stanwell Road, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 2AA Registration No. 6262312

CONTENTS Preface

Section One - An Approach Introduction 1. Pre-monitoring and perceptual survey

1.3. First proposals - taking it out there

2. Gathering initial thoughts

1.4. Putting it together

3. Using events to engage

1.5. Visualising the proposals

4. Linking ideas to spaces

1.6. Presenting design proposals

5. Workshops - formal and informal 6. Distilling key themes

1.11. A village design statement

7. Temporary trials

1.21. Engaging children and young people

Section Two - Case Studies

1.31. Summarising the outcomes

Case Study One: Victoria Gateway, Southend 1.1. The Launch event 1.2. Big maps and lots of colour

PREFACE

This brochure outlines the approaches taken by Soltys Brewster in facilitating community led design. It is intended to both showcase projects that the company have worked on as well as provide a useful resource, a methodology and outlining the benefits of this way of working. As a consultancy specialising in landscape design, planning and ecology we put an emphasis on integrating the human and natural environments in a way that creates truly sustainable places. We have extensive experience of facilitating community led design across the UK and Ireland. Working with communities in locations from the inner cities of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest conurbations to remote rural villages. This has resulted in successful implementation.

Soltys Brewster are environmental consultants, dealing with all aspects of landscape and ecological assessment, landscape planning and design. Since our formation in 2000, we have established a reputation for high quality consultancy services, delivered across the British Isles. The practice has a depth of specialist skills and expertise and a portfolio of landmark and award winning projects. We believe that consultancy Services are as much about people and teamwork as they are about the skills and expertise of the practice. We provide a personal approach, focusing on quality solutions and achieving project goals, with the aim of building long term professional relationships which are creative and mutually productive. 5

Section One Community Led Design, a methodology

The ideas and practice of community-led design have a long-standing tradition, especially in the context of urban design, planning and architecture. Community-led design goes beyond the one-dimensional process of consultation, helping involve people in decision-making throughout the design process, from visioning to implementation.

INTRODUCTION Good participation is when community, market and politics work together and collaborate to create the setting for place, the stage for daily life to happen. As practitioners, we need to ‘create’ inclusive design processes that allow local people to play a clear and direct role in informing changes in their own environment and making decisions throughout the projects development. By listening to the people we can make informed decisions and actions in creating the right setting. It is all about knowledge sharing from the professional to the people and from the people to the professionals. But present day public engagement is still mostly an invitation to be informed and not a collaborative process of placemaking for the people by the people, with help of the professionals. We need to support this knowledge transfer and look at the everyday, at what people actually value. We need to create locally, before we can think globally. Then the community can ‘lead’ the knowledge transfer to making their own

Gathering thoughts and ideas

locality. To create a holistic Community Led Design process, we need to support communities to have this capacity and willingness to act. Ultimately, there is a need to establish an active civic society that has a sense of agency to start changes from within, without waiting for external agents to initiate action or change. Good enabling is providing the means

“‘A process through which local people are engaged in developing their environment, including buildings, open spaces and neighbourhoods’.”

with which people can open doors and create opportunities in order to build their own neighbourhoods. The following pages represent a possible methodology. 7

1. Pre-Monitoring and perceptual survey Getting to know the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the people who live there

Use of door to door or on-street surveys elicits valuable data

Before directly engaging communities in the design process, it is very useful to get a baseline picture of a street, public place or neigbourhood. Establishing an initial sense of how things are and how people perceive their environment can help structure the early phases of the project. Simply walking about, or sitting and observing how people interact with a place at different times of day can provide valuable insight and orientation. Taking photographs, mapping features, taking notes or making quick sketches can also help reinforce the understanding of a place. Looking at a place in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wider context, analysing pedestrian flows, exploring key Getting to know a place and how people use it at different times of the day

politicians and win funding and or investment. The initial survey can also get some quick initial feedback on what people do and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like and initial ideas they might have. This baseline picture also helps with reporting and evaluation. It also helps to provide an overview of the demographic and a sense of where might be best to intervene and where there is a high level of interest or most urgent need for intervention. Mapping pedestrian flows

Experiential mapping example

linkages and open space provision are also useful. Experiential mapping can also be used to spatially capture subjective experiences, such as feelings of safety, smells, vibrancy etc.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting a sense of a place, prior to engaging a community will help establish orientationâ&#x20AC;?

Pre-monitoring using carefully designed, questionnaires, ideally tailored to the particular locality can also be invaluable, providing a benchmark, against which to measure progress. This can be useful in evidencing the positive impact of changes which could be used to win over stakeholders, The wider context might include local green space and corridors

2. Gathering initial thought Identifying the ‘community’ and collecting, thoughts, views and ideas

The initial stages, especially the survey work should have established a broad idea of who makes up the community, who are those who live, work, shop, socialise, play in a locality. This intial scoping excercise can then form the basis for strategies that can access the initial thoughts and ideas of the widest cross section of the population as possible.

Collecting thoughts, opinions and ideas on postcards

better? etc. This is a form of crowdsourced brainstorm. The feedback gathered isn’t guided or filtered or categorised, rather it becomes a mass of raw data. It is very much being open to the good, the bad and the ugly.

A good early approach, is simply to set stall at a busy node, and invite people to participate by breifly explaining the purpose of the project, provide information leaflets and get feedback to questions such as: what do you like about this place? What do you dislike, what would you change? What’s missing, what ideas do you have to make this space Visiting local businesses to get their input

In terms of capturing a broad cross section of the community, this approach has it’s limitations and is only really effective when it is part of a raft of approaches. It tends to miss a lot of people due to factors such as time of day, the location chosen, how busy passers by are and their willingness to participate generally.

A more targetted approach is usually needed in addition. Hard to reach groups might be encouraged to participate by working with organisations or community leaders who work with a specific demographic rather than attempting to approach them directly. The use of social media can also be a powerful means of reaching a broad spectrum of people, and in particular young people. Setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts for the project can prove effective allowing users to post comments, see what others have said as well as recive information about the project. A seperate blog or website that acts as a central

repository and point of contact can be useful in holding all the other elements together. It becomes the online equivalent of a project hub. A physical pop-up community space dedicated to the project, utilising an empty shop, for instance could also provide a permenant presence within a neighbourhood. In terms of capturing ideas, a wide variety of approaches could be used such as big blackboards, postcards, luggage labels, posted materials, social

media (as described), fiilming or recording people as well as feedback gathered on more formal surveys or questionnaires. The mainstream media are also an important way of getting attention and capturing the views of a wide range of people. People coming together to improve their locality can be very nesworthy, attracting the press and broadcast media. The media can help facilitate a positive feedback where the publicity brings in more people and more people bring more publicity. A win-win situation.

Big blackboards are a classic way to collect ideas

Thoughts and ideas written on luggage labels tied to a fence

3. Using events to engage Music, food and participation in arts or sport can help draw people in

â&#x20AC;&#x153;By engaging people who live and work there, we make spaces that are more, exciting, robust and grounded in communityâ&#x20AC;? 12

Rather than the dry excercise of simply asking people what they would do to change their neighbourhood, it can be particularly combine it with an event or series of events and activities. This draws people in and can encourage people to stop a while, get more generally involved, meet and gather together. A colourful gazebo, bunting, balloons, flags and interesting images etc. is a good start. Add in tea, coffee and soft drinks, tables and chairs and it becomes more appealing. Take it further and include food, music, games and other activities and the more likely people will gather, stay

Active participation helps draw people in

longer, get more involved and be more receptive to the possibilities of the project. Where animating space is a potential outcome of a project, the act of setting up events that engage on a pop-up basis also suggest a longer term, more permenant change of use. It, in its own right becomes a form of placemaking and can bring people together and create a sense of shared ownership of a neighbourhood or public space. Through Placemaking, community places not only become more active and useful for the people who help to create them, they can become more welcoming to people of all ages, abilities, income levels and

backgrounds. Since public spaces can both reflect and shape the communities they serve, they become incredibly meaningful places for people working to create more equitable cities. Many underserved communities have been systematically excluded from the prosperity and vibrancy that their city continues to generate for its wealthier residents. When neighbors come together to improve their public spaces, results can be tangible and immediate, and this process itself amplifies the sense of inclusion that great places can generate. It is the little pockets or bursts of community cohesion that can act as powerful catalysts for greater involvement down the line for some and simply an opportunity for people to quickly express their opinions and ideas, who would not otherwise do so. Where these events occupy the same spaces at regular intervals, the cumulative engagement becomes a factor and commitment can begin to emerge. Those with particular interests and skills may emerge and become facilitators from within the community. The more the facilitator can initiate community leadership the more effectivethe outcomes are.

Music, art sport and play directly involve people in the placemaking process

4. Linking ideas to spaces Use of mapping, walking tours and models helps connect ideas and places

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The act of placing a written proposal or image in a particular location becomes a form of urban designâ&#x20AC;?

When ideas become attached to particular places, we begin to get involved in the world of spatial design. The very act of placing a post-it note with a particular proposal on a map, walking around a neighbourhood, standing in a particular spot and making a suggestion, moving elements around in a physical or computer generated model all become acts of urabn design. By setting up situations where members of a community can start to physically design their own neighbourhood, we as facilitators, provide tools that can can empower people to make desciscions that can be translated in to more formal design proposals that can be communicated to a range of individuals, agencies and organisations that can help An outdoor drop-in mapping event

realise ideas through, for example, statutory authority, investment capital and professional expertise. That is not to say these things do not neccessarily occur within acommunity. But the combination of the creativity, knowledge and expertise of local people, combined with a de-mystification of the design process and the provision of tools to express a communal vision can be extremely powerful.

Walking tours also allow participants to explore and feed back ideas in real space

â&#x20AC;&#x153;By engaging people who live and work there, we make spaces that are more, excitingâ&#x20AC;? Mapping ideas at an indoor worshop Simple models can be less abstract than plans and maps

5. Workshops, formal and informal An opportunity to explore ideas in more depth using a drop-in or defined sessions

Formal workshops are one way is for users of a space or members of a community to become partners. Moving beyond the initial thoughts and ideas stage, participants in workshops can more thoroughly input into the design process, working actively with designers to shape the definition and direction of the project. Participation can include sharing personal experiences and perspectives, contributing to the generation of new design concepts, the evolution of those concepts, analysis, interpretation, decision making, evaluation and more. When taking a community led design approach it is our role as designers to facilitate that participation. At the beginning of the design process we work with users to understand the design project in relation to their everyday lives including their habits, rituals, dreams, attitudes and experiences. These then become resources for inspiring design concepts and direction. In order for people to actively and effectively participate in the design process they must be able to imagine, access, and express their experiences and expectations. As with any workshop, the

An invented local currency

Formal workshops can really help focus ideas

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Workshops can provide the structure and space to really drive ideas forwardâ&#x20AC;?

specific activities will differ depending on the topic being investigated and the nature of the participants and the place. However there are several qualities or principles that underpin most codesign activities that help to make peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everyday experiences available and create a platform for sharing and ideation. Formal workshops can make use of visual materials as a way to assist people to make and communicate associations and experiences. This is because images are more accessible and quick to use and participants are able to attribute their own meaning to them. Random images can remind people about significant things they might not have considered or can act as metaphors to represent complex concepts. Images are also evocative and help to provide multiple frames and ways of seeing and expressing. They can be ambiguous enough to allow creative and unusual connections to be made and leave space for people to explore their own interpretations. The process of selecting images can also act to generate valuable discussion between participants. Create a shared understanding and shared language between participants and designers.

Techniques to challenge preconceptions

Although designers as facilitators have certain knowledge or expertise, in terms of placemaking in community led design, it is only partial. Workshops encourage the designer to bothto step back and intervene. Ultimately, however workshops are about the immersion, dialogue, creativity and perspective of those who will use and experience the final outcome. Short presentations as well as direct participation

6. Distilling key themes Identifying the broad themes that emerge from all the initial thoughts

The mass brainstorm or crowd-sourced thought at the early stages of the design process can at first seem to productive an overwhelming and incoherent mass of information. From imaginative visions, particular ideas, perspectives, complaints, hopes and perspectives on a whole host of topics related to the space or neighbourhood involved. Where formal workshopping is able to take place, for example, when there are enough people and a representative enough group, this mass of information can form the prime matter to start working with to develop creative outcomes. However, with or without the formal workshop approach, broad themes soon become apparent. Putting all of the collected comments and ideas in to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wordleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 18

Encouraging participation by capturing particular interests

app can be immediately revealing. It creates a text graphic that makes words bigger according to their frequency of use. A manual review of all the gathered will also most likely see much of the gathered data coalesce or constellate around big themes (with a few outliers). By identifying these themes, the ideas can be presented back to the community in a more focused way. The next round of events and workshops can then look at how these ideas might be taken forward and further explored. This, along with linking ideas to particular places can become a powerful resource in the development of early design proposals.

A ‘Wordle’ can quickly highlight key themes

It’s important at this stage to establish that relative focus. Separate boards or work areas concentrating on separate themes can help with this. This is where ‘community leaders’ with specific interests or expertise can be invaluable in taking the lead in developing those particular areas; e.g. someone who is a keen gardener, historian, market trader, café owner etc can bring invaluable expertise and passion. Although the clarity of themes is helpful, the connections between them and a holistic approach is important in creating multifunctional places.

“Themes tend to naturally form as constellations of ideas”

Exploring the idea of multifunctional places

7. Temporary trials Cheaply, quickly and simply creating an approximation of what people asked for

Events that involve the occupation of a spacein some ways are the beginnings of a temporary trial. But these trials go further. They aim to create in a quick, affordable way, an approximation of the potential future use of a space. By painting a vehicular surface in a way that is at aodds with highways conventions, it instantly changes the perception of that piece of road, both for pedestrians and drivers, in favour of the pedestrian. Drivers tn to treat it with more caution as it is unfarmiliar. Cheaply painting part of a road can become a proxy for a raised table or a change of material. Placing planters with shrubs, fruit and vegetables or even semi-mature trees can quickly suggest how a space can become greener. This is particularly powerful in an extremely urban context. Similarly, placing temporary seating,

Occupying a space with temporary features

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Temporary interventions help identify opportunities and potentail problemsâ&#x20AC;? Blank frontages animated with paint

setting up market stalls, bandstands and cafes within underused spaces or even on roads (either through temporary closure or using parking bays) can quickly enliven a place and invoke a possible future in a more immediate and experiential way. Simply closing a street and letting children play there can be powerfully transformative in terms of perception and can help make a case for more permanent interventions. The organisation ‘Playing Out’ has had a great deal of success with this approach. Addressing blank frontages using paint, planting or other means can also effectively change the experience of a place. At night, lighting can also act as a quick and effective way of making a space less threatening. Another approach is to set up an event where people can literally draw a ‘design’ on the ground using chalk, ribbons and hay bales etc. With this approach new paths, road alignments, building frontages, seats and other feautures can be drawn in real space. All these interventions can potentially be adopted more permanently or form the basis for future development.

Trees and seating ‘tried out’ in a formerly underused space

Section Two: Case Stidies Victoria Gateway, Southend-on-Sea

Victoria Gateway is a newly created ‘plaza’ at an important gateway to the town, as its name suggests. It exists at the intersection of three major roads and addjacent to Southend Victoria railway station as well as the main shopping centre. It replaces a large roundabout and was designed to improve the pedestrian experience as well as be a ‘place’ in its own right. 22

CASE STUDY ONE VICTORIA GATEWAY SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

Southend Borough Council, in 2012 completed the major ‘Victoria Gateway’ public realm improvement scheme. This encompasses the area surrounding Victoria Station, the link between the station and the High Street, and the junction of the A127 Victoria Avenue and the A13 Queensway. A key feature of the scheme is the use of “shared space” principles to reduce traffic dominance, increase pedestrian priority, enhance public space, and present a positive image of the town to all those using the station itself and others passing by. It is understood that the implementation of key ‘place’ elements of the design was compromised by a necessary value engineering exercise prior to delivery. With cost therefore being a key issue, it is recognised that any improvements and money spent subsequently should be determined in full consultation

Victoria Gateway as it was. High quality material but lifeless

with the local community. As such a major public engagement exercise was launched, to address the issue of the perceived bareness of this public space and the lack of use. This approach was recognised by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council as giving the greatest possibility for the space to be good value for money, well used and supported politically.

“Local people are the real experts and usually have good insight in to what can be done to make a place better” 23

1.1 The launch event Grabbing attention right in the heart of the new plaza

The first priority was to hear the views of the widest range of users of the space and local residents as possible. This included commuters using Southend Victoria to travel to London, holiday makers who arrived at the station, people passing through the space to access the library, council offices or the town’s main museum, as well as shoppers using the adjacent shopping centre, part of the town’s main shopping area. The approach taken was to set up a launch event, right in the heart of the plaza. To attract attention in such a large

Setting up stall at Victoria Gateway for the launch event

space, it needed to be colourful, occupy a large enough area and be interesting. In this instance a giant ‘H’ shaped blackboard was set up in the middle of the space, along with a gazebo, tables and chairs, bunting, helium balloons that could be taken away with messages attached (spreading the word beyond the space). Tea and coffee, soft drinks and a bike powered smoothie maker also became attractions. Setting up what essentially became a temporary outdoor cafe also suggested future uses for the space. This actually became an instant hub, encouraging people to stop and stay rather than hurrying through. Essentially the

Victoria Gateway as it was. High quality material but lifeless

writing on the giant blackboard or later via the website, Facebook and Twitter accounts the addresses of which were added to the postcard flyers used initially. As result of this event, a wide range of people were consulted of all ages and backgrounds, as well as a multitude of comments and ideas for the space, much of it being about making it more animated and welcoming. This was taken and carried forward to the next stages.

Most of the initial ideas collected were about animating the space

event became a precursor for the potential use of the space. Ultimately it attracted a wide

urday during the winter it did have a certain demographic. It would have been different

range of people who were passing through as well as those who came along because of previous promotion through fliers, social media and traditional media. Being set up on a Sat-

at other times or in other seasons. Nonetheless, a wide range of people participated and shared their ideas, thoughts and concerns about Victoria Gateway, either verbally, by

The launch brought people together

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a high profile public space, engaging a broad spectrum of users was essentialâ&#x20AC;? 25

1.2 Big maps and lots of colour Helping people to connect thoughts and ideas to actual places

Large scale plans were produced using Ordnance Survey mapping data. These maps showed roads, pavements, crossings, surrounding buildings, existing trees and seats and other relevant features as well as the open space of Victoria Gateway itself. Several A0 sheets were joined together to make the maps big enough to have an impact when displayed outside. The large scale also allowed groups of people to interact with the map at one time. The maps were set up on several tables and gazebos were put up to provide cover from the inevitable rain. The gazebos also helped generate a presence and focal point in the in the square. Large posters were also displayed explaining the project and how to use the maps. Facilitators were also on hand to both explain more as well as understand the aspiraAdding thoughts and ideas in to specific spaces

Greening, markets and temporary events emerged as key themes

tions of the participants. Generally, people en-

was repeated several times at different times

gaged quickly, using the coloured post-it notes or sticker icons to make specific proposals for particular locations. Participants were often drawn in as they were curious to see what others had written, this also sparked conversations between strangers and a certain amount of communal participation. Although there was no shortage of ideas, there seemed to be a lot of agreement amongst participants. Often someone would write on another participant’s comment ‘yes’ or ‘agree’. This exercise

and days of the week. Through the process a cumulative picture emerged. Overwhelmingly, participants wanted more trees and other planting, more colour and more activity on the Gateway. Outdoor cafe seating, arts events, markets and play activities were prominent themes. The skateboarders who were previously the only users who spent any time in this space also inputted significantly in to the process, concerned that changes did not impact adversely on their use of the space.

Engaging different age groups

“It emerged that what people wanted was for Victoria Gateway to be a truly multifunctional place” 27

1.3 First proposals - taking it out there Setting up stall at the ’Village Green’ and other festivals

“Markets are a great way to animate spaces. They can be temporary and test how they might boost the local economy”

Many people engaged online through the project blog, which was set up prior to the onstreet activity, and at smaller indoor events. The picture that emerged was again similar to that of the outdoor events. The next phase of the project involved taking the outcomes of the process so far and synthesising it in to a form that could be reflected back to the ‘community’ as a coherent set of outline proposals that were at the same time not too fixed or specific. The use of symbols or icons used on maps of country parks, for example, were utilised. Added to a large scale plan, the icons allowed for trees, market stalls, planting beds, cafe areas etc to be shown in approximate locations without delineating the form or proposing exact locations. Simple dashed lines and arrows and the use of colour coding also indicated proposed pedestrian and cycle routes and other linear elements. In essence this became an easy to read distillation of the process outcomes gathered so far. This plan was then published online and taken to various events in Southend as well as displayed at Victoria Gateway itself. Since Victoria Gateway is a

Many people want to bring back markets to Victoria Gateway, it’s part of the town’s heritage

Stand at a large summer festival. Mapping using icons generally locates elements prior to more concrete design proposals

major public space in the centre of the town that most residents pass through at some point, it made sense to target big events that attracted people who lived in the town. One such event was The village Green Festival, a music and arts festival that attracted 100 000 people over the course of the weekend. There was a lot of interest in the initial proposals and

it was possible to engage a large number of people in a short space of time, mostly people who had not at that stage heard about the project. It was also an opportunity to advertise future events at the Gateway. All the feedback was again recorded and used to inform the next stages of the process, i.e. converting the symbolic masterplan in to something more concrete.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;By setting up a stall at a major festival, we managed to talk to large numbers of Southend residentsâ&#x20AC;? 29

The community led design process can lead to various outcomes. It might for example lead

1.4 Putting it together Synthesising information and putting it together initial design proposals

“Previous phases meant that specific proposals for the plaza were embedded in the desires of its users”

An early sketch design

Section across Victoria Gateway as part of the initial design proposals

to temporary interventions that become permanent; markets, street art, guerrilla gardens etc or the opening of cafes or art galleries, i.e. placemaking that does not go through the traditional design, planning and construction process yet changes a place nonetheless. Or alternatively it informs a planning authorities strategic vision for a place which may later be ‘put on the ground’. In the case of this example, however, the client, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council wanted concrete design proposals, to be constructed via the usual process. Consequently a spatial design was created. This aimed to create a multifunctional space fixed elements with spaces created to frame and host the animating activities desired.

Illustrative masterplan showing the initial proposals for Victoria gateway

1.5 Visualising the proposals Photomontages proved effective in communicating design proposals

The design proposals produced were accurate, costed and deliverable. They included general arrangement plans, planting plans and schedules, materials palettes and an illustrative masterplan. The illustrative masterplan, based on the CAD produced GA plan added texture, drop shadow and colour to bring it to life and make it as accessible as possible to a broad audience. Photomontages were also produced to help communicate the ‘permanent’ features such as seating, trees, and in this case giant oval ‘planters’ with integrated seating in a more accessible way. The photomontages, more than the illustrative plan, also helped show the animating features that were so important to the users of the space such as markets and cafes. It also showed how blank frontages could be transformed through the use of relatively cheap suspended banners. Photomontage showing how the proposals for Victoria Gateway might appear

1.6 Presenting design proposals Creating an interesting event and putting the design proposals at the heart

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feedback was mostly positive but also provided constructive criticism which was incorporated in to design iterationsâ&#x20AC;? Presenting the illustrative plans, sections and photomontages at an event on Victoria Gateway

To get public reaction and test the first concrete design proposals, a strategy was developed to get the maximum exposure. This included publishing the drawings and visualisations online, in local publications. But to really get people to take notice, create a buzz and get mainstream media coverage, a big dynamic event was held to accompany the display of the visual materials. This involved the creation of an illuminated pyramid with a 34

projector on top, projecting down on the floor of the Gateway. People who came along could use iPads to control the projections in real time or create their own text or images. Inside the pyramid, the design drawings and visualisations were dispalayed and feedback gathered. Multiple means of feeding back were provided including a digital â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;graffitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wall, traditional pens and paper and postcards. A film of the vent was also made and some were happy to feed back this way. The outcomes shed light on how the design could be improved. But in broad terms it was enthusiastically supported. Many people shared their views on video (a still from a film about the event)

Gathering feedback

Section Two: Case Studies Lucan village, Ireland

A Village Design Statement is a community based document that describes the qualities and characteristics of a settlement. It sets out design guidance for future development and can influence planning applications and decisions. 38

CASE STUDY TWO VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT, LUCAN, IRELAND In February 2006, members of the local community, supported by The Heritage Council and South Dublin County Council came together for a scoping meeting to explore the possibility of a Village Design Statement for Lucan. A Steering Group of local community representatives was established to direct the project and in October 2006 with funding from South Dublin County Council and The Heritage Council, a team of consultants was appointed to work in partnership with the Steering Group and other village residents to meet this aim. The VDS was produced through an extensive community consultation programme combined with desk-based study. This included an introductory meeting with community members, distribution of a key issues leaflet and questionnaires, and a series of workshops involving a wide cross section of the community

Traffic congestion was recognised as a major issue

including adults, children, and young people. Over 60 questionnaires were completed and over 75 people attended the main workshop. The consultation material was made available at Lucan Library and also on the South Dublin County Council. The Design Statement is a non-statutory document, but is intended as supplementary guidance.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lucan always appealed to me I love the friendly village atmosphere.â&#x20AC;?

1.11 A village design statement Initial thoughts and perspectives from local residents

Identity and creativity of children

“Reduce speed limit to 20 kilometers an hour in front of all schools and install speed cameras for the safety of children”

Lucan Village Services and Amenities Services such as banking, post office, chemists, doctors, Garda, pubs and restaurants have tended to stay around the original village core, however community feedback suggests that there is a lack of diversity of shops in this area of the village. At present community events are generally held at the Lucan Spa Hotel or St Andrew’s Hall. The four churches also provide an important social as well as spiritual function for many in the village. 5.3 Infrastructure Lucan village because of its strategic location as one of the few crossing points along the Liffey, has always attracted through-traffic. The expansion of Dublin’s suburbs to and beyond Lucan has meant that the through-traffic combined with general commuter and local traffic has created a very congested road network within the village. Plans for the outer ring road and proposed park and ride schemes should help alleviate traffic problems in the future. Cycling is considered dangerous by many residents. Whilst there are some cycle paths, they are not continuous, making it difficult to cycle around the village. Walking is not made easy due to lack of pavements and safe crossings. There is some pedestrian ac-

Working with schools was an effective way of engaging children

cess to the riverside, but more could be done to access it. South Dublin County Council plan to develop a ‘Green Routes’ system connecting Roads, Parks and Open Spaces in South Dublin with walking and cycling routes. Routes are proposed for Liffey Valley and Griffeen Valley. Disabled access throughout the village has been raised as an issue by many residents.

South Dublin County Council has recently engaged consultants to carry out a disability audit of the village. The community also feel that public transport network is not as efficient or effective and as it could be. The Rail Procurement Agency (RPA) is currently conducting a feasibility study for a new Lucan line (Line F) from the city

“Not enough buses or trains. There are constant traffic jams.”

1.21 Engaging children and young people Children articulating their experience of Lucan, the good and the bad

As part of the Community Consultation, two workshops were carried out in January 2007, with children and young people of Lucan to ascertain their thoughts on their village. Eighteen children ranging from 9 – 18 years attended from: Scoil Mhuire Girls’ National School; Scoil Mhuire, Dodsboro; St Andrew’s School; St Joseph’s College Both workshops proved to be very informative and thought provoking, reflecting their views on growing up in Lucan and the issues that they feel affect their village and their daily

“We’re being blamed for loitering and being moved on when we have nowhere to go”

The ‘Wish Fairy’ helped personify hopes for the future

Young people felt blamed

lives. The children proved to be lively, knowledgeable and enthusiastic members of the community with important views and opinions. Their maturity and awareness of their village was extremely impressive. The issues covered were based on the adult community consultation workshop but there was also the opportunity to explore the key issues that affected them directly such as play provision and services for young people. Due to the differing ages, the comments reflected a mix of requests in terms of provision of services for children, however in relation to the village itself, all the children were clear and in agreement about the key issues. All the children placed great emphasis on the environment and the issues of climate change,

pollution and energy waste. They also made connections between these issues and their village, referring to pollution from traffic, the impact of losing green space to development and saving energy in their own schools. As with the adult responses, the majority of the children felt that the heart of the village was around the village green. Schools and supermarkets were also mentioned as key locations within the village. For some the heart was where they â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hung outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, such as the chip shop, rather than the historical and geographical heart associated with the village. In terms of facilities, almost all of the pupils were adamant that what they wanted was a swimming pool, but they were also keen to see improvements to the village that would benefit the community and village as a whole. This included improvements to the river area such as cycle-ways and footpaths, and development of the weir area. All the pupils felt that there was a real lack of things to do in Lucan that were focused for child/young people. Although they enjoyed walks along the river, they also felt that there were too few facilities for them within the village.

Childrensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; images of the village

Aerial view of the centre of Lucan

1.31 Summarising the outcomes of the process Key points identified by participants in surveys and workshops

A summary of key concerns and objectives was created based on returned questionnaires and workshops carried out in January 2007. The following key themes were identified: LANDSCAPE • Protect views in and out of the village • Promote the village as a tourist attraction • Protect and enhance the flora and fauna around the village and along the rivers • Give Lucan “Heritage Village” status EVOLUTION • Better consultation with community over

“The future vision for Lucan must be to protect and preserve its unique character and amenity value”

future planning of developments • Stop inappropriate developments • Ensure appropriate materials in any new developments or improvements to existing buildings PUBLIC REALM • Open the cemetery behind Kenny’s Pub • Create a public park behind the Sarsfield Estate

The Italian Embassy

• Tackle the problem of graffiti and litter • Provide more play areas and sport facilities within housing developments and open green spaces • Provide visitor signage and informal boards • Have consistent palette of materials for all street furniture • Develop relationship between village and Italian Embassy • The Rivers - Develop new amenity space particularly along the River Griffeen to include: • A new pedestrian network, including

circular • walks and footbridges • A new cycle networks • Improved access to River Liffey from Main Street • Enhance amenity area around the weir and Lucan Bridge, to include lighting of bridge • Viewing platforms and seating • Upgrade the village green COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES • Support the development of an evening and weekend economy • • • • •

Improved recycling facilities A Lucan Festival Farmers Markets Children and Young People Improve play provision and out of school cultural and sporting facilities • Review of all transport issues affecting the village including: Parking Traffic levels and congestion Public transport School transport Traffic calming measures

Workshops engaging all age groups produced varied outputs which also had a coherence