The Bay Place Plan - intro slide deck

FINAL THINK SPACE PRESENTATION

… but this is just the start

NOTES

This is a copy of the final slideshow, as presented at the end of the Three-Day Think Space. The only additions are these caption and annotation boxes to provide context and explanation, together with some minor presentational changes. The final presentation was made live at the end of the Think Space on Thu 13th July 2023 and this annotated version was issued on Mon 24th July 2023.

A big thank you to everyone who has contributed so much over the last three days….

It is estimated that 250+ people were engaged over the three days. This includes repeat visits. The Project Team are grateful to everyone for their inputs to the process.

.… school children (old and young), business owners, interest groups, community organisation, local government, residents, locals, visitors, volunteers and everybody

with a passion for the Bay Area

The process was designed in such a way to allow a wide variety of people, with different backgrounds and interests to get involved.

The team has been listening to everything you’ve been saying. What you are about to see is the result of just three intensive days.

This is not the finished plan. It is a work in progress, but some important themes can now be assembled.

It is important to stress that this slideshow is a snapshot of a work in progress and not a finished report or set of recommendations.

Richard, Laura, Rosanna, Noel & Kimelle

This project is a team effort based on a collaboration of three practices – Feria Urbanism, Støriie and The Place Bureau. The team for the Three-Day Think Space was Richard, Laura, Rosanna, Noel & Kimelle.

Our Task To produce a “Place Plan” for the Bay Area

The reason for the Think Space was to generate crowdsourced content to inform the Place Plan for the Bay Area.

The Project Team designed a process that would encourage a co-creative approach between the community and the consultants.

A Place Plan?

This will be a mix of recommendations linked to economy, environment, culture, society, community, architecture, urban design, access, branding and identity

A Place Plan is a holistic and broad-based report, with actions and recommendations that will span a series of different topics. The Place Plan will establish a series of principles and values for the Bay Area in the form of a framework.

This framework will support decision-making processes when more detailed, sitebased projects are being considered.

Range of Techniques

Walking Tours

Drop-In Exhibitions

The Three-Day Think Space involved a wide range of techniques held at different times of the day to help maximise participation.

How?

This was the programme of events over the Three Days.…

Where?

…. and this was the geographical area of the study.

What?

In advance of the Three-Day Think Space, the Project Team researched and produced a series of Fact Sheets to help set the scene and provide an understanding of the issues.

What?

In advance of the Three-Day Think Space, the Project Team researched and produced a series of Fact Sheets to help set the scene and provide an understanding of the issues.

What?

In advance of the Three-Day Think Space, the Project Team researched and produced a series of Fact Sheets to help set the scene and provide an understanding of the issues.

What?

In advance of the Three-Day Think Space, the Project Team researched and produced a series of Fact Sheets to help set the scene and provide an understanding of the issues.

DAY ONE

Ten minutes in and our first question:

is the money coming from?”

A recurring theme across the three days was about funding and budgets. The Project Team are acutely aware of this concern and will therefore ensure that any future recommendations take this issue into consideration.

“Where

Audit Task

The Project Team had issued a short questionnaire survey in advance of the three-day event and several people had completed these before the start of the first day. Those that had not were issued a copy to complete during the first session.

The questions were about the past, the future and the changes that will influence the Bay Area in years to come.

Audit Task

The first session on Day One was to work in groups to complete the past/future worksheets and compare notes.

Audit Task

The first session on Day One was to work in groups to complete the past/future worksheets and compare notes.

Audit Task

1. Biosphere

2. Community Spirit

3. Natural & Heritage Assets

1. Apathy of the majority & lack of ambition

2. Three separate parish councils

3. Idea that the high street can survive purely as shopping

Ecotourism & Education

The Project Team received over 40 returns of this type of worksheet and will need to carefully read, review and process the results to determine a consensus.

The example here (left) was chosen at random from the “ballot box” installed in the lobby of the Think Space venue.

It is used here as an example and is not necessarily representative of a consensus.

Mapping Task

KEY MESSAGES

• Sandown got more attention

• References to history, such as the Roman Villa

• Connections, such as railway and airport

Based on the results of the first task, groups were then invited to plot down on a map the various points of interest, landmarks and issues that were mentioned during the group discussions earlier in the morning.

Again, there is lots of detail on each map and the Project Team need time to review and process to determine a consensus.

Mapping Task

KEY MESSAGES

• Mapping green spaces of importance

• Connective importance of the coastal path

Based on the results of the first task, groups were then invited to plot down on a map the various points of interest, landmarks and issues that were mentioned during the group discussions earlier in the morning.

Again, there is lots of detail on each map and the Project Team need time to review and process to determine a consensus.

Mapping Task

KEY MESSAGES

• Scale of the Yaverland opportunity is noted

• Battery Park also identified

• Thread of the coastal path that ties the Bay Area together

Based on the results of the first task, groups were then invited to plot down on a map the various points of interest, landmarks and issues that were mentioned during the group discussions earlier in the morning.

Again, there is lots of detail on each map and the Project Team need time to review and process to determine a consensus.

Mapping Task

KEY MESSAGES

• Pedestrianisation of the High Street mentioned

• Library as a landmark

• Eastern Gardens as a focal point

Based on the results of the first task, groups were then invited to plot down on a map the various points of interest, landmarks and issues that were mentioned during the group discussions earlier in the morning.

Again, there is lots of detail on each map and the Project Team need time to review and process to determine a consensus.

Mapping Task

Rosana Vitiello (second left) from the Project Team facilitates one of the mapping task tables.

Mapping Task

Richard Eastham (in the green t-shirt) from the Project Team facilitates the feedback from the mapping task.

Walking Tours

The afternoon of Day One began with Walking Tours of some of the locations that were plotted on the maps that morning.

Although the Project Team were prepared to go in three directions – Lake, Shanklin and Sandown – it focussed just on Sandown, as it was led by those that took part that afternoon.

An observation from the Project Team while on the island was just how inhospitable the walking environment can be in places. Just outside the Think Space venue is footway just 65cms wide. How can this encourage people to walk, rather than drive?

Do you need to carry out a “walking conditions” audit as part of the Place Plan?

An action point moving forwards could be a community-led audit of “pinch points” such as this, that maps out the parts of the network that require intervention to make conditions more inviting and convenient for pedestrians. Likewise, a similar audit of cycling conditions could be undertaken. The results of both the walking and cycling audit should influence future infrastructure investment plans such as a future LCWIP.

Walking Tours

These connecting steps that link Sandown High Street to the seafront became an area of interest and the focus of a possible intervention

The Walking Tour group took a circular loop down towards the seafront and back to the Think Space venue.

Visual Connectivity

These connecting steps were seen as uninviting and a hostile environment.

But they also offer an opportunity to inject colour into the urban landscape, make the place more joyful and create what was called an “Instagrammable Moment” for visitors and locals alike.

Visual Connectivity

In response to this suggestion, the Project Team quickly created this image using the Think Space colours, shapes and branding to demonstrate the potential of this space.

The image and the idea got nicknamed “The First Steps” as it was seen as a quick win project that a community group, working with a local artist, could deliver at low-cost but with high visual impact. Looking for similar low-cost, high visual impact projects will likely become a theme in the Bay Area Place Plan.

Walking Tours Audit List

Once the Walking Tours had concluded, and people were back in the room, the participants recorded all that they had seen, as well as noting down other associated locations.

Coloured spots – look for the red dots on the image –were added by participants. They were asked if they could only prioritise one place for investment, which would it be and to place a dot against that location on the poster.

Secondary School Event

While the walking tours were underway, another part of the Project Team were working with a selection of students at the Bay CE Secondary School.

The Project Team wanted to explore how young people felt about public space, about where they go and what they do when out and about in the Bay Area.

In this image, they are using Feria Urbanism’s bespoke set of foam blocks to build a prototype or experimental set of street furniture that can be used for a public performance.

Secondary School Event

As well as a more experimental set up, they also built a more conventional picnic table and benches.

Secondary School Event

SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS HEARD

• They like to watch the sunset from the cliff tops

• Want street furniture that is social, inviting, unusual and maybe puzzling (only they understand it)

• They enjoy sports, but multi-functional facilities – for example, tennis one day, something else the next but the in same place that they feels belongs to them

• Green spaces matter but can get boring without a specific, built feature or focal space

A summary of the wideranging conversation with the students that was prompted by the foam block design tasks.

Business Event

The first day concluded with a business event held in Shanklin. While an integral part of the Three-Day Think Space, this event had its own publicity and was deliberately held in the evening to allow many business owners and operators to attend.

To structure the event, a variation of the original questionnaire survey was issued to participants (e.g., as a business, what three things would you leave in the past, take to the future etc) and these were completed anonymously and added to a “ballot-box” style container. The anonymous nature of the inquiry helped in drawing out authentic answers.

Business Event

KEY MESSAGES

1. Revitalise empty shops, even if just for temporary interventions, as the visual impact of empty shops affects the morale and viability established businesses located nearby

2. Connectivity and a collective voice is critical

3. There is a real need for networking and collaboration, and the resultant “power in numbers” to lobby the Isle of Wight Council

4. Moving away from negative thinking, within the business community – need to drop the “poor me” mentality

5. Pride in natural assets of the Bay Area, environmental protection matters to businesses as it influences their ability to recruit staff and attract customers

This is a summary of the survey responses received at the Business Event in Shanklin.

DAY TWO

A reminder of the programme for the second day of the Three-Day Think Space.

Day Two

TASKS & SESSION FOR THE SECOND DAY

• “Future Trends”– Looking further afield, inc. international examples

• Further work with businesses, schools and youth groups

• “Postcards from the Future” – an exercise in looking forwards and back

• Open Studio Session 7pm – 9pm (to allow everybody to see the work in progress)

These were the sessions for the second day, designed to work with the outputs gathered the day before.

Future Trends

The Future Trends session took up most of the morning of the second day. A series of 20 posters were pinned up around the room. These included:

• An explanation of a trend affecting coastal communities

• An example of a “guiding light” which is a successful case study

• An opportunity for Think Space participants to react/respond in terms of what it all means for life in the Bay Area

The Project Team facilitated the discussion and participants systematically added their contributions to the display boards.

There follows a summary of the main messages as written on each of the 20 x posters.

This section here with yellow highlighter is – at the present time – the best estimate of the consensus that appeared on each poster. However, there was a significant number of contributions against each of the topics and the Project Team will need to carefully read, review and process all the results to determine a final consensus.

[This same message applies to the next 19 x slides]

1. Celebrating and using the natural landscape e.g., biosphere, dinosaur heritage, longest beach

2. Creative landscape of carnival, performing arts, creative scene. Even the natural landscape can link to this with exciting dark skies loved by artists and photographers

3. “Community landscape” with a history of notable figures that came to the area, and residents and characters and groups who make the storytelling of place unique and exciting to visit

1. “Make it fun to get here!” – develop a robust branding, PR and marketing campaign for the area, inc. “instagrammable places”

2. Curated programme of event, street art and What’s On Guides, creative signage and way-finding routes

3. Eco-Tourism – Lean into the opportunities of the green pound and UNESCO destination as a biosphere

1. “The Bay Fringe” – Making the most of outdoor space for multifunctional cultural use e.g., music, performing arts, street markets, murals

2. Promoting the natural assets to benefit the food industry e.g., local seafood serving local restaurants

1. Intergenerational support and interest e.g., the aviation museum has young people working and learning with older people, green spaces to educate and encourage biosphere development

2. Creative and cultural themed holidays for tourists (and even residents!), art and writing residencies, ecology hubs, science field trips

3. Historical destination, from dinosaurs to Napoleon to World Wars to mid-century festivals

1. Safe and shallow waters; to use and drink from, water sports, water travel, health and wellbeing, accessible sea pool

2. Inclusive faith and culture development and language learning perhaps incorporating disused spaces for these

1. Special interest holidays and events that target niche markets - can also support the local businesses to stay open longer

2. Better infrastructure e.g., transportation and general amenities to support this

1. Free Wi-Fi and data hotspots as “some spots are better than others” but place like the beach need to be better accommodated

2. “Old school” connectivity like cashpoints, banks and post offices will help businesses, residents and tourists alike

1. Develop a “We Work” shared office space by the beach. The quality of life needs to be promoted more

2. Shifts in accommodation provider thinking are needed

3. Better infrastructure to encourage this e.g., free Wi-Fi, creche, amenities

1. Has great seafood produce which can attract great chefs and restaurants

2. Tourism: Fishing holidays and education

3. Establish oyster and seaweed farms to generate environment and health and wellbeing resources

1. Make the circular economy more fashionable in the Bay Area

2. Using natural assets as health resource, such as the sea, seaweed, walking and cycle routes, park runs etc

3. Develop communal drop-in spaces for wellbeing and community connections

1. “Brilliant!” especially working with local companies like Arcology

2. Seagrass and oysters absorb CO2

3. Cliff falls are more prevalent due to rainfall run-off which leads to closure of cliff paths and this needs to be considered as part of the sea defence development

1. “The buses are very good - we don’t want to lose them!”

2. But more community-led buses in residential areas are needed

3. Small EV buses at Osborne house and more of these would be great but need to be accessible too

4. Explore new transport opportunities such as water taxis (no jetties as yet), the return of the DOTTO train to be used by all ages, solar panel tuk tuks or rickshaws

5. Park and ride options can encourage the pedestrianised esplanade to be used by all modes

1. More use of solar panels on commercial, residential and car parks – the Bay Area is south facing and has the highest level of sunshine in the UK

2. Biosphere-led business partnership schemes to promote and reward sustainable initiatives

3. Needs more education on biosphere and circular economy

4. Develop the area using recycled and sustainable materials

1. Take advantage of natural assets e.g., sun, tidal energy and wind for solar panels and wind turbines which can feed public transport & EV points and crops grown under solar panels

2. Need for connectivity from Sandown to Lake to Shanklin by making the revetment and esplanade suited for all modes with cycle lanes for bikes and mobility scooters

3. Opportunity to invest in local energy incentive schemes

1. “Is there enough power on the island from the National Grid to supply this?”

2. Can we tie in with green energy and EV supply to connect with a biosphere scheme?

3. Opportunities to share and rent home EV chargers and parking areas

1. Community educations spaces for ALL ages; develop disused spaces for this type of use

2. “Let’s have a new Solent Bauhaus based here!”

3. Build a centre for excellence in health, science and creativity

4. Education as tourism

5. Business Support and Development + Innovation spaces to encourage new industry and business

1. Harness the experience and wisdom of older generations

2. Intergenerational skills sharing

3. “Age-friendly island” – but this needs better amenities, accessibility, and even play spaces

1. Integrate new ways of working with existing structures – remove blockages and encourage individual and community empowerment

2. Follow people’s interests for the use of common good e.g., carpentry and greening

3. Encouraging ground swell of a local collective voice; can have an effect at a local, regional and national level

1. The Sea Pool – an accessible sheltered open space for all ages and backgrounds, encouraging diverse demographics

2. Cold Water Therapy – perhaps an NHS Trust funded the “Swim The Wight” and a promotion of cold-water swimming?

3. Strengthen the sea safari wildlife offer?

1. “Age is relative”

2. Encourage intergenerational projects and housing for skills sharing and community building

3. Encouraging an active lifestyle using the natural landscape and community engagement as it “… improves life span by 10 years'”

Further Business Engagement

• The “business community” is a strong asset, but only if they work together

• Greater collaboration between business outside their own sectors will make them more self -reliant as a community

• Lack of traditional business infrastructure (such as banks, cash points and post office) is holding them back

• How to extend seasons and shift away from “lifestyle businesses” and the “6 months on, 6 months off” approach?

On the afternoon of the second day, Laura Mulhern of the Project Team went out and engaged with specific business operators that had attended the event the previous evening.

This more in-depth engagement revealed further insights to the challenges and opportunities of the Bay Area.

Postcards

A further research task on the second day was the postcards exercise. Participants were asked to write a postcard from the past and one back from the future, celebrating life in the Bay Area.

Had lovely day with family, swimming most of day, picnicking and playing French cricket in Yaverland

Here is a random example of a message from the past….

Walked coastal path to Luccombe and then got bike taxi back along revetment, watched birds and wildlife in eco-haven at Yaverland - beautiful wildflowers here!

…. and here is its future counterpart

Fond

memories of carefree childhood holidays and later visits, maybe will live here one day.

Here is another random example of a message from the past….

Enjoying the eco-tourism offering. The weather is warm, and the vineyards are providing refreshment. Love picking the oranges on the willow walk. Wish you were here!

…. and here is its future counterpart

The beach here in Shanklin is glorious golden sand, completely litter free. The deckchairs are reasonably priced, and we had lunch on the terrace outside of a pub on the Esplanade. Going to hire a pedalo this afternoon. This evening is the illuminated carnival, it’s been going for 100 years! Tomorrow we are going to see a show at the Theatre after dinner at the Pendletons.

Here is a final random example of a message from the past….

Took the great grandchildren to the beach in Sandown today, watched the beach football in the pitch in Yaverland

…. and here is its future counterpart

Primary School Event

The second day also saw the first engagement event with younger students. These children attend Broadlea Primary School. Two tasks had been prepared for them:

• A writing and drawing worksheet about the future

• A practical, building task using the foam block set

The selection of students that took part took each task in turn and then swapped over.

Here is the front of the worksheet….

Primary School Event

… and this is the reverse, inviting them to draw something fun that would improve the Bay Area. When this task was explained to the students, a hand went up:

Q: “What’s the budget?”

Even primary age children are aware that funding and finance are key issues that affect regeneration plans. In a mirror image to the question asked after just ten minutes of the first day, the Project Team were made aware that whatever the final shape and content of the Place Plan, it needs to include short-term affordable actions as well longer-term capital works.

Broadlea Primary School

Broadlea students busy completing the worksheets in the library.

Broadlea Primary School

Broadlea students busy completing the worksheets in the library.

Broadlea Primary School

Broadlea students busy completing the worksheets in the library.

Broadlea Primary School

On returning from the school, the Project Team took a quick look through the results. There follows a selection of drawings from the students.

This one shows a wrecking ball being taken to the derelict Ocean Hotel in response to the invitation to improve the Bay Area.

Broadlea Primary School

Here’s another drawing that seeks to improve the derelict Ocean Hotel.

These results show that without any prompting whatsoever from the Project Team, young people in the Bay Area are acutely aware of the abandonment and dereliction issues and want to improve them as a priority.

Broadlea Primary School

This drawing sketches out a floor plan of a café space where children the same age can all play video games together in the same room.

While online gaming with people around the world is possible from your bedroom, there was a wish to all be in a high street venue, sharing the same activity. An interesting way to regeneration the high street, the mix of digital and analogue?

There is also a pool, a water park and a massive park nearby.

Broadlea Primary School

Safer roads is the first request here to improve the journey to school.

Broadlea Primary School

This student doesn’t like getting stuck in traffic and doesn’t like “chattery people” (!) but also wants to rebuild all the burned down buildings and introduce more shops.

Broadlea Primary School

A community centre for sports, events, archery and trampolines….

Broadlea Primary School

… and in a similar way, this student would like more community events to bring people together.

Broadlea Primary School

New shelters on the cliff top and down by the seafront are shown in this image.

Broadlea Primary School

While the worksheet group was busy in the library, the other group of students were busy in the playground making public spaces and street furniture arrangements that they would like to see across the Bay Area

Broadlea Primary School

Here, they are working as a team to create something that would be attractive to their age group out and about in the Bay Area

Broadlea Primary School

Even with an injury, they all got involved!

Broadlea Primary School

A picnic table or a place to play games outdoors?

Broadlea Primary School

A performance stage for music, theatre, poetry, with informal seating?

Broadlea Primary School

A cosy seating area, for people of different heights and ages?

Broadlea Primary School

Sun loungers!

Older Teenagers @ Sandown Library Training Our Imaginations

AI Machine Learning

Later that afternoon on the second day, the Project Team worked with a select group of teenagers. This event used the artificial intelligence (AI) programme Midjourney to create realistic images based on key word inputs. Students were asked to nominate a local place plus an activity to create images that could inspire the future.

The purpose of this session was to “train imaginations” and to give a visual outputs to written inputs.

KEY WORD INPUTS

Culver Down + Cable Cars

What prompted this image was a desire to move around in a fun and entertaining way and to overcome some of the topographical challenges of the Bay Area. The teenagers wanted a way to move that would work for locals and visitors alike.

Sandown Bay + Death Metal +

Performance

One student in the group was into Death Metal and wanted to test out what a performance of this music genre might look like on Sandown beach. Places need to have something for everyone!

KEY WORD INPUTS

Sandown Bay + Clear Water + Tiger Shark

The beach was seen as important by everybody but what if it had clear tropical water? Could you then see the dangers that lurk beneath?!

KEY WORD INPUTS

Tokyo + Island Pier + Night Life

They all liked the lights and the neon on Sandown Pier but felt it perhaps wasn’t as epic and awesome as places like Tokyo. What if Sandown Pier took its existing lighting ideas and ramped them up to the max? How could this approach help make it a destination and set it apart from the rest of the Bay Area?

KEY

WORD INPUTS Tokyo + Island Coast + Night Life

Another image, testing out epic and over-the-top lighting ideas along the Sandown coast. There is something dramatic, and appropriate to this fun and the coastal location – think Las Vegas and Blackpool – but also highly artificial about this image. How would this align with (or contrast with?) ideas around the biosphere, climate change and energy use?

Open Studio Session

End of Day Two

The second day concluded with an “open studio session” when the room was opened to the public. They could call in to see the work in progress and add their ideas to the material on display.

Open Studio Session

End of Day Two

In this image, more ideas are being added to the Future Trends posters that remained on display.

“Get it right for the locals, and the visitors will surely come”

By the end of the second day, a theme was emerging, and this is captured by this quote from Jan Gehl.

It appears that for too long the Bay Area has organised itself around tourism and presented itself to the world as a place to visit. Instead, it should focus on those that work and live here, and if it gets that right, it (almost by default) becomes an interesting and attractive place to visit.

Jan Gehl Architect & Urban Planner

Many of the world’s most popular places to visit are authentic and visitors witness or take part in local activities that respond to local needs, not events that are designed purely for tourists or that have no relevance to local people. How can this approach, if deemed the right one, manifest itself in different ways across the Bay Area?

DAY THREE

A reminder of the programme for the third and final day of the Three-Day Think Space.

Day Three

TASKS & SESSION FOR THE THIRD DAY

• Gatten & Lake Primary School in the morning

• Walking tours of Lake, in parallel with the school event

• “Spectrum of Change” – timelines exercise

• From midday, in the small room, “pulling all the threads together”

• TARGET: Final Presentation, 7pm – 9pm

Gatten & Lake Primary School

The same worksheet from the second day (as used at Broadlea School) was today rolled out at Gatten & Lake Primary School.

Another fabulous selection of imaginative and thoughtful students presented their ideas, prompted by the questions on the worksheet.

Gatten & Lake Primary School

Noel Moka from the Project Team talks to students during the worksheet session.

Gatten & Lake Primary School

Once outside, the group made a very cosy groups discussion venue, like an outdoor classroom. This was an interesting response to the challenge set, that was to build something fun for their own age group.

Gatten & Lake Primary School

They also built a very challenging obstacle course using the same set of blocks!

What can the Project Team take away from these practical building tasks and the worksheet ideas?

These ideas will not be taken at “face value” and interpreted directly but instead, will be analysed and used to inform a set of principles that can shape and influence how outdoor places and civic spaces can be best designed to respond to the needs of different age groups.

The final Bay Area Place Plan will likely include these principles with examples about how they can be applied in different locations.

Lake A mystery in the heart of the Bay Area?

While Noel and Richard were at Gatten & Lake Primary School, the other members of the Project Team were out on site, exploring the green spaces in Lake.

It was important to understand how these locations can contribute to the wider Bay Area Place Plan.

Selection of images from the Lake green spaces, as visited on the third day.

Lake

Lake is the “Hidden Green Heart” of the Bay Area

• All sites need to work for Local People

• Pockets of 5 x Green Spaces that could be better connected together

• Needs an activation for each space?

• Different spaces for different uses:

1. Lake Cliff Gardens

2. Site of New Road Toilets (soon to be demolished?)

3. Manor Road Play Park

4. Land behind the Broadlea Primary School Playing Fields

5. Copse Mead Nature Reserve Summary of the notes gathered by the Project Team during the Lake site visits.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

The final afternoon of the Three-Day think Space included a timeline exercise, exploring how different aspects of life in the Bay Area could be influenced moving forwards.

In this image, Rosanna from the Project Team explains to the participants how the task works and what to do.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the NATURE topic. So many ideas! All this needs to be reviewed and processed by the Project Team over the next phase of the project.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the ENTERTAINMENT, CULTURE & PLAY topic.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the TRANSPORT topic.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the LEARNING topic – not quite as busy as the other posters?

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the TOURISM topic.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Here is a photo of the results for the HEALTH & WELLBEING topic.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Nature

• Cultural & Ecological “mash-ups”

• “Sculpture as habitat, Habitat as art”

Health

• Emphasis on wellbeing from cradle to grave

• All-inclusive Bay Area health hub

Learning

• Learning hub for ALL – for FE and HE

• More research centres and field craft centres = Good educational outcomes

After an initial review, looking over all the Spectrum of Change posters, these are the headline results.

Further analysis will be undertaken to reach a final consensus across these different topics.

“Spectrum of Change” – Timeline Exercise

Transport

• Bring back the DOTTO train!

• Investment in tech and alternative transport options

Entertainment, Culture + Play

• Town maps and trails

• Online and offline

• Murals and street art

• Sponsored music hotspots for busking

After an initial review, looking over all the Spectrum of Change posters, these are the headline results.

Further analysis will be undertaken to reach a final consensus across these different topics.

Further Contributions from Participants

Why do you go to the High Street?

Performing Arts Shanklin Proposal & Hullaballoo

As the third day unfolded, the Project Team were given contributions from participants to include in the Bay Area Place Plan. Shown here are ideas from a local resident for pop-up pods and kiosks designed to reanimate the high street. Another contribution was existing ideas for new investment in the Shanklin Performing Arts.

This captures how the Bay Area Place Plan can work…. It will provide an overarching set of themes and principles that will create a framework into which existing and new project ideas can be slotted.

The Place Plan will allow the ideas as shown here, and others besides, to find a “home” and be coordinated, promoted and supported effectively.

End of Day Three

By the end of the three days, w hat progress had been made with the drafting of Bay Area Place Plan? The Think Space had generated….

 Emerging Spatial Plan

 Draft Document Structure

 Set of Principles & Values

Bay Area Place Plan

Emerging Spatial Diagram

1. All related to the biosphere

2. Connectivity

 Safe convenient inland routes

 Coastal edge

3. Distinct identities

4. Overall consistency

5. Settlements wrapped within the landscape and seascape

6. Urban intensity yet a relaxed island way of life

7. Needs an asset map and the location of programmable spaces

As the third day ended, the Project Team produced this draft diagram to express in plan form what had been learned over the three days.

It shows how the distinctive character of the three settlements can be maintained while contributing to an overall vision.

The seafront can provide a connection between places, while the high headlands at either end of the Bay Area provide a secure and safe landscape setting.

Further work is needed to refine this diagram. Testing and review is still to be undertaken.

Culver Down Green Headland

Luccombe Village Green Headland

Bay Area Place Plan

Draft Document Structure

Further work is needed to refine this structure. Testing and review is still to be undertaken.

Economy

All Year Around Sustainable Balanced Access for All

Ecology Land + Sea Biosphere

Natural Capital Asset Rich

Green Spaces

Breathing Spaces

Different Needs

Connected Spaces

Wellbeing

Green Spaces

Time Outdoors

Learning As Leisure

Alongside the Emerging Spatial Plan, the Project Team proposed this idea for the structure of the Bay Area Place Plan document. Starting with Economy –a direct response to those first questions about funding and budgets – this flow diagram attempts to show how the different sections can be interrelated and mutually reinforcing.

Culture Based On Ecology

Water Sports

Coastal Life

Link to Economy

Urbanism

Streets + Spaces

Hosting Culture

Repair Buildings Intensify

Education Access All Ages Reasons To Stay

Responsive

Access

Connectivity

Access Not Mobility

Balanced Economy

Bay Area Place Plan

Draft Principles & Values

1. Start Small & Snowball

 Recall that very first question – what’s the budget?! 

2. Get Connected

 Link Spaces & Places; Connect Ideas

3. Hyper Local Empowerment

 Unblock the Blockages, Step Out Of The Way, Ability & Agency

4. Young Hearts Run Free

 Intergenerational experience, the natural assets and the performative and playfulness

Further work is needed to refine these values. Testing and review is still to be undertaken.

These are a set of draft principles and values that could be used to underpin the proposals and the recommendations in the final Bay Area Place Plan.

These principles and values would be common to all parts of the Bay Area.

Bay Area Place Plan

Next Steps

Further work is needed to agree these next steps with the client team, but these are the likely tasks that lie ahead.

1. Read & Assess All Materials in More Detail

2. Catalogue & Process

3. Produce a Draft Place Plan for Testing (est. early autumn)

4. Issue a Final Report (est. late 2023)

At the end of three exhausting but very productive days, these are the likely next steps needed to move the process towards the production of the final Bay Area Place Plan.

Please note, all steps are still to be confirmed at this stage.

Thank You

It was an incredible three days working alongside the passionate and knowledgeable community in the Bay Area of Sandown, Lake and Shanklin.

A heartfelt thank you from the Project Team to everyone on the island who took the time to get involved and share with us their hopes and dreams.

As demonstrated by this slideshow, there is now a wealth of information to consider, to process, and to translate to inform the preparation of the Bay Area Place Plan.