nick wright planning
NEWS
putting ideas into practice
By Nick Wright
on November 27, 2010
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I've posted a few blogs over the last year about making more people-centred places - and have mentioned lots of ideas, but not a great deal of practice. Which is a little ironic, since most of my work is on real projects. So, let me redress the balance a little by giving three brief examples of how we - meaning me and other people I work with - are working to put people-centred placemaking into practice. We've not got it right yet. But we are trying to be progressive and learn as we go.
kirkcudbright

the design team had a thorough grasp of what the local community wanted out of the project - concerns, issues and aspirations there was some positive momentum in the local community to take the proposals forwardSo, rather than dreaming up wonderful proposals and then sell them to a sceptical local community, the design process was rooted in school classroom sessions, meetings with local groups, and one-to-one discussions with local businesses - culminating in community workshops where local people co-designed proposals with professional designers as equals. At our first workshop we deliberately turned up with blank sheets of paper - to initial disbelief from those who came, but then increasing trust as we explained that we needed to understand their perspective before we could even contemplate proposals. At the second workshop, in a packed town hall, we asked local people to divide themselves into groups and to design how the square should be. The result: lots of ideas, increasing consensus, momentum and trust, and proof that the much-maligned Public Meeting can be a huge success - if it is faciliated well. You can see some images of the final proposals on Willie Miller's website here. But what was just as important as these proposals was the positive spirit that was engendered through this collaborative design process. In an era of scarce public funds for schemes like this, that positive momentum will be absolutely fundamental for delivery of the project. And, in a town where the community has already built and operates the local swimming pool, we have no reason to think that the local community won't succeed with this project as well.
inveraray

castlederg

and lots more
I could have mentioned many other projects where I'm working with others to draw up collaborative plans which are designed to respond directly local needs:town centre visions and strategies in Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Strathaven and Lanark with Kevin Murray Associates and WMUD Inverness City Vision, which I've written about here, developed a long term vision for Inverness to direct statutory development planning and wider public service investment a new commission with Strathfillan Community Development Trust in Crianlarich, in the Scottish Highlands, is working closely with the local community to co-design their aspiration to develop a heritage and cultural project in the village.The common theme across all of these projects is designing physical proposals which respond to local aspirations, and - equally importantly - take their place alongside wider social, economic and community actions. After all, however wonderful a town's buildings and spaces are, what are they without people and life?