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Placemaking is a malleable term, open to interpretation. Whether it’s physical design characteristics, land values, job creation, biodiversity, new amenities or simply a sense of well-being, people assign different values to areas. Everyone knows a good place when they’re in one, but there’s no magic ingredient or singular approach. Future of London’s major 2017 programme set out to understand how different stakeholders value the impacts of placemaking and how to foster greater common among their views.
While it is relatively straightforward to assign a numeric value to commercial and economic impacts, qualities that are ‘softer’, such as well-being or social connectivity, can be more difficult. Formal impact frameworks steer practitioners towards this focus, but things are changing. Policy is already nudging practitioners towards more holistic valuation, and practitioners from all sectors are developing their own models and metrics.
Running throughout 2017, the programme brought together over 500 people from the public, private and community sectors, and included a debate, senior roundtables, practitioner workshop, full-day conference and six field trips to places undergoing change across London.
The final report for this project offers case studies, calls to action for stakeholders and guiding principles for more holistic placemaking valuation. Download the report.
Making the Case for PlaceThe executive summary outlines our major 2017 project and highlights our guiding principles for placemaking valuation. Download the summary.
Making the Case for PlaceOur 2017 conference on placemaking brought together 50 speakers and 200 delegates. Their contributions to seminars and workshops are summarised here. Download the summary.
Future London Leaders 28 wrapped up in October 2021 with candidates presenting their Proposals for London on the theme of public space in webinar format. A virtual audience of colleagues, mentors, sponsors, alumni and course contributors tuned in to cast their votes from home.
Frustrated by all those wasted rooftops? So was PTE’s Peter Watkins. Check out his proposal for a tool that could bring acres of dead space to life. Video, podcast & resources from around the world.
Want to see recovery in action? Check out Stockport. On a recent visit, we saw loads of support initiatives from repurposed retail to new public space to a pioneering town centre Mayoral Development Corp. The council is working on perception, but there’s real change behind it.
Co-design with residents in Barking’s Gascoigne neighbourhood has produced a great shared-use space with life beyond its temporary home. Be First planner and Leaders Plus alumna Emma Thorpe shares how they did it.
How much of central Manchester do you attempt with just over two hours and a very knowledgeable group? All of it, of course! We didn’t get everywhere but certainly gave it a shot with this fascinating GM Leaders Plus field trip.
We are drowning in debate over how we should meet for work, if and when people come in at all. Field trips are a great way to surface, and to share learning and power between stakeholders.
First field trip out of lockdown? Had to be King’s Cross! Leaders Plus 8 met there in person for the first time, and got a reminder of all that’s gone into this regeneration exemplar.
Many councils are under pressure to fill budget gaps and sell their owned or managed buildings. But more are becoming ‘market makers,’ pushing for a longer-term stake and turning vacant or under-used buildings into community-managed assets
Interested in ways to green your town centre? Check out the video of this great Proposal for GM and get-it-done discussion. Got a Proposal to deliver yourself? Catch the six-minute behind-the-scenes interview for tips and inspiration.
Hear about the shifting connections between culture and place in this lively conversation with cultural strategist Aida Esposito, Southbank Centre’s Gillian Moore CBE and placemaking strategist and FoL alum Paul Augarde.
LB Redbridge Chief Exec Andy Donald argues that councils need to redefine their role as leaders of placemaking. At November’s breakfast briefing, he invited alumni to think of councils as conveners: providing a platform to bring stakeholders together and establishing a ‘low floor, high ceiling’ that sets the tone for collaboration and co-production in shaping our neighbourhoods.
Spotlight by Leaders Plus alumna Rebecca Lee of PTE, whose growing obsession with better, more collaborative digital mapping led her and FoL’s Lisa Taylor to organise the 9th Dec #MapLondon conference.
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