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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.
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.
How do we measure the success of a place when compared to its surrounding neighbourhood or city-wide economy? FoL Alumni and invited guests came together to explore this question and consider how some of London’s most high-profile regeneration projects perform against a more holistic view of placemaking.
Future of London’s Making the Case for Place report offers case studies, calls to action and guiding principles for more holistic placemaking valuation.
On 9 Nov we visited South Kilburn to learn about placemaking in a large estate regeneration scheme.
See here for Alan Cherry Placemaking Award Winners and Shortlist – congratulations to all winners and nominees!
Our 26 Sep placemaking field trip learned how organisations are engaging young people in Tower Hamlets.
On 26 July, Future of London visited Rye Lane to learn about placemaking in one of the UK’s most diverse and fast-changing town centres.
Our 28 June conference looks at the value of place and placemaking and how this can be measured more effectively. Read on to find out more about speakers and topics.
This grassroots walking tour offered a first-hand look at and insight into a proposed ‘Camley Street Sustainability Zone’ north of King’s Cross.
On 20 June, Future of London visited Thamesmead to learn about placemaking strategies that are shaping the town’s cultural offer and open spaces.
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