News

Big Insights: What next for community spaces?

Submitted by Hannah Gibbs

Last week I attended an event organised by Big Lottery Fund to help them consider the future of their funding for community spaces. Various organisations and charities who work with and support local people on public and open space projects were there to listen to others and to share their own experiences.

The public space agenda of different government departments was presented by landscape consultant, Peter Neal. We then heard about the Barnfield Estate Wellness Garden – a community open space improvement project that has been very successful in Greenwich thanks to effective partnership working. Group discussions followed.

The key thoughts and questions arising from the day were:


• Any support organisation or project partner working on a community open space needs to have a full appreciation and understanding of the area in which they’re working (its history, residents and level of affluence/deprivation)

• The success of the Barnfield Estate scheme is thanks to the mutual trust and respect between the residents, the council and the other support organisations. We discussed the importance of this equal relationship and the role of independent facilitators in community space projects

• There are a wealth of resources available to community groups working on open spaces, but how do groups find out about these? We agreed that people and especially facilitators give the greatest support, but with limited capacity and jobs under threat this isn’t always possible. We need to ensure that infrastructure is built to allow community groups to share knowledge and experiences. (I know through our Study Tours that one of the most valuable things for community groups is the chance to meet one another and learn from each other’s successes and challenges.)

• We felt that there is potential for community open space projects to engage more with the private sector and this ought to be explored

• One of the key challenges for community open space projects is securing long term funding for their management and maintenance. Groups need to be encouraged to think about this from the outset

The overriding sense was that we need to create better communication and links between groups, networks and support organisations working on community spaces. In the current climate, I think this need for collaboration is greater than ever.

Myatt's Fields Park

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Upcoming events

Submitted by Jaina Tochia

The Glass-House and partner organisations are holding a series of lively and informative events all exploring the built environment from various perspectives. Below is a bitesize overview of each one with link to book your place. 

The Glass-House and Architecture Centre Network (ACN):

Community Engagement: Quality Design or Design Compromise?

A debate which discusses and explores the different approaches to ensuring design quality, and the importance of listening to responding to the community voice. There will be presentations from:

• The Glass-House
• The Building Exploratory
• The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment

with a chance to discuss key points and raise your queries after the presentations.

Where: The Gallery, 77 Cowcross St, London, EC1M 6EL

When: Tuesday 21 June 2011

Time: Refreshments from 6.30pm, debate 7-8pm

Cost: £5/£3 for students inc a glass of wine

More info: Event flyer

To book: www.eventelephant.com/communityengagement21june

A Planning in London Conference in association with The Glass-House

Community and Planning, The New Relationship

Communities are being empowered to shape and direct the future of their neighbourhoods. How will property and built environment professionals, local authorities work with communities to achieve the best outcomes?

This special one-day conference is designed to create opportunities for debate and discussion about how communities and professionals can engage collaboratively with neighbourhood planning, to create new Neighbourhood Plans.

Join us to debate the key issues with developers, architects, planners, local government authorities, politicians and community organisations.

Where: The Royal College of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE

When: Thursday 7 July 2011

Time: 8.30 to 5.30pm with evening drinks reception

Cost: Standard ticket price £239.00 + VAT

NEW: If you are part of a community group/ organisation cost per person £20.00

More info: Programme

To book: Community and Planning, The New Relationship website 

The Glass-House and Design Council CABE  

Design Planning Workshop - Community Engagement

The Localism Bill presents a new role for urban planners as facilitators of neighbourhood plans. This half-day workshop will highlight the challenges and opportunities for planners and communities to prioritise design in the new planning system. The session will discuss the links to core strategies as well as local practical projects. Speakers will present a series of approaches to community planning through inspiring case studies. A practical exercise will help you develop a new approach to talking to local communities about the value of good design in the context of neighbourhood plans.

The workshop will be an opportunity for you to question our expert panel, who have years of experience on community planning projects. We will also encourage you to discuss your experiences with other local authorities, to discuss common problems and solutions.

Confirmed speakers:

• Paul Watson – Paul, Strategic Director for Regeneration and Development
• Shankari Raj – Shankari is a community activist from Bristol
• Sophia de Sousa – Sophia, Chief Executive of The Glass-House

Where: Design Council CABE, 34 Bow Street, London WC2E 7DL

When: Wednesday 13 July 2011

Who: Local authority planners

Time: 10am-1pm followed by lunch

Cost: Free

More info and to book: Design in Planning booking info and booking  

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New Start/ CLES Launch

Submitted by Jaina Patel

Last night a couple of us (Hannah Gibbs, Project Support Officer and Jaina Patel, Marketing and Communications Manager) attended the CLES NewStart Launch event in London. We heard about the new online services that they are setting up together which aims to support all of us working in the regeneration sector through case studies, research and policy analysis. The speakers were Andy Sawford (Local Government Information Unit), Nicola Steuer (New Economics Foundation) and Richard Cairns (Audit Commission). Each of them presented their thoughts about some of the challenges and opportunities posed by localism and how it can help to make better places.

We thought we would share some of the issues raised:

• What can we do here and now to make sure that we hold onto institutions which advocate the case for disadvantaged communities? - We agree it's really important that during this period of upheaval, so communities continue to have a voice. Organisations such as CLES, NEF and The Glass-House can help to do this
• Changes in the economy affect different communities in very different ways - it is therefore important that local strategies are tailored to suit the specific needs of each area, but also take into account a broader context
• Nicola Steuer of NEF put forward that our experiential knowledge of our neighbourhoods is in fact expert knowledge on the local level - something The Glass-House agrees with wholeheartedly!
• Localism offers a big opportunities for making better places as it emphasises the assets and strengths of local communities, but not everyone will be able to take advantage of this opportunity due to a lack of skills, knowledge and confidence - support is needed to enable communities to play a confident and informed role
• Making better places ultimately involves compromise

One of the clear messages from the evening is that there is a crucial need for localism to be steered and managed carefully and with a long-term view, or else it could fail to deliver positive changes.

It was refreshing and encouraging for us to hear so much positivity and determination from all the speakers and organistaions present last night. It's really important that we continue to find and make the most of opportunities which arise during these tough times.

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