Placemaking

 

The layout of ‘places’ is not a new concept. Historically, cities evolved from the joining of settlements, based purely on access to water and common land, which then developed to consider cultural, trade and defensive requirements. The crossing points of trade routes became open areas to allow for the exchanging of goods, eventually becoming public squares that also served as a gathering space for political and religious functions. As a result, public realm is laid differently across the world, depending on the cultural, religious and attitudinal differences of particular societies and groups. 

What is Placemaking?

I recently explored the term Genius Loci in a previous post, learning it defines the sense of meaning and character within an area. Placemaking is a term used to describe the process by which this sense of meaning and character is given to a public area. It emerged in the 1960s in response to a call for greater consideration of the ‘experience’ within public realm. Placemaking involves strengthening the connection between people and their environment, facilitating creative patterns of use and embracing the physical, cultural and social identities that define a place. Public space is a multidimensional element of society and it is vital to get it right.

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) identifies that, to be successful, placemaking needs to give an identity and image to communities, helping to attract new residents, business and investment. They believe that cities of all sizes should have at least ten destinations where people want to be. Within this, PPS discusses the need for each destination to have at least ten places within it, each with ten things to do. Personally, I think this is excessive. I understand the importance of creating destinations within cities and agree that each destination should have places and things to, but I think enforcing a number upon the concept of placemaking can oppose everything the term represents. What gives a place its sense of meaning and character could be one very subtle, yet beautifully unique, element and all a space may require for placemaking is to focus on this one small element.

PPS also identifies the four key attributes to a successful place:

1. They are accessible and well connected to other important places in the area - A great public space is easy to get to, enter and navigate.

2. They are comfortable and project a good image - Perceptions of safety, cleanliness and availability of rest points are vital elements to create a space that is comfortable and looks inviting.

3. They attract people to participate in activities there - A carefully chosen range of activities will help attract a variety of people at different times of the day.

4. They are sociable environments in which people want to gather and visit again and again - A great place will become a ‘favourite spot’ for people to meet friends, greet neighbours, and interact with strangers.

For me, placemaking is a fundamental philosophy for the landscape architecture profession. It requires research into the cultural, social and historical context, as well as the natural environmental factors, to capture a place’s Genius Loci. The community is a vital part of great placemaking - observing, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play locally to form a vision for that place. This also necessitates the enhancement of community engagement, turning public spaces into a group activity that builds social capital and shared values. In my opinion, the most important element of great placemaking is to reflect the local community, creating a place that is not only enjoyed by people, but seen as an extension of them.

Everyone has the right to live in a great place. More importantly, everyone has the right to contribute to making the place where they already live great. - Fred Kent

References

Harvie, A. (2020) Placemaking. Available at: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Placemaking (Accessed: 11 February 2021)

Project for Public Spaces. (2018) Placemaking. Available at: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5810e16fbe876cec6bcbd86e/5b71f88ec6f4726edfe3857d_2018%20placemaking%20booklet.pdf (Accessed: 11 February 2021)