{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExpert tips on getting involved in the new building development in your neighbourhood (and why you should) \u003C/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u00A0\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery week, Scouts happens in community buildings throughout the UK. These spaces fill with people \u2013 young and old \u2013 who get together to learn skills and have fun. In the process, they build stronger, more cohesive communities.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen a new property development is earmarked for a neighbourhood, the potential for a new community building offers the opportunity for a new Scout Group to put it to use, or for an existing Scout Group to find a new home.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut getting involved in new building projects can be daunting for community members. Here, industry professionals share their thoughts on why communities play an integral role in new building developments, and how to get involved.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4565/ware_52.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking places\u003Cem\u003E for\u003C/em\u003E people \u003Cem\u003Ewith\u003C/em\u003E people\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.jtp.co.uk/\u0022\u003EJTP architects\u003C/a\u003E call themselves \u2018collaborative placemakers\u2019. Placemaking is an approach to planning, designing and managing buildings and spaces that make the most of local community assets and ideas, to create public spaces that promote people\u2019s well-being.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a placemaking practice, JTP describe their community planning process as one that \u2018puts local people at the heart of the design process\u2019. Charles Campion leads their Community Planning team and says \u2018collaborative planning and co-design is an important part of the process, so people are involved and understand that their input works together with ours to shape the places for the future.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4563/kids_medina_yard.jpg","width":3456,"height":2304,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat makes a good, well-used community space?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen thinking about what creates a successful, sustainable, community space, Charles says there are a whole range of things to think about. He lists a few:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018People have got to feel comfortable and safe in the space.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIt\u2019s got to be well-put-together, well-managed, well-designed.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHopefully, it\u2019s equitable, in the sense that it\u2019s not privatised. People can use it, and feel comfortable using these spaces.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EPeople don\u2019t necessarily have to spend money in a good urban space. We try to shape places where there might be businesses, there might be cafes, but people feel comfortable to use that place as well.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESeating, greenery and clean air are important.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMovement is also very important \u2013 how people pass through.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESometimes it\u2019s possible to create spaces that are car-free. We typically tend to try and put pedestrians first, second cycling, then public transport and then private cars after that.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWith new developments it\u2019s usually better to locate them in some sort of local centre so that they can support the viability of shops, or near a primary school for example, where there\u2019s already people coming and going, and there are advantages like being able to share parking and things like that.\u2019\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClare San Martin, a consulting architect, urban designer and community planner at JTP says, \u2018the more flexible the space can be in its design, the better, because the needs of the community always change over time and what you have planned in the beginning is not where you\u2019re going to be in two years\u2019 time.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Clare says \u2018a good community space is one where the community is very much involved in the running and management and feels like it\u2019s responding to the needs of that particular community.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4564/hop_st_clements.jpg","width":3456,"height":2304,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChild-like wisdom \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA good illustration of the success that\u2019s inherent to building developments informed by a community\u2019s inputs and needs is Skaterham in Caterham Village, Surrey.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the former Caterham Barracks was being regenerated, the developer, Linden Homes, gave the community an opportunity to build something for future generations. And so, they held a youth conference in the community to find out what young people in the area needed. From that Skaterham was born: a safe and challenging place for young people to learn extreme sports.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwenty years later, Skaterham is going strong, with thousands of members signed up. Constantly adapting to the communities\u2019 needs, Skaterham has moved venues multiple times \u2013 today it occupies an old chapel, where the columns were fitted with padding to protect the grade II listed church as the half-pipes moved in.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYoung people in the lead\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Young people are often ahead of everyone else, thinking a bit more about the future,\u2019 Charles says \u2013 explaining why they often collaborate with young people. Working with groups like Scouts, he says JTP engage with people of all ages. They don\u2019t just ask questions and get verbal feedback though, they get people \u2018co-designing, so people at schools are picking up pencils and drawing and painting things.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018When we run workshops with young people,\u2019 he continues, \u2018we often find they cover the same topics as everyone else but with emphasis in different places. Young people are very compassionate about other people in their community and they also think a lot about the future and the environment and creating places that are sustainable, and they want to have fun obviously.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe says in his experience \u2018they say they like to mix with people of all generations. Young people seem to be a little bit separated and sometimes stereotyped and stigmatised but mostly they just want to be part of the community, to learn and grow. And they also want to feel safe, which is maybe why they want to feel part of their communities.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to get involved in new developments\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018People can ask or even demand to be involved,\u2019 Charles explains. \u2018They can set up local groups, but more and more there\u2019s an acceptance that local communities should be involved so most developers or most councils \u2013 those responsible for places \u2013 are looking to involve people.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe says the lesson they\u2019ve learnt is that \u2018where communities are active, and proactive, involved in shaping their place and positive about creating a vision for their place, that\u2019s helpful to those who have a responsibility to those who live in the place. If you can get the community involved in all aspects you\u2019ll end up with a better, more sustained place.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe suggests finding out about taking part in \u003Cstrong\u003Eparticipatory design workshops\u003C/strong\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThese happen at the very beginning of the development process\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThey get all those who might use the facility together.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThey help assess what similar facilities are in the surrounding areas to avoid duplicating or undermining existing places.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EOnce everyone\u2019s together, hands-on planning begins \u2013 designing the building and deciding on its location.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHomebuilding specialists Taylor Wimpey say that during a new development consultation period, they \u2018invite public to have their say on all aspects of the plans, including the location and nature of community facilities.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey use \u0027Building for Life 12\u0027 as their benchmark, which is the industry standard for the design of new housing developments. They say this \u2018invites questions on provision for community facilities\u2019, and \u2018actively encourage(s)\u2026 individual regions to consider the provision of community facilities, even if it\u2019s just a simple space to meet in the open air if the schemes don\u2019t have the critical mass to sustain anything else.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiscover your rights\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENational planning policy offers guidance encouraging large developments to run workshops and work with local communities, Charles explains. He says \u2018local councils may have their own policies but they\u2019re quite general so it\u2019s really important that the community themselves understand what potential there is for their involvement.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECharles\u2019 recently published book \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://2020visionsbook.com/\u0022\u003E20/20 Visions: Collaborative Planning \u0026amp; Placemaking\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E talks about the potential of \u2018charrettes\u2019. These are community planning workshops which \u2018enable large groups of people to genuinely get involved in planning and designing their place. The more people get to know about these things, the better. The more people start to sit up and start to get involved in their communities the better.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I think groups such as the Scouts are exemplary in getting young people out there and involved in their community. The intergenerational intergroup mixing is absolutely fundamental to our future and to the communities that we live in.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022lead\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShare your experience\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHave a story to share about your community space for Scouts or are you looking to get involved in the development of a community building in your area? Send us your thoughts to \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:scouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk\u0022\u003Escouting.magazine@scouts.org.uk\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4562/p1270293_ph.jpg","width":3000,"height":4000,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"05 November 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48474,"nodeName":"Your community, your community space","title":"Your community, your community space","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/4561/ware_52.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd28bb31b0","caption":"Ware 52 (1)","type":"jpg","size":290530,"width":1200,"height":900,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Your community, your community space","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Expert tips on getting involved in the new building development in your neighbourhood (and why you should) ","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODQ3NCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/november/your-community-your-community-space/"}