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feature
urban design & landscape architecture
new initiatives increasing community involvement in cambridge
John Mason, Associate at Carter Jonas (Cambridge), highlights examples of new urban planning initiatives in Cambridge which are succeeding in increasing community involvement...
Public Participation 2.0 Public participation is a cornerstone of effective urban planning and community development. However for many people this still conjures images of dry – or occasionally fractious – meetings in community halls, with unrepresentative samples of the community. In Cambridge, several initiatives are
looking to address this to reach wider groups and encourage a broader rethinking of the urban environment. Cambridge Youth Engagement Service The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service is running the Youth Engagement
Service (YES), a pioneering initiative that involves young people in the planning process. The recently adopted Kings Hedges and Arbury Design Code was shaped by feedback from workshops with local schools. Young people were asked about their thoughts on existing urban environments and their priorities for new development. The key priorities that emerged included green space and play areas, better cycling infrastructure and more homes. One perhaps unexpected finding was that children wanted to see a greater use of colour in new developments. This has provided an interesting test case
on engagement as the authority moves forward with preparing its new Local Plan. The Youth Engagement Service can also be used on individual development sites. As part of the ongoing redevelopment of a city centre site I have been involved with, a Youth Engagement workshop was held with Year 6 pupils from a local primary school. The workshop included a careers talk from members of the project team and Council, a tour of the existing site and a presentation of the architect’s emerging proposals. When asked about the top three things they had spotted on the site visit, students noted the presence of the large existing
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