# Placemaking Principles Placemaking is a collaborative approach to designing, creating, and managing public spaces that capitalises on a community's assets, inspiration, and potential to create places that promote health, happiness, and wellbeing. Moving beyond purely aesthetic urban design, placemaking centres on the lived experience of a place — how people use, perceive, and connect with their environment. --- ## Table of Contents - [Placemaking Theory](#placemaking-theory) - [Project for Public Spaces Framework](#project-for-public-spaces-framework) - [Community Engagement](#community-engagement) - [Tactical Urbanism](#tactical-urbanism) - [Sensory Design](#sensory-design) - [Cultural Identity and Place](#cultural-identity-and-place) - [Evaluation Metrics](#evaluation-metrics) - [Design Principles](#design-principles) - [See Also](#see-also) --- ## Placemaking Theory | Concept | Description | |---------|-------------| | **Place vs Space** | Space is abstract; place is experienced, meaningful, and socially constructed | | **Genius Loci** | The spirit or character unique to a specific place | | **Third Place** | Informal gathering spaces beyond home (first) and work (second) — Ray Oldenburg | | **Loose Space** | Spaces appropriated by users for unplanned activities | | **Defensible Space** | Oscar Newman's theory of natural surveillance through design | | **Imageability** | Kevin Lynch's quality of a place that makes it recognisable and memorable | | **Sociability** | Degree to which a place encourages social interaction | ### Kevin Lynch's Five Elements | Element | Description | |---------|-------------| | **Paths** | Routes of movement (streets, walkways) | | **Edges** | Boundaries between zones | | **Districts** | Recognisable character areas | | **Nodes** | Strategic points of convergence | | **Landmarks** | Reference points visible from distance | --- ## Project for Public Spaces Framework The PPS Place Diagram evaluates successful public spaces across four qualities: | Quality | Key Attributes | Indicators | |---------|---------------|------------| | **Access & Linkages** | Connected, walkable, visible, convenient | Pedestrian counts, transit proximity, continuity | | **Uses & Activities** | Active, fun, vital, special, useful | Diversity of users, activity counts, dwell time | | **Comfort & Image** | Safe, clean, green, walkable, sitting | Seating occupancy, perceived safety, cleanliness | | **Sociability** | Diverse, stewarded, cooperative, neighbourly | Social interactions, group size, return visits | ### What Makes a Great Place | Factor | Description | |--------|-------------| | Multiple reasons to visit | Not single-use; provides diverse experiences | | Comfortable seating | Choice of formal and informal seating | | Active edges | Building frontages with doors, windows, activity | | Flexibility | Adaptable for different events and seasons | | Local management | Stewardship by community or dedicated organization | | Triangulation | Elements that prompt strangers to interact | --- ## Community Engagement | Method | Scale | Description | |--------|-------|-------------| | **Charrette** | District/site | Intensive multi-day collaborative design workshop | | **Walking audit** | Street/neighbourhood | Community-led assessment of walkability and safety | | **Place Game** | Individual space | PPS evaluation tool engaging users in assessment | | **Participatory budgeting** | City/neighbourhood | Community decides allocation of public funds | | **Co-design workshops** | Site-specific | Users actively contribute to design solutions | | **Digital engagement** | City-wide | Online platforms, interactive maps, social media | | **Pop-up testing** | Site-specific | Temporary interventions to test ideas before permanence | --- ## Tactical Urbanism Tactical urbanism uses short-term, low-cost interventions to catalyse long-term change: | Intervention | Description | Example | |-------------|-------------|---------| | **Parklet** | Reclaiming parking spaces for public seating | San Francisco Pavement to Parks | | **Street painting** | Ground murals to reclaim roadspace | Intersection repair (Portland) | | **Pop-up market** | Temporary food/craft markets | Activated underused plazas | | **Guerrilla gardening** | Planting in neglected urban spaces | Community food gardens | | **Chair bombing** | Placing temporary furniture in public space | Testing seating demand | | **Open streets** | Temporary car-free events | Ciclovía model (Bogotá) | **Value:** Low risk, fast feedback, builds community ownership, evidence base for permanent investment. --- ## Sensory Design | Sense | Design Element | |-------|---------------| | **Sight** | Vistas, lighting, colour, transparency, art | | **Sound** | Water features, birdsong, reduced traffic noise, music | | **Touch** | Material textures, seating comfort, microclimate | | **Smell** | Planting (jasmine, lavender), food vendors, clean air | | **Movement (kinaesthetic)** | Ground texture changes, gentle slopes, playful surfaces | --- ## Cultural Identity and Place | Strategy | Description | |----------|-------------| | **Heritage interpretation** | Revealing historical narratives through design, signage, art | | **Vernacular reference** | Using local materials, proportions, patterns | | **Community art** | Murals, sculpture, installations by local artists | | **Cultural programming** | Events, festivals, performances reflecting local culture | | **Naming** | Place names reflecting local history and language | | **Indigenous recognition** | Acknowledging and incorporating Indigenous knowledge and design | --- ## Evaluation Metrics | Metric | Method | Benchmark | |--------|--------|-----------| | **Pedestrian footfall** | Automated counters, manual counts | Pre/post comparison | | **Dwell time** | Behavioural observation (Gehl method) | Increase = success | | **Activity diversity** | Activity mapping | More diverse = better | | **User demographics** | Observation, surveys | Reflect community diversity | | **Perceived safety** | User surveys | Improvement over time | | **Economic impact** | Retail turnover, property values | Uplift in surrounding area | | **Social interaction** | Behavioural mapping | Frequency of conversations between strangers | | **Return visits** | Surveys | High repeat visits = place attachment | ### Jan Gehl's 12 Quality Criteria Organised under three categories — Protection, Comfort, Delight — covering safety from traffic, weather protection, walking comfort, seating, scale, sensory experience, and aesthetic quality. --- ## Design Principles | Principle | Application | |-----------|-------------| | **Human scale** | Buildings and spaces proportioned for pedestrian experience | | **Active ground floors** | Retail, cafes, studios at street level | | **10-minute neighbourhood** | Daily needs within walking distance | | **Eyes on the street** | Natural surveillance from surrounding buildings (Jane Jacobs) | | **Seasonal adaptation** | Design for all-year use (shade in summer, shelter in winter) | | **Universal access** | Inclusive design for all ages and abilities | | **Green infrastructure** | Trees, planting, SuDS integrated into public realm | | **Programming** | Regular events and activities to animate the space | --- ## See Also - [[Urban Design Fundamentals]] - [[Public Space Design]] - [[Streetscape Design]] - [[Community Led Development]] - [[Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure]] - [[Universal Design Principles]] --- #placemaking #urban-design #public-space #community #engagement #tactical-urbanism