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Placemaking with Young Adults

Project: Research

Description

This project emerges as one pilot project under the Youth, democracy, and sustainable citizenship BA funded project (£4.3K). It also got awarded by ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022 to support the final workshops (£1.5K).

Layperson's description

The project addressed the underrepresentation of young people in planning processes and incorporated their visions and ambitions. Through engagement events, policymakers worked side-by-side with young adults to develop a placemaking framework and co-envision the future of Lancaster District.  

“There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all” warns IPPC AR6. This is the world young people are inheriting. Young people in Lancaster District, are already facing the mental health impacts of the climate crisis. Right now, they are making decisions about their education and futures based on their knowledge of global climate crisis and local climate crises they have lived through. The young people in the district are passionate about effecting change and spearheaded the movement which led to Lancaster City Council (LCC) Declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019 which has shaped the framing of LCC’s work ever since. Yet, despite all this, as a demographic group, they are most likely to be underrepresented in Local Plan development which delivers the placemaking policies which will directly shape the world they will inherit.   

Planning is often perceived as an intangible and complex field, with the long-term benefits of engagement not always being apparent. However, this perspective is misguided. The process of creating plans is inherently focused on guaranteeing future opportunities, such as access to housing and employment, as well as facilitating the establishment of adequate infrastructure. Moreover, planning is increasingly playing a crucial role in addressing and responding to the challenges posed by climate change. Consequently, the significance of the plan-making process extends beyond the present; the decisions made today will have far-reaching and consequential implications for years to come. 

Planners devote significant effort to include communities in local policymaking, yet engagement with young adults continued to stall and stagnate despite best efforts. This recurring pattern can be observed throughout the planning sector, with young individuals often inadvertently marginalised and overlooked when it comes to contributing to the development of the environments they will inherit.3 Young people’s ambitions and visions are crucial for co-developing/co-designing inclusive places for a thriving future that also works for everyone. 

LCC decided a fresh perspective was needed, to provide new ideas and support with developing a more approachable engagement style for more effectively including young adults in plan making. So LCC reached out to Lancaster University, which is based in its district, to further cement its partnership links with the institution and the Council which has increased in recent years as work on the climate crisis has progressed. LCC worked with Imagination Lancaster and Dr. Mirian Calvo, a researcher in participatory urban design, to help LCC re-imagine what engagement with young adults could look like. Funded though The British Academy, together they embarked on a series of workshops aimed at increasing dialog between policymakers and young adults.

Key findings

Young Adults Vision: placemaking and sustainable principles

1. Welcoming places: The participants emphasized the importance of creating a place that is welcoming to both residents and visitors. This includes aesthetically pleasing buildings that are in harmony with the natural environment and a predominance of open green spaces.

2. Good active travel infrastructure: The participants stressed the need for a strong infrastructure for pedestrian and bicycle paths to encourage active travel and reduce reliance on private vehicles. They believe that creating a culture of active travel is crucial for sustainability.

3. Essential housing qualities and features: Affordable and accessible housing was identified as a basic need for young adults. They highlighted the importance of integrating work, social, and family life in the neighbourhood and having access to public and leisure services.

4. Food growing: Participants recognized the social and environmental benefits of community gardening and food production. They believe that food growing can promote social cohesion, wellbeing, and healthy communities, as well as reduce energy consumption and support biodiversity.

5. Travel: The participants emphasized the need for a robust public transport network, including buses and trains, that is affordable and accessible for all residents. They also highlighted the importance of considering the impact of transportation on wildlife and promoting innovative technologies.

6. Renewable energies: The participants expressed a strong desire for renewable energy sources and building designs that are in harmony with the natural environment. They believe that incorporating renewable energy into the built environment is essential for a sustainable future.

7. Identity of the place: The participants envision a sustainable city that is a benchmark for innovation, social cohesion, and inclusivity. They believe that the future settlement should have its own identity and that residents should have a voice in the design and development of the community and public spaces.

Overall, the NVivo data analysis corroborates the paper-based affinity diagramming: participants envisaged a sustainable and inclusive community that prioritises affordability, active travel, renewable energy, and social cohesion. These principles are the core values/aspirations they want to see hammered into the design and development of any new settlement, aspiring to be a model to follow for other communities and contribute to a sustainable future.

Policymakers Vision: aspirations to incorporate in local policies

1. Placemaking framework development process: developing a custom placemaking framework for the Lancaster District context, incorporating sustainable values and tested through iterative processes in local urban contexts.

2. Policy makers' workshop structure and activities: structure and activities of the policy makers' workshop, including welcoming activities, introductions to the project, small group activities, and sharing and co-creation of policies for the Lancaster South Area Action Plan.

3. Emphasising green space and mobility: a strong emphasis on prioritising green space and mobility in the development of policies for the Lancaster District, – based on the insights from the analysis of the Young Adults' workshop and emergent conversations.

4. Considerations and missing themes: potential conflicts and considerations related to nature, climate change, and population growth. It also highlighted missing themes: affordability, depopulation, and social housing, which were not fully explored or prioritised.

5. Young adults' perspective and engagement: build a strong engagement with young adults in future events.

Policy recommendations:
- Multi-functionality of green space and collective green spaces
- Prioritisation of sustainable and active transportation options
- Implementation of zero carbon and energy-efficient measures in housing
- Engagement and buy-in from the community

Aspirational policy themes

1. Sustainable transport options: car club, electric cars, connectivity and integration, bikes, walking, cycling, public transport, trams, boat
2. Green spaces and nature: communal gardens, wildlife-friendly gardens, nature integration, green areas for walking and cycling
3. Energy efficiency: wood insulation, solar and wind energy, water storage and energy generation, dark skies
4. Affordable living: car sharing, reducing waste, repair cafes, sharing of services and utilities, community gardens, ethical shopping, communal housing, affordable heating
5. Community involvement: community initiatives, teaching skills, maintaining gardens, providing services for elderly people, stewardship of the community
6. Density and mixed-use development: high-density living, mixed-use spaces, integrated heating system, integrated services for businesses, circular economy

The overall theme that emerged from the analysis is the idea of creating a sustainable and integrated community. This involves promoting sustainable transportation options, embracing green spaces and nature, focusing on energy efficiency, ensuring affordability of living, involving the community in decision-making and maintenance, and promoting density and mixed-use development. The concept of sustainability and integration is at the core of all these themes.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/04/2131/01/23

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