Guest bloggers help to broaden the conversation on Placemaking and urban design. 

Image - Laneway off Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC, AUS: keep it focused!

Posted by: Andrew Hammonds

Based on analysing our top blogs, here are our 8 tips.

1. Share useful practical information. Ideas and actions that the reader can apply quickly.
2. Start with the headline. Write something that will pull people into the body of the post.
3. Write a great lead paragraph. Make the topic immediately relevant and explain what people will get in the rest of the post.
4. Use a relevant image. Magazines do it. So do newspapers. Pictures catch the eye and pull people in.
5. Tell a personal story. Nothing works quite like stories. They connect with people and pull them deeper into the content.
6. Make your content scannable. Use short paragraphs, short sentences, and simple words. It's more about quality rather than quantity. 
7. Use bulleted lists. Help people feel a sense of progress.
8. Support your blog with internal and external links. Adds credibility and provides additional information.
9. Invite others into the conversation. End with an open-ended question. And then participate in the discussion.

Share your top tips on writing blogs.

External links

Headlines That Grab Readers by the Eyeballs and Suck Them into Your Message

Written Thursday 10 May, 2013

Placefocus links: Additional Information - Promoting urban design; Place Tools (Additional Information Promoting Urban Design);

Top Placefocus Blogs: Urban Form Glasgow Style - 'The Jeely Piece song'; Transforming NYC streets into places; My Top 10 Places to visit in Perth?; The 4 skills of placemaking

We consistently receive positive feedback about discussion among participants in our training courses in urban design and placemaking. While there are common qualities to the places we like, our own views matter. As suggested by participants, We have started this blog to continue this discussion on-line. The comments section of each blog provides the opportunity, so don't be bashful. Speak up! Particularly if you disagree with us. If you are reading this in our email then click on the hyperlink in the blog heading. This will take you to our website. 

This blog is about 'walking the talk'. We make a living from promoting Urban Design and Placemaking. Our local centre - Macgregor Tce, Bardon is degraded and unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. Fortunately, as a pre WWII Centre, it has the bones to work with...

Image - Intersection of Macgregor Tce and Simpsons Rd, Bardon, Brisbane, QLD, AUS: my kids waiting to cross the road on the way to school. Click for the Google Map.

Posted by: Andrew Hammonds

One school afternoon 6 cars went through this pedestrian crossing before the seventh car stopped. Why? Because the 6 drivers were all looking right to see if they could merge without stopping. Yes, we all do this... They probably didn't even see the crossing, let alone any kids on it. What do kids do a 'zebra' crossing? They probably cross without looking because the cars are supposed to stop.  My kids walk to school. Yes this is good for their health, personal development and the environment. So why do we design streets to hurt them?

Based on using this centre over the last 16 years, here are ten ideas to improve Macgregor Tce:

1. Remove the left hand turn 'slip lanes'. They are fine on freeways – but dangerous for pedestrians.  

2. Formalise the cyclist route. It is very dangerous for cyclists to transition from the kerb in MacGregor Tce to head down Jubilee Tce or Coopers Camp Road. Having to cross two lanes of traffic (travelling at high speed).

3. Review all the intersections for cyclists and pedestrians. For example, pedestrians cannot safely cross the outbound lanes of Coopers Camp Rd – the geometry encourages drivers to exceed the speed limit.

4. The quality and width of the footpath along Macgregor Tce is poor, particularly on the northern side.

5. Remove the road signs installed in the footpath - which impede pedestrians, wheelies and cyclists.

6. Review the driveway accessing the back of the Shops at 85 Macgregor Tce.

7. The vacant site owned by Main Roads (5 Simpsons Rd) is an eyesore and should be sold for development which reinforces the Terrace.

8.Additional street trees to support the existing beautiful old figs.

9. Review signage at 63 Macgregor Terrace which might block views of footpath and terrace.

10. The placemaking opportunities for the Terrace are endless. I plan on generating more ideas with the locals over the next few weeks. (www.facebook.com/MacgregorTceBardon)

I will share these ideas with my elected representatives and let you know. 

Revised Wednesday 5 May, 2013

Written Tuesday 13 November, 2012

Placefocus links: Additional Information - Promoting urban design; Place Tools (Additional Information Promoting Urban Design);

Placefocus Blogs: UDAL QLD Initiatives for 2011-12, Place Associations; Vigour and rigor UDAL 2012-2014;  National Urban Design Workshop - a success?; 29 ideas for Council to embed urban design and placemaking; Creating Places for People (Australian Urban Design Protocol) Ten ways to deliver urbanism in the suburbs; 

We consistently receive positive feedback about discussion among participants in our training courses in urban design and placemaking. While there are common qualities to the places we like, our own views matter. As suggested by participants, We have started this blog to continue this discussion on-line. The comments section of each blog provides the opportunity, so don't be bashful. Speak up! Particularly if you disagree with us. If you are reading this in our email then click on the hyperlink in the blog heading. This will take you to our website. 

Ideally both is my answer to this question from participants in our training courses on urban design and placemaking.  But we want to know what you think.  How do you view your role, your skills and your experience? 

Placefocus is conducting a short, nationwide survey that may help inform and shape the relationship between placemaking and placemanagement.

Image Claisebrook Cove, East Perth, WA, AUS: an impressive new place designed and delivered by 'Placemakers'. Has a 'Placemanager' been involved in the process as well?

Posted by: Andrew Hammonds

According to Elio Gatti

"Placemaking has a broader scope than urban design. Behind urban design there is a collective of interdisciplinary specialists in the field. Behind the concept of placemaking there are the voices and perspectives of a whole community. Not relegated to a passive consultation process, but actively engaged in the design concepts and outcomes."

Placemakers

Placemakers help create or renew public streets, squares and other public places to meet and exceed user requirements.

They enter into this role with experience in:

1. providing place skills: enabling, facilitating, strategising, designing, delivering and managing; (see our blog )
2. coordinating social fabric: the events, shops, services, activities, etc which attract the people to the places;
3. designing place infrastructure: the design of streets, buildings and the places between them - as well as urban infrastructure (busways, roads, bridges etc). and
4. planning place strategies: walkability, transport, business development, environmental, housing affordability, agriculture, etc.

As few of us come to Placemaking with all of these specialities we need to work collaboratively. See our recent PlacePost No 5 - With placemaking on the rise should we forget urban design? For example, developers bring a user focus. They have a detailed understanding of designing and delivering infrastructure but may need to review their assumptions when it comes to creating place.

With nominations now open for the 2013 Australia Award for Urban Design, what can we learn from the 'box office'?

Image - 415 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, AUS. What do the users think of this new place in Brisbane? Have the designers asked them? As a place, it didn't appear to have enough functions to make me want to stay. 

Posted by: Andrew Hammonds

As a member of a previous judging panel for the Australia Award for Urban Design I encourage you to nominate. While your project will be assessed by your peers - we won't always get feedback from the people using it. Should they get a say? Aren't the users the ultimate judge of place?

I was reminded of a quote from Australian film director Peter Weir:

"I actually squirm a little at that word “art” [laughs]. My priority is to entertain an audience and I want my movies to do well at the box office. I’m still surprised by how snobbish European directors can be at the Cannes Film Festival. They make good films but their manner can be so superior."

I was struck by the corollary between film and urban design. Are we trying to design pieces of art for awards... or places for people?