News

CABE launches step by step guide to good design of public space

23rd February 2007

For the first time, CABE has set out how community groups can radically improve the design of public space.

It’s our space is a guide for groups getting involved in a public space project. It intends to inspire local communities to demand high standards of design. The guide includes a series of case studies which community groups can use to draw on the good and the bad experiences of others.

Spaceshaper is a toolkit aimed at anyone wanting to evaluate the quality of a public space - before they invest time and money improving it. The toolkit works by capturing the perceptions of professionals involved in running a public space, as well the views of the people that use it. The toolkit aims to raise aspirations, encouraging people to demand more from their local spaces.

Speaking about the launch, Sarah Gaventa, director of CABE Space said:

'These tools are about long-term thinking and planning. We want to get community groups thinking big in design terms. We want these tools to give them the ambition to imagine a place being not just a little bit better than it was, but the best that it can be.’

As part of the local government white paper, Strong and prosperous communities, the government has recently made a commitment to encourage community groups to have greater control over how their local environment is managed and improved. Community groups nationwide are becoming involved in improving outdoor spaces, and a range of grants and funding programmes have been made available for this purpose. The Big Lottery is making £234 million available to help communities in England improve their environment between now and 2009.

A high standard of design is crucial if these public spaces are to function well and provide an inspirational and attractive place for the local community. Poorly designed spaces can cause conflict between different users and activities, and if spaces lack character and identity they can alienate the local community, who will not want to use them.

Commenting on the launch of It’s our space, Green Spaces Minister Baroness Andrews, said:

’We are committed to empowering and enabling communities everywhere to help shape decisions about the things that matter to them. So much can be achieved if communities are empowered to get involved in the planning, design, management and maintenance of public spaces, and this is critical if we are to create spaces that communities love, now and in the future.’