Great places provide a platform for people to interact and enjoy a variety of unique experiences. They require great care and consideration to ensure a human touch through textural qualities, the rhythm of seasonal variation and contextually driven approaches. These elements create places that are authentic and provide a point of difference. They are successful socially, environmentally and economically because they put people first.
Placemaking centres on the creation and reinvigoration of authentic, vibrant and resilient places that are valued by their communities, admired by visitors and build pride in their curators and creators. It includes the addition of the details sometimes forgotten in the masterplanning process.
This holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to planning and developing places involves understanding the culture and qualities of a place and the wisdom of its community. With the collaboration between many stakeholders, the placemaking approach articulates a shared vision to ensure the ‘place’ is embraced by all.
Incorporating influences from other traditional areas of place development, placemaking brings together masterplanning, urban design, social and economic development, community engagement, landscape architecture, retail mix, sustainable development, arts and culture.
Placemaking benefits the broader community as much as it benefits investors, developers and owners. By building community goodwill, giving investors and businesses confidence and enabling innovative solutions, placemaking creates places that flourish and that people love.
Ultimately placemaking brings a sense of fun, whimsy, welcoming, belonging, creativity, meaning and innovation to the creation and ongoing curation of places.
