Spaces & BuildingsAssets in Building Community

Jane Elton, City of Canning, Western Australia

Presentation Outline

OWhy is built form important in community building?

OWhat features have the greatest impact on community building?

OHow built form can be an asset in community building?

WhyBuilt form affects our;

O Sense of belonging – We need to see ourselves reflected in the landscape, spaces, buildings, art, connection with the land, heritage etc.

O Sense of place – Identify the unique feel and look of our spaces and places, where we choose to have our homes –

O Sense of community – We need to feel other people are connected to us, we have reciprocal relationships

Why?The design of buildings and spaces, and the layout of communities has an enormous impact on all community life;

O Houses, workplaces, education, businesses & industry…..

O Roads, streets, footpaths, trails, cycle ways, transport networks

O Parks, playgrounds, gardens, sport, recreation and open spaces

O Town square, library, community centres, places of worship, arts & cultural spaces

What?

What has a great impact on design?

Cars! – Over the last 50yrs we have prioritised vehicles over people -resulting in built form which is;

O Barrier to social connection

O No longer pleasant for walking or cycling

O Less safe

O Less physically active

O Less attractive and comfortable ('human scale’)

O Less trees, natural environment, and more pollution

What?Land uses separated, lose

walkability

O Destinations placed away from residential areas.

O ‘Sanitised’ soulless, and isolating people to their private homes and vehicles.

People v’s traffic!

What? Barriers to social connection

O Cars keep us from being with other people.

O Traffic congestion takes time from us which we could spend being involved in cultural and recreational activities.

O Home designs which prioritise cars isolate us from our neighbours

What?Reduced physical activity

Driving to get to a place to exercise?

We retreat from the streets, (even our own front gardens) unless the streets are pleasant, comfortable and safe.

What?‘human scale’ and aesthetics

When streets are designed with cars as the priority everything changes, e.g. we have 60km/hr signage (very large) rather than the 5km/hr signage on a street for pedestrians

What?Less natural environment, and more pollution

O Emissions from cars have a serious environmental and health impact

O Land clearing is the biggest threat to endangered species, causes soil erosion and impacts ground water

O Without trees neighbourhoods can be 6 degrees hotter than suburbs with a good tree canopy (a problem for hot countries!)

O Access to green spaces impacts on our mental wellbeing

How? Local knowledge & ownership

O Empower community to bring local knowledge to design built form, public art, parks etc. (e.g. enquiry by design, advisory groups, citizen audits )

O Build on unique local qualities

O Involve all demographics

O Advocate for those whose voices are seldom heard/ sought

How?Destinations

O Quality spaces and built form enhance health and wellbeing, and can inspire people to get outdoors, be active and connect

O Destinations need to be in walking or cycling distance, and safe/welcoming to active transport

O Destinations must have all the features to make people want ‘to stay a while’

How? Prioritise people over cars

Make people welcome with comfortable walking and cycling environments, and a reason to walk! (destinations)

How?Encourage people to ‘stay a while’

People attract more people – seating, shade/shelter, greenery, comfort, interest, beauty, events etc.

How? Safety

Encourage people to be out walking - natural surveillance, lighting, slow the cars on local roads, dedicated bike lanes, raised crossings.

People can reclaim the public realm!

‘first life, then spaces, then buildings: the other way around never works’

Jan Gehl