The document discusses the role of designers in city planning and placemaking. It notes that while planned communities have existed for over 200 years, there is still much to learn about what truly makes communities work. Intervention is sometimes needed when places decline, but too much can stifle organic growth. The ideal is putting people at the heart of placemaking by promoting social relationships, shared spaces and activities, and a sense of identity and belonging. Well-designed public spaces and buildings can encourage mixing and strengthen social bonds in a community.

1. The Social Life of Cities:
what is the designers’ role?
London Festival of Architecture Events
27th June 2012

2. Social Life is a new venture set up by the Young Foundation

5. We know that a lot of what makes cities work is flexibility,
organic growth

6. When places go into economic decline it has a huge social
cost and there is a need to intervene

7. Mistakes are often repeated

8. There are times when places go through moments of change
where the potential for intervention is amplified

9. 200 years+ of planned new communities but relatively little known
about what makes places work

10. Putting people at the heart of
placemaking

11. Over the last three years we reviewed the evidence, and
explored the tension between intervention and organic
development

12. The first question: what is a
community?

13. An alternative view: what
makes a community?
• Physical boundaries to promote geographical
identity
• Local myths & stories
• Visible leadership
• Strong social relationships, networks & bonds
• Opportunities for informal, spontaneous social
encounters
• Rituals and rhythms
• Shared belief systems, garden cities, new towns,
eco-cities.

14. Reviewing the evidence
“… where these facilities were already in place when people began to
arrive, the community came together and networks were formed more
easily” CLG New Towns Review
“ … most mixing across social groups takes places between children. It
is these contacts … that provide opportunities to meet and form
relationships.” CIH/JRF 2005
“ … planning for hard infrastructure alone would never build a
community … it would only be done by a matrix of formal and informal
opportunities or supported activities.” Cambridgeshire PCT (2007)

15. The importance of social relationships

16. Plaque to commemorate the site of
former Arkwright Town
New Arkwright, Derbyshire

17. • HafenCity, Hamburg
Hafen City, Hamburg: sociologist appointed as “go-between”
- intermediary for early residents and developer
•

18. Cabrini Green, North Chicago: good fences help make good
neighbours

19. A framework for social sustainability
The Young Foundation/Social Life Social Sustainability Framework, 2011

20. So what is the
designers role?
• Make beautiful functional buildings and
places
• Physical structures that promote
identity and belonging
• Public space that encourages people to
mix and get to know each other
• Promote neighbourliness
• Places to play and use
• Places that make people feel safe and
prevent crime
• Encourage people from different
backgrounds to mix

21. Designing places
On behalf of the community
Involving the community
With the community
“Cities have the capability of providing something
for everybody, only because, and only when, they
are created by everybody.” Jane Jacobs

22. Putting people at the heart of placemaking
social-life.co
nicola.bacon@social-life.co
saffron.woodcraft@social-life.co