Goodbye placemaking. Hello place guarding and growing

It seems the term ‘placemaking’ may be on its way out, with terms like ‘place guarding’ or ‘place growing’ gaining traction. ‘Placemaking’ suggests nothing exists in the location already, but a neighbourhood is rarely created from scratch – there are always stories of people and place waiting to be untapped.

As a curator and commissioner, I’m fascinated by art’s potential in establishing compelling connections with people and place. When meaningful ties are made between local communities and development stakeholders, social and economic capital naturally follow.

Historically, there’s been an inherent distrust between local communities and development partners, fed by a sense of powerlessness and trepidation regarding change, which is not generally seen as benefiting the people already living there.

But existing communities are the immediate neighbours and future custodians of new developments. Actively listening to and including local people is crucial to the success of developments in becoming natural extensions of local identity rather than disconnected islands.

At SoShiro, we’ve joined forces with development consultants Mood and Space – founded by Hanna Afolabi – to pursue our combined passion for utilising art to ensure development is inclusive and progressive in its approach. Art in Architecture is a consultancy service that aims to stimulate the economic and social capital of development in a way that benefits everyone.

The first way an arts-based approach can strengthen local connections is through early engagement. By using creative processes as a communication tool, we can untap valuable information on what spaces or services are needed in the area, ways people navigate through areas and how people feel about change.

A brilliant example of art as an engagement tool is the award-winning regeneration of Aberfeldy Street in Tower Hamlets, by Poplar HARCA/EcoWorld London working with Jan Kattein Architects. Innovative creative and strategic programming, closely tied to the local Bangladeshi community, strengthened relationships alongside outreach and enterprise initiatives for local businesses.

Another way art can support inclusive development is by creating connections with existing activity. Facades or interior spaces can be used to express local themes as with General Projects’ and BGY’s collaboration at Technique, where a repurposed pair of buildings create links with the Clerkenwell creative community by offering ‘art box’ glimpses into gallery/event spaces.

Peabody’s redevelopment of Burridge Gardens in Wandsworth by Hawkins\Brown shows how site-specific art can feature in the treatment of materials (pictured). Sculpted items of personal significance from existing residents were incorporated into the design of new homes by collaborating with artists Valda Jackson and Rodney Harris. The post-occupancy evaluation clearly highlighted the success of this sensitive approach for residents old and new.

Public art pieces have the power to create strong associations between people and place. Argent has a long-established track record of investing in art to amplify local identity. A recent example is ‘Here We Come, Here We Rise’ – a collaboration between Related Argent, architects IF_DO and artist Lakwena for a new public artwork marking arrival to the emerging Brent Cross Town. Elevating the substation from a piece of functional infrastructure into an uplifting local landmark brings joy to the everyday.

The long-term social and economic benefits of building trust and understanding between development and local stakeholders can be seen in resident/tenant satisfaction, strong local identity, cohesion between new and old and access to enterprise and opportunity.

Early interaction is key to creating inclusive and welcoming places that weave into existing narratives, and I believe arts-based strategies have a powerful role to play. Art processes transcend barriers of age, language and culture to create recognition and an accessible way to express feelings. These can vary from one-off workshops and meanwhile uses to permanent structures.

If you’re interested in hearing more about how Art in Architecture can create value, future heritage and representation in communities, please get in touch or follow us on socials for news and events.