In March 2024 Charles Campion attended the Restitch: Social Value Summit in Coventry on behalf of JTP, one of the event sponsors. Restitch was organised by Create Streets, Onward and Labour Together.
The Summit brochure includes a range of stimulating essays from practitioners and thinkers in the field, including one from Charles Campion exploring the key roles of neighbourhoods and placemaking in helping shape strong communities, which is reproduced below:
Great neighbourhoods and the power of placemaking by Charles Campion RIBA AoU
For 30 years, JTP has pioneered collaborative planning and placemaking, engaging with communities and stakeholders throughout the UK and internationally to bring local knowledge and creativity into the heart of the design process – creating new places and breathing life into old ones.
Our work extends from the city to the building, encompassing all scales – towns, neighbourhoods, streets and spaces. As citizens we all identify with and draw strength from our social networks across all of these scales. But it is at the neighbourhood level where these connections are at their most profound in providing us with learning, conviviality and support throughout our lives, from childhood into old age.
Great, sustainable neighbourhoods are a combination of a range of complex factors and they evolve over time. But, in the words of our late chairman John Thompson, “No one can create them on their own. If, collectively, we are to create them once again, we must first share a common view.”
We must build consensus around co-creating places where life in all senses can flourish, places that are distinctive, memorable and responsive to their context. Places that are regenerative and ecologically rich and places that are economically and socially thriving, and culturally stimulating. Planned around principles of healthy placemaking and walkable neighbourhoods we must create inclusive places focussed around community hubs with sustainable stewardship and management. In short, we must strive to create places for everyone of all ages and backgrounds places where people feel they belong and can live their best lives, for themselves, their families and their communities.
JTP is delighted once again to be able to support Restitch and we look forward to a stimulating and enjoyable two days, meeting old friends and making news ones, and promoting our shared agenda around great neighbourhoods and the belief in the power of great placemaking.
You can download the full Summit brochure here.
Background
The aim of Restitch was to explore ‘how to weave together the threads of people, place and politics, enhance our collective understanding of how to best ‘restitch’ them and practise how to disagree well’.
Amongst the themes that emerged from the wider summit were that:
- For people to be in charge they need power with proper devolution and decentralisation;
- For places to work we need to embrace proximity, not just through 15 minute cities but through greening-up streets and through 30 minute neighbourhoods; and
- For our politics to heal we need to focus on practicalities, ensuring that we build trust by fixing the things on which people rely.
You can also view the photo gallery and see media reviews of the Summit here.