Creative Futures’ Post

LAST MINUTE SPACES AVAILABLE! ***Wed 11th September - Brighton Interactive Listening Walk*** We're running our Interactive Listening Walk focused on seaside gentrification in Kemptown on Wednesday afternoon. We've had a couple of cancellations and don't want the spaces to go to waste. If you fancy joining, get in contact - some more details below and please do share! Event is aimed at professionals (e.g. councillors, council officers and voluntary sector workers) working in a policy-related area (e.g. planning, housing, community engagement). Wed 11th September - listening + exploring together around St James Street and Edwards Street 2-3.30pm - post-walk feedback session 3.30-4.30pm Working with Sussex residents, we have designed a series of Interactive Listening Walks that encourage engagement, reflection and discussion on the topic of ‘Seaside changes and the Sussex Coast’. An Interactive Listening Walk (ILW) is a participatory group activity that promotes and enhances local engagement and consultation activities. We’re offering you the opportunity to participate in an ILW focused on changes in Kemptown (including Edward Street Quarter, community gardens, St James Street and the Fitzherbert Community Hub). The event comprises a 90-minute walk followed by a 60-minute focus group, as a creative and cost-effective consultation and engagement method. This immersive experience combines moments of silent listening, reflection, and site interactions based on the sounds we hear. We have found this method supports positive dialogue around complex topics, enabling participants to express themselves and be heard calmly. #community #engagement #policy #Brighton #walking #listening #gentrification #housing #planning #redevelopment

Delighted to share the 'Nature Connected Communities Handbook', fresh from the University of Derby's #NatureConnection Network. The handbook is a guide for inviting communities to notice, engage and relate with the more-than-human world for closer community-nature relationships. It comes with a collection of resources: 1.     A workshop guide with some suggestions for exploring the ideas in the handbook with community groups 2.     Urban Safari – a printable nature-noticing activity focused on sensory, emotional and meaningful engagement with nature 3.     Nature Connection Seeds – a printable deck of cards that can be used flexibly to design and develop nature connection projects and activities 4.     External resource hubs and networks – signposts to support and practical guidance for delivering green community projects. There are also some inspiring case studies demonstrating how gardens, woodlands, art, nature connection activities and green hubs can connect communities with nature, and emphasising the importance of listening to communities, co-design, inclusion, and bringing life into nature-depleted spaces. You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/eKktmszD Our congratulations and thanks to Carly Butler, Miles Richardson and all members of the #NatureConnectednessNetwork. It's a superb resource.

Gemma Hyde’s article, published in Building Design, dives deep into the pressing need to create spaces and places where children and young people can genuinely thrive. Drawing on insights from the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and her testimony at a parliamentary select committee, Gemma discusses how the built environment can support - or hinder - the physical, emotional, and social development of young people. Gemma highlights how the absence of children from our streets and public spaces today signals a missed opportunity to make cities truly inclusive. Approaches like the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Urban95 initiative and the TCPA’s work with Playing Out and Sport England underscore this point - designing cities from a child’s perspective often leads to environments that are better for everyone. One of Gemma’s critical observations is the lack of national policy attention. In the National Planning Policy Framework for England, children are mentioned just once, and youth not at all. This policy void, Gemma argues, results in local planning often neglecting young people’s needs, despite extensive evidence of how their environments impact their health, education, and lifelong wellbeing. Gemma’s article is an important read for those in architecture and planning who are committed to creating sustainable, resilient communities. By advocating for child-centred planning, Gemma provides a fresh perspective on inclusive urban design that could transform how we approach city planning for all ages. https://lnkd.in/eE6TpH8b #architecture #planning #youngpeople #children #play Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)

How can a single building contribute to a socially flourishing neighborhood? How can the way we design the physical support the social?   Here are some great ideas on how a single building can adopt a neighborhood approach: 1.       PLACE IDENTITY – Help strengthen the local culture and character of the area. 2.       DESIGN – Focus on human scale designs that encourage social connections and safety. 3.       FACILITIES – Provide services or spaces that meet unmet needs in the neighborhood. 4.       TARGET GROUP – Understand the neighborhood's population and how certain groups can benefit or drive positive change. 5.       SOCIAL SPACE – Make shared indoor and outdoor areas available for community gatherings and activities. 6.       GATHERING – Open up certain activities or spaces to the entire neighborhood to encourage social interaction. 7.       URBAN SYNERGIES – Work with local businesses to promote social responsibility and build community ties. 8.       NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD – If possible, create a network of property owners, the municipality, and residents to identify needs, share responsibility and coordinate common actions.   Thank you, to Neighborhood Lab and Ofri Earon for gathering this list. Great ideas that we can all use in different contexts. Robert Steuteville Mallory Baches AICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A Todd Hornback Erin K. Peavey Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Tim Tompkins Bart Mitchell Egbert Perry Frances Kraft Majora Carter Ethan Kent PlacemakingX Placemaking Education Madeleine Spencer Ryan Smolar Nathan Storring David Erickson David Edwards Carol Naughton Ron Ivey Sam Pressler #community #neighborhood #loneliness #urban #design #health

People Planning

Let’s take a moment to talk about something bigger than checklists and concerns. Yes, we’ve been busy tackling the top 10 concerns caregivers shared in our recent survey—your worries about milestones, routines, and everything in between. We hear you, and we’ll continue addressing those issues because they matter. But today, let’s pause and shift the focus. As Jaime Géliga Quiñones, Education Director of PS Family, said so beautifully in a recent IG post: “The responsibility to transform early childhood education is in our hands.” Inclusion Starts with Perspective To embrace inclusion, we need to change the way we approach children in classrooms and at home. Too often, the focus is on what children can’t do—what’s missing, what’s behind, what doesn’t “measure up.” Watch the full video here:

One building can spark positive change in an entire neighborhood! Thank you, Seth Kaplan for advocating for the neighborhood perspective, our engaging dialogue, and for sharing our thoughts. For us, #NeighborhoodMaking is an approach, rather than scale. It’s about seeing every element—whether a building, park, or street—as contributing to the neighborhood’s sense of belonging and identity. When these elements work together, they create social value that truly impacts where it matters most: our #neighborhoods, where we #live, raise our #children, and build our lives. #NeighborhoodMaking #SocialValue #NeighborhoodStrategies

Imagine an Indiana renowned not just for its hospitality but for its vibrant creative economy. That's the future PATTERN is working towards every day! 🚀 Here's how we're making it happen: Convening: We're building a coalition of stakeholders to champion our creative vision statewide. Cultivating: Developing talent and ensuring creators thrive here in Indiana. Storytelling: Amplifying our state's creative successes to showcase Indiana as a powerhouse of innovation and design. Why does this matter? A thriving creative sector isn't just good for artists, makers and creators—it boosts local businesses and enhances our quality of life and place, making Indiana a magnet for talent and investment. 📢 Let's chat! How is your region contributing to the creative economy? #CreativeEconomy #Innovation #Design #Art #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #TalentDevelopment #IndianaBusiness #LocalArt #CreativeLeadership

A brief, effective summary of the work being done at PATTERN:

Building safe spaces in schools is crucial. Learn how with our blog on trauma-responsive living. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/APhbK #heartleader #TraumaResponsivePractices #teachergoals