Footwork’s Post

Discover how your homeowners association can enhance inclusivity by adapting community spaces for accessibility. Our latest blog discusses the importance of inclusive design and offers practical steps for ensuring that all community members, regardless of ability, can enjoy and access shared facilities and services. This guide is crucial for anyone looking to foster an accommodating and welcoming environment in their HOA. https://lnkd.in/e4yrFmHv

We hear a lot about the need for housing supply, but we will only get there if communities benefit from this increase in density and are brought on the journey. Great news to hear that the Victorian government is considering introducing housing targets - and providing funding to councils who achieve these. https://lnkd.in/gJbFbA7K The City of Vancouver has had a similar process in place for 20 years. But we are missing one key thing Vancouver does - running deliberative processes with residents so that can have a say in where the density is located. This is essential to gain community confidence and support for density. Communities need to see how they benefit from this increase in density through public realm upgrades and more community infrastructure - so the state government’s suggestion to incorporate a “liveability contribution” for developers is a good start. Great to see Urban Design Forum Australia’s advocacy cutting through - have a look at our positioning paper see how these changes could be tweaked to deliver even more for our cities  https://lnkd.in/gm_MHXTW

The most-read story from the previous week's Developer's Digest®, published by Bisnow, covers how a new zoning proposal for Long Island City aims to bring 14,000 new homes, including 4,000 income-restricted units, and over 3 million square feet of commercial space, along with expanded waterfront access. The Long Island City Neighborhood Plan, presented by the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), updates zoning and the Waterfront Access Plan while introducing Mandatory Inclusionary Housing. Despite community opposition, development continues with 4,000 residential units under construction and 8,000 proposed. The area has seen significant growth, with the population increasing by 40% from 2010 to 2020. The plan now moves to environmental and public review. To read more stories like this and to stay on top of the most recent news from the development world, subscribe to our Developer’s Digest® using the link below: https://bit.ly/3Qg1qXV

⚠️ Consultation is under way as part of a ‘Living Streets’ initiative to explore how to improve the general environment and accessibility within residential areas of Castletown. Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure Highway Services is asking for people’s views as part of the process, which aims to create streets and places that are easy to move around, are safe and community-based. 📝 Feedback can be provided through an online survey available until Tuesday 21 January on the Isle of Man Government consultation hub: https://lnkd.in/eGTbDiF2 Views are essential in drafting a design that will address the needs of the community. 🗨️ Areas contributors may wish to consider could include: • Reducing non-essential traffic using the area as a shortcut • Making some roads/streets one-way • Making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle • Slowing down traffic • Improving on-road parking 🧑🤝🧑Two drop-in sessions will be held next month to enable people to express their views in person. They will take place at Castletown Civic Centre on: Wednesday 13 November, between 10am and midday; and Thursday 21 November between 2pm and 4pm.

This is an example of architectural gymnastics. Yes, we should be exploring every way to provide more housing in our communities. Yes, public private partnerships is one way to achieve a project that both the developer and the city profit. Yes, publicly owned land is a resource that can generate revenue. This is a project that is worth sharing, but most municipalities do not have the political lifespan or experienced technical staff to pull this off. We need to focus on the small scale responses to the housing crisis that we can repeat in every community at scale.

🌿 HTA mission for a Government Office for Green Spaces included in Caroline Voaden MP’s Private Members Bill - The Green Spaces Bill - great to see the value of green spaces recognised 🌳 This bill aims to: ✨ Define “green spaces” to include urban parks, neighbourhood areas, and significant natural landscapes. ✨ Establish a Government Office for Green Spaces with clear powers and duties for local authorities. ✨ Advise the Government on preserving and enhancing these vital areas. ✨ Foster community involvement in protecting our green spaces. The second reading will be on Friday, March 7, 2025 https://lnkd.in/eSy4XyaY #GreenSpaces 

Not long to go until the launch of our new report, Brewing Communities, in collaboration with CREATE STREETS. 🏘️   Brewing Communities looks at how we can build beautiful new towns and villages with pubs at their heart.   Between 2000 and 2019 the UK lost 22% of its pubs. This report serves as a call to action for policymakers, developers, and communities alike to prioritise the creation of vibrant, connected spaces where people can come together, and feel they’re at home.🍺

Go for a walk. It'll do your community a lot of good. "There is nothing more memorable and impactful than experiencing our communities with each other on foot. Something as simple as a walk allows us to have a conversation informed by the existing conditions, as well as letting us illustrate items like the economic benefits of pedestrian-friendly designs to local officials. Walking audits also help reveal how urban design impacts daily life and community sustainability. A walking audit is the easiest and most powerful public engagement tool that any community can use to make their streets safer." https://lnkd.in/gY7UKvDP

Running a community planning consultation before a planning application is vital for all developments, big or small, residential, or commercial. Don’t know where to start? Here are five top tips on how to make sure your community consultation runs smoothly: https://lnkd.in/ekwsk97P #PlanningConsultation #Planning #PlanningApplication

Over the past few months, we've been working with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy to understand how spaces owned by the private sector can function as social infrastructure - the spaces in our communities where people can mix and meet, and which help to create social connection. When you think about the social spaces in your community, you might not immediately think about the differences between those which are publicly, privately or community owned. But bringing private sector spaces into our understanding of social infrastructure can expand the availability of space for community - and the potential investment that's needed to keep these spaces going. This is particularly important at a time when communities are seeing the loss of valued local assets due to the financial challenges facing local authorities, and the heightened costs of running community spaces. Our research found by working with communities to shape their spaces, private asset owners and developers could ensure they are tailored to what local people want and need, and will therefore be better used and cared for in the long term. This has social benefits, of course, but can also increase dwell time and footfall to surrounding local businesses, creating economic impact too. The report contains some great live examples of where community businesses are already partnering with local councils and the private sector to shape, steward and own spaces for community - including through meanwhile use of vacant spaces, 50:50 community/private asset ownership, and community stewardship of assets in new towns that enables the private sector to exit (which may be of particular interest given Labour's housebuilding plans). We also make a series of policy recommendations to support a more strategic approach to managing and preserving social infrastructure.