Brian Quinn

CABE Space

GreenSpace South East– 13 June 2008

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CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space in our towns and cities

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CABE Space current projects

Urban green space sector skills

Adapting public spaces for climate change

Community empowerment – how community

groups can improve green spaces

Open Space Strategies Guide 2009

Spaceshaper – young person’s version

CABE Space Enabling

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Urban Greenspace Sector Skills – 2008 Skills Survey

survey of skills issues in green space sector sent

to all Heads of Parks

– Partnership between CABE Space, Lantra and Green

Space

– Really creating an evidence base to focus effort and

measure progress on skills

– Survey is still open – will be great to get some more

responses – see the skills and learning part of our

website www.cabe.org.uk

– Partial responses are still useful evidence

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Urban Green Space Skills Strategy

Built on evidence from Skills Survey

Working with wide range of partners to agree a

strategy – addressing the skills challenges facing

the sector

Is in draft form – not released yet

Key deliverable for CABE Space in 08/09

Key issue is to raise with decision-makers in LAs

the importance of green space skills in providing

quality of life and creating better places.

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Climate Change guidance provided through themed newsletters

Aimed at heads of

parks, planning and

streetscene

4 during 2008/09

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Content:

10 case studies

Briefing paper

6 case stories

Policy and legislative review

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Climate Change - themes for public space

FloodingRiver Quaggy, Lewisham, LondonRiver Irwell Flood Control Scheme and Salford Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, SalfordMilton Keynes Flood plain forestCleveleys coastal protection

A holistic approach to developing sustainable neighbourhoodsAugustenborg, Malmö, SwedenOlympic Park, Sydney, AustraliaCitySpace Plan, Chicago

Approaches to sustainable urban drainage 12th Avenue Green Street, Portland, USA Bristol Business Park, North Bristol

Combating the urban heat island effect Chiswick Park, London

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The climate change briefing paper

Published as a supplement in

Horticulture Week in July 2008

Current activity

Adaptation through policy making

Management and delivery

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Community Empowerment – Project outline

Ongoing project to understand how community

groups learn and can be better engaged as clients

in public space improvement projects.

– 3 focus groups

– A questionnaire looking at partners, barriers and sources

of advice

– 3 visit days planned where successful groups featured in

It’s our space can share their experience at their space

with other community groups

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Community Empowerment - Headline findings

Communities are increasingly taking the lead in revitalisation of green spaces – expectations are rising and people are willing to demand higher design quality

They need more support, especially face to face, to access the right resources and advice

Partnerships are key - Local Authorities and housing bodies sometimes seen as fantastic or bureaucratic/obstructive

Endlessly changing national and local policies/politics can cause problems

LAs and other bodies need to embrace the value of community empowerment to

Training, visits and best practice sharing/advice networks are key areas to work on

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Open Space Strategies Guide 2009

Based on the CABE Space Green Space

Strategies Guide 2004 and GLA 2004 Guidance

Co-badged with Mayor of London (GLA)

Content being revised – new planning system,

new issues for open space eg health agenda,

climate change, green infrastructure.

Out to consultation Q4 2008 and publication early

2009

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Spaceshaper – A tool for assessing the quality of a public space

Engages professionals involved in managing a space with residents and visitors who use the space

Works as a facilitated workshop using a trained Spaceshaper facilitator

Over 700 attendees at Taster sessions 180 trained facilitators 50+ Spaceshaper events Can be used on undeveloped sites,

streets and hard public realm as well as green space

Has been adopted by Forestry Commission for its Newlands project

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Young Person’s Spaceshaper is being trialled

About making Spaceshaper

accessible to children and

young people

More flexible: different

ages/scenarios

Simple and fun

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Development of YP Spaceshaper piloted by a range of bodies

£245, 000 over 3 years

from DCSF

beam, Bristol and Kent

Architecture Centres,

CABE

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Becoming a Spaceshaper facilitator or client

Client:

– contact CABE for local

facilitators

Facilitator:

– attend a taster

– Apply for the training

(£50-£150)

– Carry out a dummy run Email: spaceshaper@cabe.org.uk

www.cabe.org.uk/spaceshaper

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CABE Space Enabling – SE region

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CABE Space Enabling – recent work

•Preparing green and open space strategies

•Swale, Hastings, Medway, Brighton and Hove, Southampton and Ashford

•Other enabling support

•Hastings Seafront

•Pan housing estate Isle of Wight

•Kent residential streets design standards

•Green infrastructure for Greater Ashford and setting up integrated design team for redesign of Ashford Ring Road

Brian Quinn

www.cabe.org.uk

Thank you.