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‘Shaping Southsea’ event (April – June 2009)
Summary Report
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‘Shaping Southsea’ - Summary Report
Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Events
1.2 Purpose
2.0 PCC Design Charrette
2.1 Outcomes
3.0 Community Charrette
3.1 What happened at the Design Charrette
3.2 Participants
3.3 Method
3.4 Outcomes
3.4.1 Activities
3.4.2 Movement and connectivity
3.4.3 Environment
3.4.4 Culture & Identity
3.4.5 Economics
3.5 Variation for each of the days
4.0 Shaping Southsea feedback event
4.1 What happened at the feedback event
4.2 Participation
4.3 Outcomes
5.0 Conclusion
Appendix A – Community Charrette responses
Appendix B – Feedback event images
Appendix C – Sea Change contextual document
Appendix D – Feedback event results
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1.0 Introduction
This report summarises the findings of the ‘Shaping Southsea’ Community Participation
Events of April to June 2009.
1.1 The Events
In the spring of 2009, the University of Portsmouth collaborated with the Portsmouth City
Council (PCC), on a series of events. The first event was for PCC members and officers;
the second was a large community participatory design charrette 1 and the third was a
community feedback event.
1.2 Purpose
The events were arranged as a series of public participation activities 1. To express a
collective view of PCC members and officers for regeneration objectives 2. To support
the PCC ‘Sea Change proposal’ and most importantly 3. To express the views of the
community.
Views were sought on the regeneration of the seafront, to inform the PCC’s proposal to
CABE’s 2 ‘Sea Change’ funding programme and to build a vision for how to connect the
city’s communities to the seafront.
At the same time the events would test and evaluate the possibility of the
pedestrianisation of Palmerston Road south.
2.0 PCC Design Charrette
The first event took place on 7th April 2009 (PCC Design Charrette), where 40 members
and officers took part in a series of urban design training exercises relating to specific
issues concerned with Southsea and the seafront. These were facilitated by University
staff and students.
2.1 Outcomes
At the end of this day the PCC Design Charrette teams had identified a series of linked
activities and Ideas that would address the regeneration objectives and provide
connections for communities to the seafront. They grouped these together as:
A. Sustainable City – with sustainability at the centre of any vision for Portsmouth.
B. City of Jewels – recognizing the heritage of this richly historic city.
C. Event City – the importance of activities and events to enliven the city and its seafront.
D. City of Edges – recognising the special character of this island with its distinctly different
edge characteristics.
This event prepared a range of PCC officers and members from different backgrounds to
assist as facilitators for the next main community charrette.
3.0 Community Charrette
1 A ‘Design Charrette’ is an intense period of design activity . This version was a multidisciplinary workshop
intended to facilitate discussion between the main collaborators in the development of a community project. 2 CABE , the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment , had invited bids for their Sea Change
Funds which “aims to drive cultural and creative regeneration and economic growth in seaside resorts by
funding inspiring, creative and innovative projects”
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The main community charrette took place on Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday
25th April 2009 at Southsea Castle. 860 members of the community took part and findings
were recorded by staff, and student helpers.
3.1 What happened at the Design Charrette.
For three days, members of Southsea community were encouraged to participate and
contribute to design ideas for the Shaping of Southsea and the City. The design charrette
was facilitated by PCC officers and UoP staff and students who, with the community
participants, worked together to express their ideas. Their thoughts were recorded around
maps of the location of Southsea and the wider city context; they were guided by
focused worksheets which highlighted key Issues relating to the regeneration of the
seafront, the city and the pedestrianisation of Palmerston Road south.
3.2 Participants.
Far more members of the public participated than had been anticipated (particularly on
the Saturday), which made it difficult to collect data.3 Whilst it was not possible to record
a complete set of demographic statistics systematically, the following observations were
made. On Thursday 23rd April 92 members of the public participated. They were
observed to be predominantly in the 40-70 age range. On Friday 24th April 81 members of
the public participated and were observed to be similar to those on the preceding day.
On Saturday 25th April 686 members of the public participated and a much more even
range of ages was observed, with participants of all ages and many family groups.4 There
was also a great deal of variety of participation, both in the time spent in participation
and the type of contribution made, all of which made data collection more complex.
3.3 Method
The ideas discussed and collected at the event were both written and drawn and have
been classified into 5 broad groups5 followed by subcategories. The percentages below
show the overall proportion of ideas and suggestions in each classification. This is broken
down further in Appendix A. Further differentiation between the 3 days is given at 3.4
below.
3.4 Outcomes
The summary of outcomes is presented below. Further detail is provided in Appendix A,
where the sub categories are explained and typical community ideas and suggestions
are recorded.
3.4.1. Activities (40.2 % overall proportion of response in this area)
'Activities' relate to the provision that both internal and external environments can
provide to facilitate and support social, cultural and recreational formal and informal
events.
3 The primary aims of the events as agreed between UoP and the PCC, was to generate ideas, discussion and
to raise the aspirations of participants. With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been useful to have found
ways, at the same time, to record more data, and this is something that was done in the later event. 4 In fact separate data were collected from a number of children who participated in the event. 5 It was these drawn and written ideas which informed the possible solutions visualised by students for the final
feedback event which are attached at Appendix B
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o Recreational Activities – More retail, leisure and associated facilities
o Cultural Activities - More festivals, art, shows performances and cultural
activities designed to provide something for everyone in the community
3.4.2. Movement & Connectivity (15.4 % overall proportion of response)
'Movement and connectivity' relates to how varying modes of transport and the shape
and form of the physical environment support and enable ease and variety of
movement, spatial intelligibility and connections of public spaces and places.
o Transport; car or public transport links/issues, also includes parking and fees,
speed limits and congestion
o Movement and mobility – this links to connectivity and access to public
places
o Connectivity - links for as many people as possible to all facilities and all areas
of the city
o Cycling – The encouragement of cycling and the provision of extra or
improved cycle lanes
3.4.3. Environment (23.1% overall proportion of response)
'Environment' relates to the quality and design of the built infrastructure. It includes both
internal and external environments and hard and soft landscaping. The quality of public
space can be described by its use and deployment materials, street furniture, lighting,
green space etc, for both the urban and natural environments.
o Pedestrianisation – Create the best possible conditions for pedestrian
movement and road safety, has aesthetic and social benefits
o Quality and enhancement of the Urban and Natural environment –
recognizing the distinctiveness of Southsea and Portsmouth
o Access for All – Freedom in shared spaces, working towards versatility by
improving access
o Maintenance - Design improvements of existing materials within the urban
realm
3.3.4. Culture & Identity (17.8 % overall proportion of response)
Culture and Identity in this context means community values and local distinctiveness.
o Branding – Local distinction and character, uniqueness, diversity and quality.
o Signage
o Social advantages and problems
o Heritage
3.3.5. Economics (3.5 % overall proportion of response)
Economics relates to regeneration opportunities that impact upon the economic
potential and economic growth.
o Regeneration Opportunities – Encouraging economic development in
struggling areas of the city & connecting these with the Seafront
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3.4 Variation for each of the days
Bearing in mind that the participants on the first two days were predominantly the 40-70
age group the variations were:
o ‘Activities’ less interest on the first two days
o ‘Movement’ most interest on second day
o ‘Environment’ same interest throughout
o ‘Culture & Identity’ most interest on first day
o ‘Economics’ little interest on the final day
The following table shows these in tabular form. The first percentage shows the relative
response on that day. The adjusted percentage takes account of the relative
importance due to numbers of people participating on the different days.
DAYS Thursday Friday Saturday Totals
Numbers of Participants 92 81 686
Activity % 34 32 42
Activities % adjusted for
numbers on day
3.6 3.0 33.5 40.2
Movement & Connectivity % 12 23 15
Movement & Connectivity %
adjusted for numbers on day
1.3 2.2 12.0 15.4
Environment % 23 24 23
Environment %
adjusted for numbers on day
2.5 2.3 18.4 23.1
Culture & Identity % 21 12 18
Culture & Identity %
adjusted for numbers on day
2.2 1.1 14.4 17.8
Economics % 10 9 2
Economics %
adjusted for numbers on day
1.1 0.8 1.6 3.5
4.0 Shaping Southsea Feedback Event.
The feedback event took place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June 2009 at
Southsea Castle.
4.1 What happened at the Feedback Event.
Following the Community Charrette, the outcomes were distilled into a range of key ideas
generated from the community’s input. This work, carried out by UoP students and staff,
was presented at the Feedback Event as an exhibition of drawings and visualisations (see
Appendix B)
These propositions tested the direction for the seafront, which both enlivened possibilities
and debate on what this should be. The community had a further opportunity to
comment on and discuss ‘Shaping Southsea’
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4.2 Participation
Over the two days of the event 2,900 people participated and the event was recorded
by staff and students.
4.3 Outcomes.
Shaping Southsea feedback event, ‘What the People Said’ – Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th
June 2009
(2900 community participants - recorded by staff at Southsea Castle)
The Shaping Southsea Feedback Event was held at Southsea Castle. Feedback was
conveyed through a series of drawings and proposals under the heading of ‘What the
People Said’. Based upon the information from the first two Shaping Southsea events, the
participants’ ideas were distilled into a range of key ideas which were represented and
highlighted through plans and visual images produced by staff and students from the
UoP/CURe6.
The contextual information from the ‘Sea Change’ proposal was also available in A3
format for participants to view and comment upon.
These propositions tested possible directions for the seafront strategy. Participants were
asked to comment upon the appropriateness of these ideas and whether they reflected
their ‘future vision’ for Southsea and indeed the city.
At this event we were able to record age range and the area of the city from which
participants had travelled.
At the feedback event the community participants had a further opportunity to
comment and discuss the proposals put forward.
Results
In general, most of the additional comments and ideas on Activities, Movement and
Connectivity, Environment etc, reflected and reinforced the majority of the ideas,
suggestions and concerns that were put forward at the first Shaping Southsea Community
event. This event provided an opportunity for those members of the community who
could not attend that event to express their views and have these recorded.
In addition, the participants were asked to comment on the proposals put forward and
were asked whether they felt that these reflected their vision for the seafront and the city
and their ideas from the first event.
1. Overall there was a high percentage (61%) of support for the proposals put forward
(Appendix B). Many participants felt that the schemes were ambitious and that this was
a good thing. They felt that they were indicative of the city moving into the 21st century.
2. It was evident from the responses that there is an overwhelming desire to bring life back
to the seafront. Participants viewed this space as a community place that has the
potential to offer something for everyone, from children to the youth to the elderly. There
is a common view that it is being under utilised at the moment and, whilst there are some
reservations that it should not be over developed, there is a strong consensus that it has
the potential to be a cohesive force for the community and for the city.
6 See Appendix B, contains a selection of the images that were on display at this event.
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3. There was also a strong body of opinion which maintained that, whilst there is a need
to pay respect to the past, “Heritage” initiatives should not be the sole driver for
regeneration.
A further breakdown of these results can be found in Appendix D.
SHAPING SOUTHSEA FEEDBACK EVENT
Age range
Number of
'responses'
Percentage
attendance
% Agree
with
proposals
% Partly
agree
with
proposals
%
Disagree
with
Proposals
61 and over 1813 33 19 9 7
41-60 1796 33 23 8 5
26-40 1170 21 9 4 3
16 -25 478 9 6 2 0
15 and
under 231 4 4 0 0
5487 100