We Made That

"Always unfinished, imperfect, in the making". Holly Lewis, Co-founding Partner, reflects on our impact report and looks ahead. She says, ”we're excited about our 'Right to Place' partnership with Key Cities exploring spatial justice, which will span 2025 and expand notions of 'rights' with a wider range of partners from across the UK: the right to a voice, the right to a home, the right to a healthy city. In the reflective article commissioned for our impact report, writer Leela Keshav describes citizenship as 'a constant interchange between rights and duties'. If we have a right to, say, clean air, then we also have a duty to support it. This way of thinking about spatial justice is particularly potent for us as built environment practitioners. Our potential impact on the places where we work is framed by these duties 'to each other, to the places in which we live and to the living world'. We look forward to working in 2025 with greater focus on our civic duties, and how they can shape better places. We don't expect that this will be simple, most likely our efforts will be always unfinished, imperfect and in the making, very much like We Made That.” #BCorpMonth #Impact

Artists are the 'shock troops of gentrification', right? 👊🎨🔥 Well now, thanks to Tasos Kitsos, Max Nathan and Diana Gutiérrez-Posada, we have the data to show whether that's true or not. In their truly impressive paper, 'Don't Shoot the Pianist', they look at rich data to understand how creative activity relates to gentrification in the UK. I was delighted to be invited to discuss the paper with Andrew Carter and Tasos for the Centre for Cities podcast, to reflect on what the data tells us, and our own experience at We Made That of the forces of urban change and where our creative activity has found a home. 👂 Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eiY8jVBD 🤓 Or really get into it, and read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/e7BtxMmH #creativeindustries #gentrification #artists

How can we be good citizens? Writer Leela Keshav spoke with the team and community researcher, Mia L., and placed a critical lens over our work as we reflected on our impacts in 2024. The result? Leela’s essay, Citizenship as a Verb. ✒️ Citizenship arises from cities. Deriving from the Latin word for city, civitas, citizenship encompasses civilisations, the civil and the civic, speaking to the deep ties between people and place. Citizenship means building lives together within complex social structures. French philosopher Etienne Balibar claimed that citizenship exists as a constant interchange between rights and duties. In this sense, to be a citizen involves an active process of democratic participation and social responsibility. Yet the legal definition of citizenship is embedded in problematic narratives of nationhood and belonging, defining who is - and isn't - afforded rights within a country's borders. This form of citizenship is founded on migration status, creating a binary condition of the citizen and the stateless. It is this kind of citizenship that is upheld in anti-immigrant discourse, when the qualification of being British is afforded only to those who meet certain privileged standards. There is another way to understand citizenship. Returning to its roots in civitas, this expanded definition isn't concerned with borders or passports. Instead, it implicates everyone in a web of interrelation, where we, in our interactions, both affect and are affected by place. This is citizenship as a verb. Read on 👀 https://lnkd.in/eR96qsJH #Impact #BCorp #SpatialJustice

It’s #BCorpMonth and we’ve published our new Impact Report. 2024 brought political change to the country. At the ballot box, the country returned the first Labour government in 14 years. Yet there was also a certain pause – perhaps an intake of breath – before action, understandably reflecting a new era of decision-making at national, regional and local levels. Our third Impact Report covers 2024 and we have reflected on what it means to work together, not just within the practice, but with partners, collaborators and communities across: • 9 urban research studies • 23 strategies and masterplans • 22 public spaces and buildings • 7 design advocacy roles We deepened our work with returning clients and increased our partnership working with wider consultant teams. In London, across the Thames estuary, in west midlands towns and in places across the north west, we’ve been anchored by strong relationships with communities and clients. This is reflected in an increase in the proportion of our projects for repeat clients, up to 78% from 70% the year before. We’ve also been working in new places. #Bristol, #Coventry, #Weston-super-Mare, #Wigan and #Malmö, Sweden are all places with an independent and vibrant spirit. Everywhere, our collaborators have been welcoming. These have all brought us into closer contact with change-makers doing things in many different ways. We carry these valuable lessons with us across all of our projects. Read our Impact Report 2024: Citizenship as a verb 👉 https://lnkd.in/eR96qsJH #BCorpMonth #Impact Featuring partners and collaborators: PRD, Civic Engineers, Useful Projects, Graham Harrington, Place Services, Stockdale, Turf Projects, Croydon Council, West Midlands Combined Authority, City of Wolverhampton Council, BOSP (Brighter Opportunities for Special People) ⭐, ekosgen, GC Insight, Wigan Council, London Sustainable Development Commission, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Greater London Authority, Steer, Cushman & Wakefield, London Borough of Newham, Professor Clare Rishbeth, Dr Hanna Baumann, Annabel Precious, Tiffany Lam, Mary-Helen Young, Tasnia Alam, Joseph Cook of UCL Citizen Science Academy, Transport for London, Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC), London Borough of Hackney, Kjellander Sjöberg, Förstberg Ling, Ramboll, Leela Keshav, New Architecture Writers and B Lab UK

Breathing in clean air and access to green and blue spaces are a given, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case in many communities across the UK. Is progress fast enough in our existing places, and are we setting ourselves up to build new homes that will support healthy lifestyles? Our first ‘Right to Place’ roundtable in partnership with Key Cities saw us gather local authorities, public sector bodies, educational institutions, and consultants in #Trafford to share insights, ideas, and success stories for creating healthy cities for all. With representatives from #Bradford, #Salford, and #GreaterManchester, we heard about different cities’ initiatives and learnings from the processes in creating healthier cities for all communities to benefit from. Everyone agreed that this doesn’t come without its challenges. However, we picked out some key pieces of advice that can help move the process along. 💬 Don’t be afraid. Starting new projects to improve health and wellbeing can unravel opposition from community members, but this shouldn’t prevent planners, developers, and designers from persevering, as everyone will reap the benefits. 💬 Trust and communication are key. Local authorities and councillors must ensure their communities understand what, why, and how any intervention in their area will improve their health and wellbeing. 💬 Be clear on the case for intervention. Having robust evidence and demonstrating impact can help to secure all-important funding, whilst also winning over naysayers. The Government is committed to its ‘biggest building boom in a generation’, so it’s crucial that we bridge the gap between significant public and private spending and tangible returns for our communities to ensure that every investment contributes to healthier, more vibrant cities for all. Thank you to all our attendees: Holly Lewis, Tom Fox, Anna Wiley, Peter O'Hare, Shanaz Gulzar, Eve Holt, Mike McCusker, Dr Saira Ali FLI, Sam Hayes, Leah Stuart, Kelly-Marie Rodgers. Read more about Right to Place here https://lnkd.in/eCdiZXVC #healthycities #cleanair #infrastructure #regeneration #inclusivity #spatialjustice #activetravel 

Svenska nyheter! 🇸🇪 We’re thrilled to share that Holly Lewis will be included in the Malmö Pool of Experts, joining an incredible group from across the built environment industry. The Pool of Experts brings together diverse voices from architecture, urban planning, sustainability, mobility, and more to ensure transparent, inclusive, and innovative city development. Experts will contribute as jury members, advisors, and consultants, shaping the future of Malmö. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the brilliant city of #Malmö after working with Kjellander Sjöberg and Förstberg Ling last year! Finn Williams Malmö stad #UrbanPlanning #SustainableCities #Architecture #CityDevelopment #Malmö #Stadsutveckling #Stadsbyggnad #Stadsplanering #Arkitektur

It’s not often that as an architecture and design practice you get the opportunity to collaborate so closely with an academic. While we frequently engage with academic researchers through projects, opportunities for deeper, longer-term hands-on experimentation are rare. Thanks to an Innovation Scholar research grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Humanities Research Council UK, we had the chance to work with Professor Clare Rishbeth on a year-long exploration of participatory methods in urban design practice. Clare Rishbeth, a Professor in Landscape Architecture at the The University of Sheffield was seconded to We Made That for a year. The result? ‘Feelings in Place’ methods guide for emotional honesty within community engagement processes which you can download here: https://lnkd.in/ef5zivWD 💡 Acknowledging mixed emotions about different places can counter stereotypes and stigmatisation. 💡 People’s ‘feelings in place’ need to be heard and shared in ways that are honest and respectful. 💡 Who is included and what happens next are both important. 📖 Read more about the practical and effective ‘Feelings in Place’ methods: Multisensory scanning, emoji storytelling, and working with community researchers. #FeelingsInPlace #SpatialJustice #CommunityEngagement #Placemaking #UrbanDesign #ResearchInPractice #partnership 📸 Nina Robinson

This #InternationalWomensDay we wanted to give you your yearly reminder that no amount of lighting is going abolish the patriarchy. … But you can catch Holly Lewis in conversation with David Taylor, Editor NLA talking about redefining safety for women and girls in the city. 5 Minutes with…https://lnkd.in/eB2msqbc … Or read Helen Parton’s article for RICS Modus magazine and her talking to our team about where women have often been overlooked in the creation of the built environment, but that new projects are highlighting their achievements and amplifying their voices in modern surveying practices including women’s safety audits. https://lnkd.in/eNqKmTqA … Or find out more about the outcomes of the women’s safety audits pilots in Architecture Today and what moves architects can make based on its findings. https://lnkd.in/eV-R4a4J #IWD2025 #UrbanDesign #SaferCities #WomenInArchitecture  📷 Nina Robinson 

How can creativity and culture contribute to building a more local, inclusive economy on our high streets? Last week Future Leaders pitched ideas for creating inclusive economies and this is the question raised by our team member, Silvia Commisso, Senior Urban Designer, in her proposal “Making Creativity High, on the High Street” at the Future of London #FutureofLondonLeaders graduation, where she took home the audience award for ‘Best Pitch’. Securing an affordable, suitable, and secure workspace is a significant challenge for many creative practitioners, due to intense competition, limited availability and high rents. Silvia reflected on the recently introduced ‘High Street Rental Auctions’ policy, suggesting further actions that governments and councils can take to support creative practices by repurposing vacant shops. Central to her vision is providing support and priority to activities that deliver high social value, not just commercial profit, creating a high street that nurtures inclusivity, diversity, and local economic growth. Read all the inclusive economies proposals here: https://lnkd.in/eqnU53Yb 👏👏👏 Congrats Silvia 👏👏👏 and all the Future London Leaders cohort! #InclusiveEconomy #FutureofLondon #FLL38 

How can participatory research methods help us understand ‘feelings in place’—and, more importantly, how can they drive meaningful change in practice? Join Professor Clare Rishbeth (The University of Sheffield) and Holly Lewis (Co-founding partner, We Made That) as they explore how academic research methods can be adapted for real-world impact. This will feature the methodological approaches developed through Clare’s recent secondment to We Made That for a year-long research partnership funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) UK that focused on integrating lived experiences into placemaking and regeneration. 📢 Feelings in Place: Methods to Progress Spatial Justice 📅 Tuesday, 11th March 2025 🕔 5pm – 6.30pm 📍 Floor 13, Arts Tower, University of Sheffield Free and open to all. Book your place here: https://lnkd.in/epZJ85GA 📷 Nina Robinson #SpatialJustice #Placemaking #UrbanDesign #ResearchInPractice #Sheffield