LUC’s Post

Draft Woodville Place Plan is now live at https://lnkd.in/g6nE4Q5a for our final step of community consultation! From the get-go, we embarked on this journey with an open mind, asking our local community three fundamental questions: What do you like? What are the issues? How can this place be improved? Then, through extensive community workshops (the Neighbourhood Team) and internal and external consultations, we've developed a draft Place Plan that's now up for final community feedback. 🗣️ This document isn't just a plan; it's a community-centred vision for Woodville. It integrates the diverse perspectives of residents, businesses, and visitors into viable initiatives and projects for enhanced liveability, short term and long term. Woodville has lacked a cohesive vision, but hopefully now we're forging ahead with a community-driven Place Plan. The Draft Woodville Place Plan outlines actionable recommendations to enhance our Neighbourhood Activity Centre, aligning with local community's needs and aspirations. It's a blend of placemaking, urban design, and economic development strategies, all aimed at enriching community life. A massive shoutout to everyone involved in this remarkable journey! From the vibrant Woodville community to our dedicated ATeam, Craig Toussaint (who dedicatedly supervised the process), and Alan Corcoran, and our invaluable subject expert consultants; community engagement: CoFutures..., economic assessment: REMPLAN, Young children engagement: 100StoryBuilding, our colleagues at Wyndham City Council, and DTP's 20 Minute Neighbourhood team. Together, we're shaping a brighter future for Woodville! 🌟 Curious to dive into the draft Place Plan and explore the journey so far? Check out the link below and let's keep the conversation going! 👇 Link to Draft Woodville Place Plan and Issues & Opportunities paper: https://lnkd.in/g6nE4Q5a #WoodvillePlacePlan #CommunityEngagement #UrbanDevelopment #CommunityDriven #FutureReady Georgina Pikoulas, Ramani Dorairaj, Jo O'Byrne, Jo Skladzien

Empowering Communities: The Heart of Improving Cities In our bustling cities, there's something special—the power of the people who live there. Changing and improving urban spaces isn't a one-person’s job; it's like a beautiful symphony conducted by the community members who call these places home. Let's explore why involving the community in shaping our city's future is a big deal. 1) Ownership and Pride: Engaged communities take pride in their neighbourhoods, fostering a sense of belonging and responsibility. 2) Informed Decision-Making & Tailored Solutions: Local knowledge enhances urban development plans and customised approaches, addressing unique challenges and aligning solutions with community needs. 3) Heritage Preservation: Residents protect their cultural heritage, collaborating with experts for balanced conservation. 4) Inclusive Progress with a Strong Social Fabric: Urban transformation becomes an inclusive journey as collaboration builds resilient communities, where every voice contributes to brighter urban horizons. At Doh Eain, we embody these principles and believe in turning them into action. By involving residents in initiatives like Doh Eain Alley Garden, we cultivate a sense of ownership, instilling pride and responsibility within the community. Our approach integrates local knowledge, tailoring solutions that resonate with the community's unique needs, while programs like the Young City Shapers educate and empower the youth. Doh Eain collaborates with residents, heritage homeowners, and experts to ensure balanced heritage preservation. Inclusivity is at the core of our efforts—every voice contributes to building resilient communities and shaping a brighter urban future through a shared and impactful journey. #CommunityEmpowerment #SustainableCities #SustainabilityTalk

🏡 Innovating Affordable Housing for Healthier, Happier Families 🏡 The need for affordable housing has never been greater, but it's time we rethink what affordable truly means. It's not just about lowering costs—it's about enhancing quality of life. Imagine a future where affordable homes aren't just compact spaces but single-family homes with large backyards designed for American families to thrive. Children need room to play outdoors, to run and explore in the safety of their own yard. Families are increasingly welcoming pets that need space to roam, and many are yearning for the chance to raise chickens for fresh eggs or cultivate their own gardens. These are the healthy alternatives that more and more families are craving—a connection to nature, the joy of fresh food, and a safe, nurturing environment for children to grow up in. It's time to innovate the housing industry to create these opportunities. By building homes that offer larger yards, garden spaces, and room for outdoor activities, we can solve more than just the affordable housing crisis—we can promote healthier, more sustainable lifestyles for families across the nation. Let's set our families up for success by ensuring they have the space they need to live, play, and grow together. 🌱🏡🐓 #AffordableHousing #HealthyLiving #FamilyFirst #InnovationInHousing

📢 Read GroundsWell's Response to Proposed Reforms to National Planning Policy in England Key points from our response to Chapter 8: 🌳 Mandating Green & Blue Spaces: We urge that national policy requires local authorities to integrate accessible green and blue spaces into urban design, addressing the current lack of proximity to such spaces for 6.1 million people across the UK. 🚶♀️ Active Travel Infrastructure: National guidelines should prioritize safe walking and cycling paths that connect communities to schools, workplaces, and recreational areas. This is essential for promoting physical activity and reducing childhood obesity. 🏞️ Community Engagement: We recommend best practices for local authorities to include community voices—especially children—in planning processes. This will ensure that green spaces meet the specific health needs of local populations. 🏡 Health Impact Assessments: We advocate for the integration of Health Impact Assessments into planning decisions, ensuring public health considerations are front and center in urban development. 🌍 Cross-Sector Collaboration: GroundsWell supports fostering collaboration between planners, public health officials, and communities to create holistic solutions for healthier cities. To read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/eAz-PKNb #PlanningPolicy #HealthyCommunities #SustainableDevelopment #GreenSpaces #UrbanHealth #ActiveTravel #PublicHealth #GroundsWell

Guidance on inclusive design for town centres and busy streets When the design of town centres and busy street environments does not fully take into account the needs of all members of the community, people may become excluded from these areas and the essential functions that they provide. Potential barriers to access should be removed and not included in any scheme. This national guidance has been developed to support the design of town centres and busy streets that are inclusive. It is based on the premise that if the area is designed for disabled people, then the majority will benefit. Why your views matter? Our town centres and streets provide facilities and amenities which play a vital role in supporting the needs of our communities and in developing a positive sense of local identity. Ensuring that all members of Scotland’s communities irrespective of age, ability or gender have the ability to access these areas safely and confidently without obstruction is an important part of delivering an inclusive society. Have your say at https://lnkd.in/ey53NsuG #TownCentres #Aberdeenshire

🌱 Innovating Affordable Housing for Healthier Communities 🏡 We’re at a critical point where the affordable housing industry must evolve to meet the diverse needs of American families. The dream is simple: affordable single-family homes with large backyards where families can thrive. Children need space to play, pets need room to roam, and more families are looking to grow their own food, whether it’s through a small garden or keeping chickens for fresh eggs. But why stop there? We can revolutionize affordable housing by integrating sustainable agriculture right into these communities. Imagine neighborhoods where residents can harvest fresh vegetables from their gardens, gather eggs from their chickens, and feel connected to the land around them. These aren’t just homes; they’re environments that nurture a healthier, more active lifestyle. Creating larger backyards and community gardens can help families not only survive but thrive. By building homes that offer space for children to play, fresh food to grow, and a safe place to call their own, we’re not just solving the affordable housing crisis—we’re building stronger, healthier communities. Let’s push for innovation in our housing developments that prioritize outdoor space, sustainability, and community well-being. It’s time to rethink how we build affordable homes and ensure they truly support the families who live in them. 🌿 Let’s create a future where affordable housing is more than just a roof over your head—it’s a foundation for a healthier life. 🌍 #AffordableHousing #HealthyLiving #SustainableCommunities #InnovationInHousing #FamilyFirst

Links between public policy and health policy are becoming more and more defined! 🤝🏙💕 One of the biggest drivers for our fund is the adoption of Houston's Transit Oriented Development (TOD) ordinance which encourages the reduction of parking requirements, and paves the way for walkable urbanism to truly take root in our city. Our corridor, The Plant Neighborhood, is strategically placed within a TOD zone AND we’re one of the cities designated Complete Communities. All that to say, we owe a big thank you to everyone at the City of Houston Planning Department for their progressive leadership! The attached report from ChangeLab Solutions backs up this kind of thinking and highlights how thoughtful planning policies can greatly contribute to healthy communities everywhere. Healthy Planning Report : https://lnkd.in/gJbvQfFD . . #ConceptNeighborhoods #ThePlantInSecondWard #HoustonTexas #TransitOrientedDevelopment #TOD #WalkableUrbanism #CompleteCommunities #HealthyCommunities #PublicPolicy #HealthPolicy #HoustonPlanningDepartment #UrbanDevelopment #CommunityDevelopment #ProgressiveLeadership #HealthyPlanning #CityPlanning #UrbanDesign #CommunityHealth #SustainableCities #SmartCities

"Work to improve #accessibility in Regina will move forward after unanimous approval from city council that will see a plan address issues from snow removal to transportation and employee training. In all, the initiative known as the Regina Accessibility Plan includes 17 recommendations on how to make the Queen City more approachable for everyone. “'This isn’t just a little bit of people, this is 30 per cent of the community,' mother Sarah Turnbull said. Turnbull’s five-year-old daughter Blake uses a #wheelchair. Blake is a familiar face at City Hall and is someone who has advocated for a more #AccessibleCity on numerous occasions. "Blake’s mother says her daughter faces daily challenges that even include using playgrounds around the city – due to wood chips or sand surrounding them. 'I like rubber parks,' Blake told city council. "City administration said the goal of the accessibility plan is to identify, remove and prevent barriers to participate in civic life. For 2024, the city set aside $100,000 for the plan." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/edCNYPC5 #AccessibilityNews #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityForAll #AccessibleSaskatchewan #AccessibleRegina #AccessibleCanada #AccessiblePlans #BreakingBarriers #LevelPlayingField

I know this flys in the face of conventional wisdom and will upset a lot of people. But for communities to take meaningful action, they must know what makes their town centre, like the one in the picture below, work or not work. Quality outcomes need quality insights. And it is wrong to assume that the community has these insights. I see so much misinformed community doing, because authorities have bought into the myth that communities know what they need. The result is a lot of wasted effort on things that the community hopes will breathe new life into their town centre or neighbourhood, but which are totally ineffective. So if I argue that community consultation (as currently practiced) should be banned. I call our alternative "informed community doing".. Let's start with the "doing" part of this model. Community consultation is talk based. It is great if you want to generate an unaffordable wish list that is no-body's responsibility to implement (and for which there is probably no budget). In our model, the only idea that has any value is the one that someone in the room is willing to put their hand up and say "I'm willing to put some time and effort into making that idea happen". If your community engagement does not end with one or more project teams that have a plan for what they will DO, then the exercise has been a talk-fest only. However,this "doing" must be informed by quality knowledge and insights. To learn more about "informed community doing" see my book, "Revitalise Your Town Centre in 7 Weeks or Less". https://lnkd.in/gVzVymNR #placemaking #urbanism #urbandesign #towncentre #communityconsultation #communitydevelopment

The latest research by the Summer Foundation Ltd has been featured in a new Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) report about the national accessible building code designed to future-proof housing for people with disability and our ageing population. The research explores the views of those in the housing development sector on integrating accessible design standards with new homes built to help people live in their own home and avoid having to move into inappropriate accomodation types. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gr-uqxE4 Read about about the research here: https://lnkd.in/gZJGAJV5 #buildingbetterhomes #nationalconstructioncode #accessiblehousing #peoplewithdisability #ageingpopulation