Putting people into planning

We all experience our environment in different ways, depending on our culture, gender, socio economic status or physical ability. Yet somehow in the planning of our environments a myriad of assumptions are made with regard to how we will move, behave or undertake our daily activities. But what if those assumptions are incorrect and don't take into account the myriad of factors that reflect our inclusive and diverse society.

GHD has developed the Loveable Framework, an approach to planning that celebrates our affinity to place. Last year, we presented the Framework with a focus on place identity investigating .what makes our places unique,

This year we have expanded our framework to focus on the People Experience. This is the lived reality of a place, understanding not just the community, but the activities that are undertaken within it.

This session will explore how we can incorporate the People Experience into place design. We will present both research and engagement processes that seek to understand the communities we are planning for
and the activities that they participate in. We will look at examples of how done well, places that respond to the needs of their community have created thriving places that have social and economic benefits. We will also look at how simple mistakes in the process can prevent the true potential of a place being realised.

We hope this session will open your eyes to encourage deeper engagement, so that the often unheard voices of the community can participate in the design of our built environment. In this way we are really planning for the people, by the people.