Placemaking: Improving services, engagement and satisfaction in estate communities
Welcome to the Placemaking research project. “Place Making: improving services, engagement, and satisfaction in estate communities” focuses on revamping social housing practices in New South Wales, Australia. The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) NSW commissioned HQN to research international best practice in placemaking.
The project’s focus is on placemaking and community building on priority estates. These are places with complex housing and social issues, presenting unique challenges and opportunities. Here, the role of social landlords is greater than providing housing; landlords can have a strong influence in shaping the social fabric of neighbourhoods. Their ability to respond effectively to the needs and wishes of residents is crucial for fostering and maintaining sustainable communities.
The project identified a series of values to drive successful placemaking. These are:
- Community empowerment and inclusion
- Safety and wellbeing
- Sustainable and good quality housing
- Social cohesion and sense of belonging
- Resilience and adaptability
- Cultural sensitivity
Emerging themes from the research are:
- Organisations need to work closely with residents to build and strengthen communities by establishing a culture of trust and respect
- Cultural sensitivity and knowing the history of a place are crucial
- Build partnerships with other organisations to deliver better services
- Put into place the right infrastructure for long term success
- Enable the community to lead the way wherever possible
Below you will find examples of organisations making a fresh start with residents. These organisations have learned about and drawn on the culture and history of the residents and the place. They work closely with community leaders, particularly Aboriginal elders – letting them set out their own priorities, and do the ‘slow work’ to listen to residents and act on what they say. Getting the basics right is crucial in building trust.
This page includes a wealth of established good practice plus invaluable experience from those engaged in placemaking, both recently and in the longer term.
Thank you to every person and organisation taking part in the project.
Executive Summary
View the executive summary for the “Placemaking: Improving services, engagement and satisfaction in estate communities” research project.
Measuring Placemaking
Head here for a quick summary on how to measure the impact of placemaking initiatives.
Watch the metrics overview video from the Placemaking Exchange event.
Interactive Map
This interactive map shows all the case studies compiled for the “Placemaking: Improving services, engagement, and satisfaction in estate communities” research project.
Audit of Good Practice
This audit of good practice has been constructed to support the “Placemaking: Improving services, engagement, and satisfaction in estate communities” project.
Case Studies
Placemaking Literature Review
View the literature review here.
CHIA NSW would like to acknowledge the funds provided by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to help develop this project under the NSW Community Housing Industry Development Strategy, which is a partnership between DCJ and CHIA NSW.