Placemaking is more than the materiality of a group of buildings, it involves aspects such as sociability and connections to create bonds between people and generate a sense of place. Centring the needs, aspirations, desires and visions of a community strongly requires participation.

“People live in places, not just homes. It’s important to provide a platform for human interactions” – David Cross, CEO Sky-House Co

Whilst the concept of placemaking has been bubbling away since the 1960s, it’s consolidation has been identified by Project for Public Spaces in eleven key principles:

1. The Community is The Expert
2. Create a Place, Not a Design
3. Look for Partners
4. They Always Say “It Can’t Be Done.”
5. Have a Vision
6. You Can See a Lot Just By Observing
7. Form Supports Function
8. Triangulate
9. Experiment: Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper
10. Money Is Not The Issue
11. You Are Never Finished

Many projects for community-powered public spaces feature the principles listed above. One example is the Precollinear Park intervention, completed in 2020, which transformed an abandoned tramline into an outdoor recreational area fit for socially distanced leisure.

Here at Sky-House Co, we are committed to creating a lifestyle that reflects an increasingly sustainable society. The places we create offer private amenity alongside communal amenity- play areas for kids to play, seating areas for adults to sit, watch and read. Hard and soft landscaped areas suitable for urban living, patios and terraced houses that are not separated by garden fences and driveways, and opportunities to collaborate with each other on projects such as communal gardens.

More than a buzzword, placemaking is a hands-on approach to improving a neighbourhood, city or region. It is the message behind the beating heart of a community, helping to define a place and its ongoing revolution.