Involving young people

Young people are major users of parks, streets, play areas and other public spaces. Getting them involved in the design process can raise their aspirations for public spaces, increasing respect for and use of a completed site.

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Spaceshaper and Spaceshaper 9-14

Spaceshaper helps assess the quality of a public space by bringing those who use a space together with those who manage it. A facilitated workshop involves a site visit and structured and constructive dialogue between users and professionals on a space’s strengths and weaknesses, and where priorities for change lie.

Young people are often overlooked in community engagement, but Spaceshaper 9-14 aims to get them involved in improving their local parks, streets, playgrounds and other spaces.

What would you do with this space?

What would you do with this space? Involving young people in the design and care of urban spaces explores creative and constructive ways to involve children and young people in public space and sets out some of the key issues that projects may face. In includes case studies of successful play spaces:

• Evergreen Adventure Playground, Hackney, London
• Freemantle Pavilion, Southampton
• Cowley Teenage Space, Brixton, London
• SPACEmakers, Hartcliffe, Bristol
• Faelledparken and Valbyparken, Copenhagen

What did they do with that space?

Find out what actually happened in the five play spaces listed above.