As part of our commitment to work closely with the local community, we recently delivered a Youth Engagement Workshop with our partner Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service Youth Engagement Service (YES).
Two workshops took place with 30 Year 6 students from St Paul’s C of E Primary School, Cambridge, to engage with them and use their local knowledge to develop ideas for the outdoor spaces for our redevelopment proposals for the Princess and Hanover Courts in Cambridge.
The workshops are based on Greater Cambridge Youth Engagement Framework and were collaboratively co-designed with the YES team, CIP’s design team and St Paul’s School. The site is located within walking distance of the school and the proposals include play equipment, street furniture and large areas of open green spaces for the local community to enjoy.
The students got the opportunity to visit the site around Princess and Hanover Courts to understand the site context and how best to improve the walking and cycling experience to school.
They also attended various workshops to learn more about the basics of placemaking before designing the proposed play area, street furniture, and bird boxes for the landscaped areas, ensuring the public realm design would meet the specific needs of the local children.
The children’s design ideas are then reflected in the landscape proposals to ensure that they have a genuine input. The children’s designs will be delivered on site, subject to planning approval.
The workshops also allowed students to learn about the different career options in the built environment, including urban design, town planning and architecture and engaged in digital learning activities.
The best designs by the children for the play space, street furniture and bird boxes were given awards. An art exhibition showcasing the children’s designs, and an award ceremony were also held and well attended by parents and guardians, supporting inter-generational learning.
Youth engagement is not only a design exercise but also about ‘making it real’! These workshops are a testament to our commitment to involving the community in meaningful ways and ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and incorporated into our projects.
