Hobsons Bay City Council
Better Places uses the Ask ( asking what the community want ), Shape ( shaping a shared vision to guide projects ) and Make ( undertaking projects to bring the vision to life ) to create the Place Guides . Projects are designed based on the communities ’ wants , needs and ideas and cover a plethora of initiatives with themes such as improving liveability and amenity , bringing the community closure together , changing how we move , improving and greening our places and spaces and making the community more connected . Hobsons Bay is unique in using a holistic placemaking method to initiate projects across all its directorates to create tangible outcomes for its communities .
Placemaking around the world is allowing communities to think about the kinds of cities we have compared to the cities we want . More and more cities are moving away from car dominance and adopting people focused concepts to increase value and quality of living for their residents . Placemaking recognises that if people are happy and connected to a place then they will want to take care of it , spend time in it , and spend money in it . In allowing the community to not just collaborate but take the lead , Local Governments can achieve benefits economically , socially and environmentally .
The examples explored in this article show that when considering which methods to use when approaching a new project , true Placemaking – that is Placemaking that is led by the people for the people has a compelling argument that it results in a positive return on investment . Throughout the article there is evidence that investing in placemaking is paying dividends not just economically but also through the reduction of crime , the increase of property values , tourism , well-being , community connection , marketing and forming a cultural identity .
REFERENCES
2 . See Hargreaves , A ., & Richards , C . ( 2020 ). Saving Victorian Businesses with Placemaking , Bicycle Network , Melbourne , Australia .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HELEN SHEEDY Helen Sheedy is an Australian Certified Economic Developer and passionate Placemaker who has over 15 years experience working for Local Government in both metropolitan and regional settings . During this time Helen has been responsible for implementing a range of programs to improve Local Government , education and industry capabilities and global competitiveness . Helen has provided strategic coordination and business support to a range of businesses throughout times of great change and is also experienced in international affairs and diplomacy .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 15 NO 1 2022 17