What’s Wrong With This Square? (2)

Public squares are funny places. Sometimes planned, sometimes left over, in between other developments. A mishmash of government, local government and private ownership, so not technically wholly public. But in a world where civic space is fast disappearing, these can be spaces where we encounter each other, possibly nature too, where we might sit a while and have a conversation, perhaps even play.

Do we really feel these spaces as ours? Do we feel safe and welcome here? Are we allowed to linger? Do we have a say in what happens here?

Sometimes we get the opportunity to voice an opinion on some new proposal or development. But consultation is not the same as participation. To quote our friend @Rebekah McCabe "co-design is a phrase that is both over-used and under invested in.”

What might happen if we were allowed to set the agenda rather than just tweak at the edges? What if we were involved from the start? In identifying needs, coming up with a plan, testing our ideas and then making them a reality. What might these spaces look like then?

~Gemma