Pandemic puts emphasis on well researched placemaking

The last year and a half have been transformative for many people and have opened their eyes to the importance of “place” and placemaking, explained Camilla Siggaard Andersen, global urban resilience research lead at architecture and design company Hassell.

“People have experienced being confined to their homes and their neighbourhoods for considerable periods.” She said this has brought home the need for both public and private open space.

“A great place has to provide spaces that people want to spend time in and they have to provide activities that people want to take part in and functions that people need to engage with,” Siggaard Andersen told Real Asset Insight’s Richard Betts. “It’s about creating spaces that have a meaningful presence in people’s lives and environments that inspire an emotional connection,” she added.

“The only way to do that really is to talk to people because a great place is going to look slightly different to different communities whether they’re within the same city or on opposite sides of the planet,” she said.

Siggaard Andersen said that it will be crucial for international real estate developers and operators to partner with local stakeholders, to appoint local representatives and to work with community champions to help the placemaking process: “We’re going to have to learn to love the journey as much as we love the destination,” she said.

Click on the video above to watch the full interview or listen to the podcast below.