It's like turning a house into a home

Just like a homemaker turns a house into a home, a placemaker turns a space into a place, says creative thinker and doer David Engwicht. And we need this now, more than ever!

Our surroundings are not neutral. They shape our moods, influence our thoughts, and quietly dictate how we feel about our lives, says Jeff Siegler. His quote in the graphic above evocatively sums up the negative consequences that conventional development patterns can have on us. 

Take loneliness as an example. Almost 1 in 3 Australians feel lonely and 1 in 6 are experiencing severe loneliness. It's associated with a much greater risk of anxiety, depression, dementia and chronic disease. 

According to the United States Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death by as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day!

It's been called an epidemic and it's being driven by the physical, social and economic environments that we make for ourselves, our children and future generations.

Working with people and across disciplines

Placemaking works with local people and horizontally across different disciplines and approaches. It builds on expertise from urban design, economic development, events and activation, community development, urban planning, arts, engineering, infrastructure, sustainability and more. It's a holistic and integrated approach.

Here's how it can be done

The video below by CoDesign Studio tells the story of two well-meaning professionals who want to create a great place. But, they go about it in two different ways. Watch what happens. Which approach do you think more aligns with placemaking?