Charrettes: Combining Professional Skills with Real Lives & Emotions

"Just as the act of voting is a right, it is inherently democratic to bring people genuinely to the heart of planning and placemaking" 20/20 Visions: Collaborative Planning & Placemaking. Charles Campion from JTP | Architects, Masterplanners & Placemakers joins us to give an exclusive talk on the importance of charrette processes and the involvement of the community in placemaking and urban design. Followed by a Q&A facilitated by Craig McLaren, Director of RTPI Scotland. Wednesday 20th February 5pm Drinks Reception 5:30pm Talk with Charles Campion 6:30pm Q&A with Director of RTPI Scotland, Craig McLaren Location: LT1 Dalhousie 75 Old Hawkhill, Dundee, DD1 5EN This event is FREE. Ticket must be acquired for entry. Event is in partnership with: The Academy of Urbanism RTPI Scotland University of Dundee JTP architects, masterplanners & placemakers ABSTRACT Communities have a collective intelligence which brings social, economic and environmental value to designing cities and neighbourhoods. Just as the act of voting is a right, it is inherently democratic to bring people genuinely to the heart of planning and placemaking. Collaboration between professionals and communities in planning and placemaking is essential to creating thriving, sustainable communities. In 1967 the American Institute of Architecture held its first Charrette – a series of interactive, co-design workshops - as a way for architects and planners to bring the public into the design process. Charrettes are now an internationally adopted methodology. People’s views are heard and honoured and planners tap in to a wealth of local knowledge and creativity. However, despite the demonstrable benefits, many communities still remain locked out of the design and decision making processes in their neighbourhoods and there are still many architects and planners who lack the confidence and expertise to collaborate with the public effectively. It is time to change the way things are done and to bring communities genuinely to the heart of planning and placemaking. Charles Campion’s talk aims to give politicians, practitioners and communities the inspiration to introduce Charrettes in to their planning processes, to build consensus, add value to projects and produce better, more sustainable places. Drawing on international case studies Charles will present the strengths of the Charrette process and show how they can be delivered on a variety of scales, sectors and sites. CHARLES CAMPION Charles is JTP’s Partner-in-Charge of participatory co-design processes with communities and stakeholders from all backgrounds and sectors. For over 20 years he has led and participated in numerous Charrette processes in the UK and worldwide - these have been for residential-led development of various scales, heritage-led regeneration, urban renaissance and environmental projects. Charles led the JTP team that ran three Charrettes as part of the Scottish Government Charrette Mainstreaming Programme that launched in 2011/12. JTP won the BDonline Architect of the Year Award for Masterplanning and Public Realm 2015 and Building Architectural Practice of the Year 2017 in recognition of their Collaborative Placemaking work across a diverse range of projects. Charles’ new book entitled '20/20 Visions: Collaborative Planning and Placemaking', was published by RIBA Publishing in 2018 and includes guidance and lessons from twenty case studies from around the world.. Charles is an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism and a Built Environment Experts (BEE) for Design Council CABE.