So much of our cities feel like places to pass through, rather than places to linger. 

Placemaking and activation focuses on human activity, comfort and connection to transform empty space into cherished places. 

Our placemaking process starts with curiosity about locals’ lives: what they do, where they go and where there are gaps. Our specialised research and engagement techniques ensure that your activation ‘hits a nerve’ and responds to real demand. 

We then explore your spaces to understand what they offer locals and where they fail - often they are too scary, uncomfortable, ill-defined or unused. Our approach is informed by human-centred design and behavioural science, which means that our proposed solutions are evidence-informed and reflect your community’s lived experience. 

The third piece of the puzzle is the context or network that can support your activated place and the people who will use it. How will we set it up, clean it, answer people’s questions? 

We draw on decades of research, placemaking and partnership building to create activations that are a unique, robust and feasible response to your people, place and networks.

Whether temporary or permanent, low or high budget, intended to be staffed or not, our placemaking and activation projects enrich your community’s sense of belonging and wellbeing. This in turn improves perceptions of safety, reduces vandalism and damage and, ultimately, correlates to increased participation in public life - such as volunteering and political engagement.