In the UK, agreement between national and local governments, public, private, and third sectors, and individuals is rare. However, the shared recognition of the need for meaningful and sustained community engagement to foster healthy neighborhoods has broadly united these groups.
Given this context, the recently published Engagement Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work has the potential to make a massive impact on how our built environments are imagined, designed and managed. This straightforward tool embeds engagement across all stages of a building project, enabling inclusive and collaborative practices. The Engagement Overlay is ready for immediate use and aims to serve the needs of all people.
At the ACD’s recent 'Bristol Celebration of the Engagement Overlay' event, it was inspiring to see such a strong turnout of place professionals eager to explore and discuss engagement in its many forms. The evening highlighted a shared enthusiasm for fostering participatory practices and an appreciation of how the Engagement Overlay provides a seamless framework for implementation.
Sarah Jones-Morris (Landsmith Associates), Kinny Chinangwa (Disability Inc), Tony Berongoy (Place Up), Freddie Palmer (Meeting Place) and Sarah Lee (RIBA SW) comprised the expert panel. They generously shared their insights and perspectives on a range of topics including the evolving opportunities for digital technologies as part of inclusive engagement, how to connect with less heard voices, and how early-stage engagement can de-risk a project.
Charles Campion skillfully moderated the session, drawing on his extensive experience to foster a smooth and engaging conversation amongst the panelists.
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, JTP LLP and Meeting Place, whose generous support was instrumental in making the evening possible.
The Engagement Overlay was recently Highly Commended in the Design Research for Healthy Cities category of the prestigious Healthy City Design Awards. It was co-authored by Sarah Jones-Morris (lead) and Jo Morrison of the ACD, alongside Rachel Goater and Paul Ruffles of Sustrans Scotland.
Free download of the Engagement Overlay: https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/resources-landing-page/engagement-overlay-to-riba-plan-of-work