Client
ABC Council
Year
2023
Services
PlacemakingThe Concept
Studio idir and Starling Start collaborated with ABC Council on the development of a community led place plan for Banbridge throughout 2023. In an initial Discovery Phase, we carried out rigorous desktop research and interrogation of local policies, and the statistical reporting and development-stage survey responses, in order to develop a robust statistical profile of Banbridge. We undertook a health check of Banbridge, using the MAG Living Places Toolkit as a framework.
We then undertook a comprehensive and innovative engagement programme with wider-ranging stakeholders and community members across the town, in order to gain a deep understanding of the context. We came to people where they were, in accessible and inclusive ways, through a series of creative approaches, and which included a Place Lab on the high street, pop-up presence at local events, a busker on the Banbridge Busybus, exploratory walks and various bespoke workshops for specific user groups.
The Place Plan that emerged followed the template of previous Place Plans in the borough, but added additional creativity and extensiveness to the engagement and recommendations, actions and outcomes, while also providing further structure, explanation and legibility to the plan itself. It can be accessed in full here.