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“It was great to talk to the architect - he was brilliant and receptive to suggestions and opinions on the park.”
Participant
About
Queen's Quarter
In May 2024 we tested the toolkit in East Croydon. We looked at Queen’s Quarter, a completed mixed use development by HUB and Bridges Fund Management, designed by AHMM. The redevelopment opened in 2022 and includes 513 homes, a nursery, public realm, and the refurbished Queen’s Gardens Park.
Impact and Insights
This pilot allowed us to gain insight into a completed development, which includes a nursery, housing and play areas. The group included parents of children at the nursery and other local parents. Issues around the design and management of the public realm chimed with what the architect, AHMM, and the developer HUB were hearing.
When testing the Visiting the Neighbourhood session, we found it is best to plan a short route with a destination where children can play safely.
“The session allowed us to hear directly from care givers and under 5 year old children while we were together in the space, which was very powerful.”
Isabel Scruby, HUB
How we tested the toolkit
In session 1 we got to know the parents and the neighbourhood through the neighbourhood mapping exercise. In session 2 the parents met the architect and the developer, and we explored the playground at Queens Gardens Park.
“Listening to the families who will live in, or are already living in, the buildings we create provides us with invaluable insight; it enables us to design and build homes, not simply housing.”
Ivan Rodriguez, Bridges Fund Management
Preparation
We approached local nurseries, and one offered a venue and childcare. We led on recruitment and ordered food. As there wasn’t an already established connection with the nursery, we allowed the first session to be a gentle introduction, with parents popping in to see if they would like to take part, and testing out the first exercise.
Activities
The mapping exercise is a very good tool to start conversations and allows participants to open up and talk about their lived experience. The parents who came to the first session did not know each other but they quickly warmed to us and each other and felt heard and supported.
We spoke to three mums at this session and were able to gain more trust with the nursery workers who then helped us recruit more for the second session.
In the second session, seeing the playground in use and talking about how well it works for parents and their children was very useful for the architect and developer. It uncovered some issues including safety, playground equipment and security. This session showed how useful it is to return to completed schemes to test how well they are working.