Your first weapon in creating a solid placemaking strategy is research. Only when you truly know the ins and outs of a place and its people will you be able to create an impactful approach. Constantly ask yourself 'what will drive occupiers here?', 'what will make my audience stay in the area?' and 'what will give the community a sense of place?'

Know your limit

First thing's first, be realistic - it's important to have a long term forecast in mind, plan how the budget can be used and stick to it. Financially overstretching can only be detrimental to a destination in the long-term and, of course, it's wise to keep a pot of money aside that you can dip into when unexpected issues arise. Also, be sure to check if there is any additional funding support available for aspects of your scheme.

Create a vision

Creating a strong vision is one of the single most important things you can do to shape your mixed-use development placemaking strategy. Ultimately your vision will define your goal and what you want your place to become. It should encapsulate the character of the place, inform how it will be used and be seen by the community and in the activities that will take place there. 

Reach out 

With a clear vision in place, you need to start having conversations with others - placemaking can’t simply be done by one business alone. Engage with local stakeholders, businesses, associations and other partners to see how you can work together. Share insights with these people and get their thoughts on what might make for a memorable place. Joining forces with the local council, meanwhile, can pay dividends if your scheme feeds into the economic plan for the area, such as by generating jobs or new homes.  

make a place

It’s time to start creating your place - be bold and be creative! If possible, seek the creative input of an agency experienced in developing placemaking strategies. They can help you to think outside the box, plan your approach and keep it on track. You'll also need a name for your place and to create the marketing collateral that supports it.

Tell the world

Next, you should start spreading the word about your place. Your agency can set communication objectives and start building an events and partnership strategy to sit alongside a pipeline of project news. This is where the creative juices can really flow and you can see your place start to come alive. An online presence, meanwhile, will help to make people aware of your development and connect with it wherever they are in the world.

And finally, manage it well

Placemaking is ever-changing in its nature. Once your strategy is in place and has been rolled out, it will constantly evolve as you see what works and what doesn’t. The not-for-profit organisation Project for Public Spaces suggests that 80 per cent of the success of any public space is down to management. It says: “Given the certainty of change and fluid nature of the use of a place at different times, the challenge is to develop the ability to respond effectively. A good management structure will provide that flexibility.”

This article gives a brief insight into the steps required for creating a standout placemaking strategy. There's a lot more detail in our ebook Effective Placemaking Communications For Your Mixed-Use Development, Volume 1: Explore, which you can download for free with just an email address.