Wee Tang Yee’s Post

Understanding and designing for the diverse needs of all community members is not just a goal but a necessity for effective placemaking. Neighbourlytics’ advanced analytics helps place makers see how the community utilise and love local places, regardless of who they are. But traditional community engagement methods can leave key segments overlooked: 👥 Visitors: Neighbouring residents, workers, and frequent visitors play a crucial role in the local economy but are often underrepresented in feedback mechanisms. 👥 Residents Who Leave for Work: Changes in work patterns have shifted how people interact with their local areas, leading to lost local engagement and economic opportunities. 👥 Renters: Often disengaged from local government activities, many renters are unaware of how to participate in community events or decisions. 👥 Young People: Despite being opinionated, young people seldom participate in civic decisions due to lack of awareness, invitation, or perceived relevance. The Neighbourlytics platform is designed to capture the subtleties of urban life, offering a comprehensive view that guides more effective and empathetic urban planning. By examining local chatter at a neighbourhood level, it is possible to gain insight into how people love to socialise, where they love to spend time, and what activities they enjoy. Learn more about how Neighbourlytics works and sign up for a free account to try it out for yourself today. Image from Neighbourlytics CEO Jessica Christiansen-Franks presentation at the Place Branding Australia even in June 2024. #UrbanPlanning #DataDrivenDesign #Placemaking #CommunityEngagement #UrbanDesign #CommunityDevelopment #InclusiveCities #UrbanAnalytics

INNOVATIVE JICP INNER CITY PROGRAMME BACK ON TRACK The #WozaWork Programme is an innovative Inner City regeneration programme of the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP) that focuses on employing Inner City residents, making streets and parks cleaner and safer, increasing local business spend and upgrading priority routes along the “Walkable Network”. The Walkable Network upgrades include walkway and stormwater replacement, pedestrianisation of selected streets, installing street furniture, repairing streetlights, planting trees, installing street and tourism signage, making intersections safer via public art and undertaking “acupuncture projects”. One of these acupuncture projects is creating a music precinct, in partnership with the Downtown Music Hub (DTMH). WozaWork Programme participants are employed as Urban Rangers and are responsible for tasks such as cleaning streets and stormwater inlets, removing graffiti and illegal posters and stickers, community patrolling, and assisting the public, including tourists, with wayfinding. They also report service delivery issues and damage to municipal infrastructure. The Programme is funded under the #PresidentialEmploymentStimulus. Funding flows via the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) to the #JICP, a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) that has been working closely with the CoJ via a partnership agreement signed in 2016. The JICP was established in 1996, and its mantra is a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming Inner City. WozaWork ran from March to November 2023 and employed 1137 individuals – 62% youth and 68% women. A total of 879 195 refuse bags were collected, and 116 arrests were facilitated by Urban Ranger. Inner City businesses received R20m in sales from digital shopping vouchers, which were financed from the participants’ wages, excluding their cash receipts. The Programme also seconded a team of Urban Rangers to assist the CoJ with law enforcement in the Inner City. Unfortunately, the Programme had to be closed out at the end of November 2023 due to funding constraints. The balance of grant funding was however received in February 2024 and WozaWork 2.0 will once again resume with new vigour. It is anticipated that up to 3000 participants will benefit from this new rollout and Inner City businesses will receive approximately R35-million in sales from digital vouchers. The Programme will be expanded to include maintenance teams who will undertake pothole and pavement repairs to curb painting and landscaping along the Walkable Network. The WozaWork Programme will once again be implemented in both managed and unmanaged Inner City areas together with Voluntary Management Initiatives (VMIs), the CoJ, SAPS, the CPF, and the Gauteng Provincial Government (Department of Community Safety) who support participant vetting and provide backup for Urban Ranger patrols. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4wbMaA9

If I was writing a manifesto for the future of #towncentres, what would I put in it? I think I’d call it “places for people” and focus on how to get more smiling faces in our town centres. Thanks for the challenge Iain Nicholson MIPM Nicholson. 2024 is a year of many impending national elections, though I’d aim my manifesto as much at local government where there is very often a way if there is the will. I’ll start with a nod to Iain’s well-constructed manifesto for tackling vacant premises -all of which are wise words that I endorse though don’t seek to duplicate here. 1. Safeguard the stock of business premises -even if some are temporarily empty. They are public/private spaces that are the life blood of town centres as social spaces and provide opportunities to house new enterprises and services to draw people to town. 2. Do use the #planning system and ownership to curate the mix of businesses so that a seaside town for example, doesn’t become all eateries and gift shops. Equally, some towns have room for a medical centre, colleges or a banking hub. 3. Nurture #socialenterprise as a smart way of bringing often iconic buildings back into use to provide key services and put roots down in a place. 4. Support #placemaking in public spaces and the streetscape as places to admire, socialise in, host events and navigate visitors around town. 5. Bring town and city centres to life with street entertainment, events, markets and festivals that showcase the streets, attract residents and visitors, direct custom to local businesses and cause people to refresh their image of the place. 6. Make the journey to town easier and more appealing by offering more opportunities to combine #walking, #cycling, #micromobility and #publictransport whilst giving priority to an increasingly immobile part of the population. So far, I have concentrated on the ‘what’ of reshaping places, now I want to focus on ‘how’ we need to do things differently to make things happen. 7. Invest in creating local capability and #capacity. As somebody who has been parachuted in to help towns through the High Streets Task Force, I can see the benefits of the processes, knowledge, pointers and understanding this adds. 8. Ensure that #stakeholderengagement and wider communications are central in all work to turn-around town centres. It’s essential to involve key players in shaping solutions and to keep the wider community informed and enthused about progress. 9. Let’s celebrate 20 years of Business Improvement Districts by looking at how they might evolve their roles as partners in strategic plans, agents for managing investment and representatives of the wider community (aka customers). 10. Lastly, I’d say to central government, don’t rush to ‘splash your cash.’ Make sure communities and councils deserve it not simply because they face challenges though because they have solutions based around a realistic, long-term plan and a partnership.

URW recently released the first European impact report in the commercial real estate sector, a comprehensive study measuring the positive influence our shopping centres have on the local community and our stakeholders at European, country and asset level.   From a social perspective, the study found that URW’s shopping centres supported around 133,000 jobs in the European economy in 2022, with a multiplier effect of 66x. In other words, creating a job at a URW centre supports 65 other jobs in Europe.   As such, we act as a catalyst for social impact, supporting: -      The development of local non-relocatable employment, professional inclusion and upward mobility -      The development of lively spaces where people can live and be entertained, fostering social cohesion and diversity – 77% of our visitors come with friends and family and 46% of visits are driven by our dining offer -      The development of local charities and initiatives for the communities, with 100% of centres having a dedicated action plan that enabled us to support over 715 initiatives in 2022.   As part of our Better Places plan, we also commit to directly support at least 15,000 people a year through training, social inclusion and employment opportunities.   👉 Want to read more about the positive impact our places have on the cities and local communities where we operate? Access the full Impact Report here: https://lnkd.in/eJk7aseq   👉 Want to learn more about our commitment towards building the cities and retail of tomorrow? Access the Better Places strategy here: https://lnkd.in/ew3suhtB   Jean-Marie Tritant, Sylvain Montcouquiol, Aigline de Ginestous, Clément Jeannin #Impact #CorporateCitizen #SocialInclusion #ReinventBeingTogether #BetterPlaces

It’s been an exciting couple of days for city shaping - bringing both the CBD and local areas back to a richer state of play. Yesterday the Committee for Sydney hosted a Community Improvement Districts fireside chat with John Graham MLC and TfNSW. On top of this, Michael Rodrigues' Team sent out a Local Government Night-Time Economy Toolkit, chock full of great benefits, tools, and easy steps to brighten up local areas. The combo of these initiatives speaks volumes. The Government is taking culture rebuilding seriously, as it should for a global city. Notable takeaways:  1. The focus is on rebuilding neighbourhoods in different ways based on their unique character.  As The Differentiation Consultancy, we completely stand by this and can also provide support to those who would like to have help unearthing their true authentic selves. 2. Simplifying the process and the cost of street activations and interventions. Bring on the NYC-style Block Party! 3. Draft legislation No. 1 on Community Improvement Districts is complete. Local areas and communities will become strengthened via better collaboration with local government, property owners, businesses, and the community. The aim is to boost economic vitality in local centres via creative place-making to stimulate day and night activity. We are all for building social cohesion and drawing out latent creativity that has been stifled by red tape, expense, and maybe even Netflix(!). #placemaking

Community Activations ++ [economic development, quality of life, and talent attraction] they can play a key role in helping cities adapt to the changing needs and desires of their residents, while also fostering creativity, collaboration, and community engagement. *Economic revitalization is crucial for cities to attract investment, create jobs, and improve quality of life for residents. By using community activations as a tool to revitalize areas economically, cities can attract new businesses, residents, and visitors, ultimately leading to increased prosperity and vibrancy. *Community activations has a particular appeal to younger generations due to its DIY approach, emphasis on creativity and innovation, and ability to quickly respond to changing needs and trends. Younger people are often more willing to experiment with new ideas and ways of living and are attracted to cities that offer unique and dynamic experiences. #letsdoit

Learn how Apopka gained national attention in 2023 as one of Central Florida’s fastest-growing cities—an important catalyst for Apopka’s growth: “the expressway ripple effect.” Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/ehi5ncXg  #Transportation #OrlandoCommute #FloridaMarket #PropertyDevelopment #CRE #CommercialRealEstate #SiteDevelopment #Apopka #Orlando #BranchOut #WyldOaks

【【🎥𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 6️】 “𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲” 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 – 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿-𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗯-𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘀🎈︱🌐𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 💗   💬 “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘣-𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘴. 𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 🤝𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘋𝘜 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘴.” - 👩🦰 Ms Siuwai Wong, Senior Social Work Supervisor, Caritas Hong Kong Community Development Service   🏠In this final episode, we are looking into the case of Mrs. Chan, a resident of a sub-divided flat in Sham Shui Po, and exploring the challenges she faced with her family. Amidst the pandemic, Mrs. Chan observed a rapid deterioration in her 10-year-old son's myopia🤓 and hunchback issues, leaving her feeling overwhelmed😔 due to a lack of proper health knowledge. Fortunately, through engaging her community network, she received a furniture set 🪑 that provided timely assistance in addressing her son's health concerns. Moreover, it also helped reduce health-related conflicts between Mrs. Chan and her son.   🌱 Project Overview: With the generous support of Hongkong Land HOME FUND, the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation launched the “Furniture for Our Future” project with to improve the health and well-being, study environment and upward social mobility of children living in subdivided units or other forms of inadequate housing. Since 2022, tailor-made ergonomic furniture sets have been provided to more than 2,400 children aged between 4-16.   #JCDISI #PolyU #HKland #HongkongLand #subdividedunits #adaptivefurniture #SocialInnovation

Great article on the value and potential of collaborative housing to meet our sustainability goals. I've also appreciated taking a little more time to learn about a century old concept, Existenzminimum! #housing #community #codesign #existenzminimum

The transformation of city centre spaces is certainly one of the most challenging - but also most exciting - developments: e.g. "Many of the world’s leading cities — including Hong Kong, Sydney, San Francisco, New York and London — are in danger of becoming child-free zones because young families simply cannot afford to live in them." 👉 Megatrends such as Silver Society, Health, Connectivity and Safety are driving new (and old) concepts. 👉 This goes hand in hand with Co-living, Third places, Resilience, 15-minute cities, Lifelong learning, etc. 👉 Social needs will have a major impact on the retail landscape as it currently exists. #Retail #CommunityEconomy #FutureCities