Community led design

Community led design has always been a huge part of the way we work at Trees for Cities. In order to ensure planting projects thrive long into the future the people who use the space are vital in guiding how we design the space.

This page shows how we go about the design process using our Edible Playground in Rotherfield Primary School as an example.

We start by pulling together a brief. This is a short punchy sentence stating the aim of the project and a set of objectives.
 

Example

To create a fun and educational edible garden, providing access to a natural environment where the edible journey can be experienced and enjoyed from growing, cooking and eating.

Objectives

•    Select fruit and vegetables that are reliable, easy to grow and manage while being productive, producing high yields
•    Develop community consultation programme with school, parents and local community
•    Develop green links within the community

Phase one

Site Survey
A site survey was carried out to document how the site currently looks and how it relates to the surrounding context. The three phase process consists of:

•    The site survey - a recording on a scaled plan of the information for the site and surroundings
•    The site analysis - an assessment of the site survey information
•    Appraisal - how the site survey and analysis information will be used to develop the design

Consultation
The Youth Community and Educational Team develop consultation materials to get opinions from teachers, governors, parents and children on:

•    How the space is currently used
•    How we should set out the space and zones
•    Building in links to the national curriculum
•    The level of knowledge and experience of teachers in growing fruit and vegetables
•    The pupil’s hopes and expectation of a garden
•    Ideas for developing green links with the community

Site plan
The survey and consultation information from phase one is analysed and a site plan is produced to show the size and allocation of zones. This is then agreed by governors, teachers, pupils and the community before work starts on a masterplan.

Phase two

Masterplan
A detailed plan showing the design outlay and structural elements of the garden.
•    The plan is then signed off by the school
•    Design frozen
•    Detailed construction plan produced
•    Planting plan developed through consultation with pupils and teachers
•    Construction.

Consultation and workshops
A series of workshops with teachers, pupils and the community are developed for:

•    Fruit tasting
•    Growing seeds
•    Showing the new plans for the garden
•    Presentation and sign off by teachers and school governors
•    Planting trees, whips, herbs, soft fruits and seedlings directly into the garden.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.