2008 design skills scholars

Eight CABE Space design skills scholarships were awarded in 2008.

Sam Parry

Parks officer, Bristol City Council (previously Oxford City Council)

Sam travelled across Europe to Germany, Holland, Denmark and Sweden to gain a better understanding of how parks and open spaces can be designed with young people in mind.

"Young people are often ignored when parks are created, with the belief that a small, fenced-off play area will be sufficient to keep them amused and a fear that encouraging activities such as skating and cycling will attract anti-social behaviour. In contrast, many of the European cities I visited put the needs of young people at the centre of public spaces. In Stockholm children are allowed to have barbecues and build their own play huts and in Holland homezones allow children to play in almost every street. I aim to use these examples to inspire my own work and to show other parks professionals how these processes and ideas can be developed."

Vic Smith

Police constable and crime reduction advisor, Surrey Police

Vic visited the UK, Holland and France to study the impact of the design and maintenance of parks, green spaces and public squares on levels of crime and antisocial behaviour. He visited Amsterdam’s docklands development and Westergasfabriek Park and communities in Nantes, Rennes, Manchester and Newcastle.

“Many of the places I visited have adopted the idea of ‘shared space’, where pedestrians and traffic have equal priority. As a result, levels of crime and antisocial behaviour have fallen as streets become easier to police, drivers slow down and traffic accidents become fewer. Having the opportunity to visit places where design solutions are having tangible effects on levels of crime has given me some valuable ideas for my own community.”

Michael Rowland

Parks policy officer, Bournemouth Borough Council

Michael travelled across Europe to France, Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden before heading to Canada and the USA, to learn how to deliver high quality, vibrant parks within a town centre. He explored different types of spaces including waterfront parks in Denmark (Copenhagen) and Sweden (Malmo) and 'emerald necklace' park systems in Seattle (USA) and Vancouver (Canada) as well as studying the idea of biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

“A good park should be like a big shared garden - where people relax, eat, drink, grow flowers, feed the birds and play around. Almost all the parks I visited incorporated facilities, such as BBQs, to encourage people to gather in them, rather than worrying that it might lead to anti-social behaviour, whilst the towns themselves had excellent cycling infrastructure to allowing easy access to their open spaces. I feel confident now that I can develop a vision for Bournemouth’s parks taking the best of design and innovation to produce something beautiful, engaging and exciting for the town’s residents.”

Julia Humphreys

Development manager, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

Julia travelled to New York to explore master planning, community participation, delivery processes, revenue sources and changing needs in the design and delivery of urban parks. She visited some of the city’s most famous parks including Central Park, Prospect Park, Battery Park and Battery City Park.

“Like London, New York is a city with an expanding population and high levels of deprivation. Many of its now famous parks were once run-down, derelict spaces which have now become vibrant public parks attracting millions of visitors every year. Meeting some of the people involved in the transformation and maintenance of the parks, having the opportunity to explore the design and delivery process and learning some of the methods used to ensure their ongoing success was inspirational. The lessons I learned will be invaluable in my ongoing work and particularly in helping to deliver a really exciting and successful park for East London.”

Zoe Partington-Sollinger

Head of learning at the Public Gallery

Creative thinker and consultant advising on innovative approaches to creating more inclusive and inspiring environments in the public realm that investigate and resolve creative design with disabled people and urban designers

Zoe travelled to Japan, Denmark and Cornwall to study how creative use of art and technology can help designers, architects and town planners to create attractive public spaces that meet the needs of disabled people. Zoe, who is herself disabled, visited companies that are working to develop technologies which not only offer solutions but help ensure that public spaces remain attractive environments for everyone using them.

“Visiting Japan, a country at the forefront of design, development and technology, as well as projects in Denmark and Cornwall, where disabled people have played a part in creating beautiful public spaces, proved to me that accessibility and good design do not have to be mutually exclusive and that disabled artists can work together with designers, planners, urban designers and architects to create vibrant and exhilarating inclusive environments.”

Ian Poole

Town planner, St Edmundsbury Borough Council

Ian travelled to Holland, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, France and Belgium visiting places of historical significance to explore the design philosophy, choice of materials and street furniture in streets and squares. In particular he wanted to explore the value of investing in high-quality materials in public realm improvement projects.

“My objective was to examine the management and maintenance of historic streets and squares across Europe and to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the aesthetic of an historic town and its economic success and functionality. The places I visited demonstrated a great variety of design ideas from shared space schemes to innovative paving, street furniture and art installations all of which provided an element of local distinctiveness. I have been hugely inspired to think how similar ideas could be developed in English historic towns and cities and, in particular, how the impact of the motor car can be reduced.”

Sara Milburn

Extended schools co-ordinator, Islington, London

Sara travelled to the USA to explore how school grounds can be used more creatively within the wider community. She worked with Leathers Associates, an agency specialising in community-built playgrounds, and visited projects in Sterling Virginia, Hackensack New Jersey, Ithaca New York and York Pennsylvania.

"The schemes I visited proved to me that community-built playgrounds can not only provide a safe place for children to play but can have a massive impact on the community itself. The playgrounds I saw being built use the design ideas of children and are formulated to match individual budgets no matter how large or small. The enthusiasm and energy brought from the volunteers was infectious. What is even more amazing is that there is a role for everyone, even the children. I would say my trip has helped me to develop a new set of skills which will support me in challenging those responsible for planning in my own area of work."

Paul Quinn

Regeneration manager, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation

Paul travelled to Germany, Sweden and Denmark as well as visiting projects around the UK to study best practice in town and city centre public realm and the public spaces in and around residential developments.

“Visiting these places has helped me understand what the best looks like, how it is delivered and how it will perform over time. And very often it’s the more stripped down, inexpensive schemes which work best - we have much to learn from our colleagues in the UK and northern Europe about how to avoid overcomplicating schemes and creating additional costs through the over-specification of materials, street furniture and lighting. The scholarship has given me an enormous amount to work with in terms of experience, ideas and vision and has inspired me to deliver the best possible open spaces for the communities I’m working in.”