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Somerset County Council Cultural Services Nov 2002
click here to read
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Creating Arts and Education Projects
A guide from Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council of
England
click here
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"During the
next 3 years we will maintain and improve all our Culture,
Inclusion and Access services"
from
Somerset County Council's Corporate Plan: Our values,
mission and policy priorities 2002-2005
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Somerset Cultural Strategy
Identify the defining features of Somerset culture and
to celebrate it
Click Here To Read
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Culture South West
In Search of Chunky
Dunsters
Making a
case for Culture
click here
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Designs on Democracy competition aims to raise the
profile of town halls as important civic buildings and
encourage the development these new democratic spaces
click here
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A Must Read
Better places to live by
design: a companion guide to PPG3
Click
Here
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The South West has England‘s largest concentration
of built heritage outside London
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About two thirds of the people living
in the region take part in sport
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check
out the region and Taunton's vitals by entering our
'facts and stats' page' -
Click Here
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The
overriding aim of Civic Pride is to make people feel good about
the place in which they live, work and relax. And the best of
feelings comes from being involved in making that place a good
place to be. Encouraging
pride in our community is essential for achieving a good quality of
life. Whether it by supporting local businesses, participating in
civic organizations, clearing rubbish from a stream or working to
prevent crime, civic pride results in community improvement and
self-sufficiency.
Neighbours,
local officials, service clubs and religious organizations all
play a role in fostering a strong
sense of civic pride and remind us that civic pride is often about
‘doing the little things’ that make a big difference. Perhaps most
importantly, younger
generations must
understand that pride in their
community is critical to their future.
"To establish any criteria for a Civic Pride initiative requires
an understanding of the way the city, town or neighbourhood works.
It is no good investing in new materials, street furniture and
other environmental enhancements if the space is not part of a
network of linked spaces, each reinforcing the role of the other,
each providing a conduit for local regeneration. |
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Such an understanding
is complex. The public realm needs to be seen in a number of
dimensions. An urban design approach will help local
authorities and others respond to the interdependence of this
range of different factors. It can help
 resolve
challenges in the built environment, by helping to analyse how
spaces are perceived and function, and how they can help to
add quality and value. Councils to be creative in the way they
consider land use, licensing and other regulations." says the
Civic Pride Initiative from SWRDA.
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Examples of the public realm
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The public realm
comprises:
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the street
and its links to adjacent areas, and the sense of community
engendered by that relationship;
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pedestrian-friendly spaces such as squares, parks, and
gardens;
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views,
vistas, townscapes and landmarks, whether buildings or
public art;
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street
furniture and lighting;
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pedestrian
and cycle routes, and safe crossings;
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civic
buildings with civic functions, whether town halls or
village libraries;
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other
buildings fronting onto public space with public access,
such as shop fronts, cafes or theatres for example.
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Examples of civic pride
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Civic Pride can be displayed in communities by:
- Individuals taking responsibility for the well-being of
their neighbours as well as themselves
- Neighbourhoods that are well-maintained, attractive and
inviting for children and families
- Local businesses that support, and are supported by,
local residents
- Increasing participation in community events, such as
dinners, dances, festivals, school functions, service clubs,
churches, voluntary organizations, chamber of commerce, etc
- Citizens discouraging litter, graffiti, vandalism
- Preservation of local historic sites/scenic areas
- Appreciation of agriculture as a thriving local industry
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Creating outdoor rooms
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The idea of creating outdoor rooms is the SWRDA's Civic
Pride Initiative: "It seems we are at the
beginning of a process of re-inventing the public realm as an
external room. That room has buildings as walls, pavements as
floors, fixtures and fittings are street furniture, planting
and lighting and so on. The design of this room relies on
these elements being considered in an integrated way so that
they contribute to an overall ‘sense of place’, either newly
created or based upon the special qualities of the existing
historic built environment. Little touches can help make a
street or square more comfortable: capturing sunny
south-facing corners, or using shade or canopies to provide
providing creature comforts - seating, lighting, bus stops,
signage, and public toilets and so on - these things can make
or break a space; creating diversity of landscape treatment,
which provides a source of pleasure to different groups, the
elderly, young people, parents and children and the disabled;
providing tender loving care that guarantees community
‘ownership’; putting these together in such a way that
development values around rise; integrating the historic
environment with the new, to mutual benefit, so as to
reinforce sense of place; and safe and easy access and
movement for all groups in society". |
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