Funding has been allocated by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authority for improvements to three high streets in Bristol – we invited anyone who lives or works in these areas to come and share their ideas for Ashley Road/Grosvenor Road in St Paul’s, Crow Lane in Henbury, and Oatlands Avenue in Whitchurch/Hengrove.
We ran a series of events for the public on high streets in Bristol to imagine and generate ideas for changes that can benefit their local area. Through our interactive high street pop-up activity tents and workshops with local groups, we invited neighbours of all ages, business owners and anyone else with a connection to the area to share their ideas, which fed into plans for:
Greening— including things that support improved air quality, and plant diversity, for example walking/cycling routes, parklets, and planters.
Culture—this could include, but is not limited to public art, theatre, music, film, digital performances and installations, community events (fetes, parades etc) and markets.
Street Scene— anything that will make the place attractive for people to come, visit and use the local businesses, feel comfortable and welcome. For example, way-finding signage, waste and litter facilities, lighting, and CCTV.
Of course, these different strands could also overlap! Places work best when they draw on and build on the heritage and uniqueness of an area. Our engagement is designed to tap into local knowledge and experience and help to develop ideas into practical projects.
Play:Disrupt ran pop-up engagement stalls alongside smaller workshops with specific groups in each of the three priority high streets.
