Post on 14-Aug-2020
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Beresfield Engagement
Report
Findings
May 2019
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May 2019 Prepared by: Major Events and Corporate Affairs, City of Newcastle Enquiries: engage@ncc.nsw.gov.au or phone 4974 2738
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................... 5
2 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Research approach ................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Data handling .......................................................................................................... 6
3 Findings ......................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Ideas wall ................................................................................................................ 7
3.2 Mapping tool ........................................................................................................... 9
3.3 Feedback frame .................................................................................................... 13
3.4 Feedback cards .................................................................................................... 14
4 Communications .......................................................................................................... 18
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Figure 1: Public Participation Spectrum, International Association of Public Participation ..... 6
Figure 2 Ideas wall ................................................................................................................ 7
Figure 3 Mapping tool – theme results .................................................................................. 9
Figure 4 Mapping tool - overview ........................................................................................ 12
Figure 6 Feedback frame design ......................................................................................... 13
Figure 7 Feedback cards design and comments ................................................................. 14
Table 1 Ideas wall results ...................................................................................................... 8
Table 2 Mapping tool - What would you like to be doing in this space? ................................. 9
Table 3 Mapping tool - What's your big (or little) idea for this space? .................................. 10
Table 4 Feedback frame results .......................................................................................... 13
Table 5 Feedback cards – themed results ........................................................................... 15
Table 6 Ideas cards responses ........................................................................................... 15
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1 Introduction
As part of the Beresfield Local Centre Public Domain Renewal Project, City of Newcastle
(CN) is creating a new public open space at the intersection of Beresford Avenue and
Lawson Avenue. This corner space has the potential to be a prominent and special place for
locals to meet and spend time.
A placemaking co-design process has been identified as the best way to create a space that
the community will value into the future. Placemaking focuses on taking a public space and
creates a living space for the community, it includes thoughtful and inclusive designs with
input from the community. CN undertook a placewarming activity, inviting the community,
and individuals who will be working, living and / or recreating – into the space to experience,
then generate and test ideas to imagine how this space could be activated and used into the
future i.e. “warming the place”.
This new community space for Beresfield is the final piece of the renewal works and CN
actively engaged with the community and stakeholders to help us create a welcoming place
for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy into the future.
As part of the placemaking exercise creative engagement company UP&UP were contracted
to engage with local young people and develop an artwork/mural for the space. They visited
local schools and a learning centre to generate ideas for how the space could look and
aspects that could make the space inviting and comfortable for young people, and people of
all ages. There was a focus on ideas surrounding potential artwork designs and themes.
1.1 Objectives
To engage with the community to gain insight and data from the community on how they
might like to use the space and what they would like to see implemented in terms of hard
and soft infrastructure. Taking a placemaking approach was implemented to foster creating
better relationships with the community and encourage community ownership of the space.
This is considered to result in fostering a space that is looked after by the users in the long
term.
2 Methodology
The placewarming was planned for Saturday 6 March 2019 from 10 until 12pm. There were
four activities designed for attendees to participate in.
• Ideas wall - Images with ideas that could be incorporated into the space for
participants to vote on
• Mapping tool - a map of the space with freedom to comment locations based. Also
available to complete online before and after the event
• Feedback frame - used to identify priorities for the space via a vote
• Feedback cards - used to advertise the placewarming event and to gain feedback
on ideas the community have for the space.
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Participants were presented an incentive voucher to use at a local food store, as a token of
appreciation. At this event CN community engagement and project staff engaged with over
100 locals.
2.1 Research approach
This study falls under the Involve category of the IAP2 framework endorsed in CN's
Community Engagement Policy.
Figure 1: Public Participation Spectrum, International Association of Public Participation
2.2 Data handling
The data handling and analysis was carried out by CN’s engagement team and software.
Verbatim responses have been edited only for grammar and spelling in the verbatim
comments.
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3 Findings
3.1 Ideas wall
Below is the ideas wall that was used to capture feedback at the placewarming event.
Participants were provided six sticky dots to vote on a wide selection of ideas that were
presented as photographs. There was not any limit to what they could vote on, if they
wanted to use all six votes for the one idea that was acceptable.
Figure 2 Ideas wall
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Use of space was the most popular theme with community events (57%), live music (52%)
and public art (49%) being three of the top four selections. Grass was also a popular
selection for surface type (52%).
Table 1 Ideas wall results
Theme Subthemes Totals %
Use of space
community events 23 57%
live music 21 52%
public art 20 49%
games 12 30%
picnics 4 10%
surface
greenery - grass 21 52%
greenery - fake grass 6 15%
pebbles 1 2%
concrete 1 2%
asphalt 0 0%
creative and
colourful
sculpture (tin fish) 16 40%
mural 12 30%
creative planters 8 20%
art 8 20%
sculpture (love) 4 10%
shade
shelter shade 14 35%
tree shade 10 25%
permanent shade 10 25%
sculpture shade 9 22%
mesh shade 5 12%
tarp shade 2 5%
gardens
edible plants 14 35%
natives 10 25%
flowers 8 20%
succulents 5 12%
shrubbery 5 12%
seating
creative seating (swivel) 12 30%
bench seating 8 20%
lounge seating 7 17%
light up seating 7 17%
creative seating (curved) 7 17%
creating seating 2 5%
*red cells indicate top selections.
N= 40 participants
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3.2 Mapping tool
The top four themes identified in the mapping tool exercises were:
• Activities n=9
o Games areas, music, speakers for music, community events including
markets, movie screen and skate park
• Kids activities n=6
o School holiday activities, kids play space and kid friendly surface
• Creative (art/sculpture) n=5
o Water feature, decorated furniture, mural, sculpture
• Shade n=5
o Shade, awning and shade tree
Figure 3 Mapping tool – theme results
The tables below show the comments received and the votes received. Voting gave users
the option to vote on a comment that already existed. Very few participants used this aspect
of the tool.
Table 2 Mapping tool - What would you like to be doing in this space?
Comment Up
Votes Down Votes
School holiday activities - the kids need somewhere and something to do! 0 0
"Children's university" activity passport where you do some art/activity and get it signed off on to fill the passport. 0 0
Game area and music: Musical statues, karaoke - ways to play and plug in music 0 0
Community events - very inviting - bring people 0 0
Playable space for kids 0 0
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Somewhere for kids to use 1 0
Buskers 1 0
Table 3 Mapping tool - What's your big (or little) idea for this space?
Comment Up
Votes Down Votes
Community book box take a book leave a book 0 0
Sculpture and artistry playground 1 0
Accessible for scooters and wheel chairs etc. 0 0
Water fountain 0 0
Community garden and seed bank 0 0
Established fruit trees and shade 0 0
Community garden with church (father Doug) 0 0
Youth activity space 1 0
Make sure trees do not block vision of cards 1 0
Community garden 0 0
Skate deterrents on wall 1 0
Small tables in centre with decorated tops 0 0
LED lighting under the wall 0 0
Book co-op and seed exchange drawer. 0 0
Playable space 1 0
continuous awning to join existing awnings 0 0
Mural on ugly brick wall 0 0
Water play and water sculpture like at Honeysuckle 0 0
Movie screen 0 0
Pop up market all along 0 0
Bring people to the space so that businesses will benefit 0 0
Shade 1 0
Skate park 0 1
Chairs to suit our diverse community including chairs out front of post office - to suit aged community. 0 0
A nice shade tree 0 0
A big shade tree, more grass, less concrete 0 0
Markets stalls 1 0
Please no gardens, they just get trampled on by people crossing the roads. Plus the cars stopping there will have passengers doors opening on to some of the garden, so people will be stepping on to them also when they alight from cars. 0 0
Would like to soft fall space with some small activities for young children to play on e.g: stepping stones, hopscotch. with some cut off knee high logs for parents to sit on. 1 0
Tamworth Regional Park has a great little splash pad next to a cafe. <Image included below> The facility is very popular for the under 10 age group. The new playground equipment at Tarro Park is good, but not really for the younger kids. I think this would be an excellent draw card - bringing visitors from all around to 0 0
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our little town and activating the space.
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Figure 4 Mapping tool - overview
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3.3 Feedback frame
Participants were asked ‘What is most important for the space?’ they were then asked to
place their tokens in the corresponding slots. Each participant was given three tokens.
Figure 5 Feedback frame design
The top three themes: Cool and shady (71% n=28), Activity (69% n=27); and Safe and
Inclusive (51% n=20).
Table 4 Feedback frame results
Themes TOTAL %
cool & shady 28 71%
activity 27 69%
safe & inclusive 20 51%
environmental/greenspace 18 46%
creative art/sculptures & furniture
16 41%
feels unique to Beresfield 9 23%
N=39
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3.4 Feedback cards
Below is the feedback card that were delivered to businesses, education centres and the
Beresfield local library. It advertised the placewarming event and provided a mechanism for
feedback on ideas for the space.
Figure 6 Feedback cards design and comments
The top three themes that appeared are as follows:
Furniture (n=13) included comments surrounding tables and chairs and comfortable places
to sit and relax. There was no further detail given in terms of what kind of furniture just that it
is needed.
Garden (n=9) included comments surrounding flowers, drought hardy plants and protection
(vandalism).
Shade (n=8) was mentioned generally with limited detail.
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Table 5 Feedback cards – themed results
Theme Total %
Furniture 13 48%
Garden 9 33%
Awning/Shade 8 30%
Dining area 3 11%
Inclusive 3 11%
Maintenance 3 11%
Traffic 3 11%
Tree 3 11%
Activities 2 7%
Antisocial behaviour 2 7%
Atmosphere 2 7%
Business 2 7%
Bike racks 1 4%
Bins 1 4%
Grass 1 4%
Lighting 1 4%
No garden 1 4%
WiFi 1 4%
N=27
Below are the verbatim responses received on the feedback cards with participants age
bracket.
Table 6 Ideas cards responses
Ideas
age bracket
1 More undercover dining areas (more awnings constructed) with surrounding garden planet
Bike space-racks for bicycle riders to lock/secure their bikes
At intersection a four-way pedestrian crossing is needed making it easier and safer for people to walk across both Lawson Ave and Beresfield Ave. As well as go back and forth to various businesses there.
Ideas from local resident/homeowner
40-54
2 Tables and chairs
25-39
3 Games World (I want this installed at
Don’t want extra gardens as not
An IGA small grocery store
permanent shading
18-24
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Beresfield or to become a shop)
maintained normally
4 Ethnic representation/multiculturalism
Some kind of topiary
5 Benches Flowers Trees Solar powered lights
25-39
6 Keeping the place clean and front of shops tidy
25-39
7 Seating Nice flowers 18-24
8 Tables and chairs
55-69
9 A reason to be here - young people
40-54
10 Lovely place to eat
Tables and chairs Relaxing place to be that is maintained
25-39
11 Tables and chairs with umbrella
Nice area to sit 55-69
12 Seating - sit down and rest for a bit
LED lighting
13 Seating Shade Flower Bins 40-54
14 Tables and chairs
70+
15 Tables and chairs
Grass area 18-24
16 Furniture means kids will congregate in mornings and smoke
17 More bike racks (outside woollies; near building society & outside pizza place)
Protect gardens - will be vandalised
55-69
18 Tables and chairs
19 Tables and chairs
20 Bush tucker garden
Drought hardy plants
shaded areas with seating
18-24
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21 An area for diverse, multicultural communities - Tongan, polish
Nice big shady tree
Wi-Fi - survey businesses to assess Wi-Fi hours - if problems turn it off. Turn off before last business closes at night
Concern teenagers at night time/vandalism, kids hanging out, at night causing vandalism
22 Crossing concern - it's too close to the intersection and when cars stop they block traffic. Dangerous location
23 not enough sidewalks. Young kids need to walk on road, is dangerous
24 Parking
25 Parking 55-69
26 A shady well seated place is comfort for all ages
It’s nice to have a place where locals can play and other entertainment. it would be nice for all ages in this environment.
A nice garden with shade and shelter is a nice comfy place to sit
55-69
27 Beresfield is the hottest suburb of Newcastle and what we need is shade, not large areas of concrete reflecting the heat
My choice for the area next to the outdoor dining would be large shade tree (preferably deciduous) with seating
Along Lawson street Ave a low hedge type planting would be good but would have to be resistant to the searing hot westerlies blowing down Beresfield Ave
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4 Communications
• City of Newcastle’s website
• Onsight signage
• Posters in local business, schools and libraries
• Face to face visits from City staff and postcard deliveries to local businesses, schools
and library
• Facebook event with paid promotion - FB event page ($50 paid boost) 4.5K reached
• Email sent to Newcastle Voice members in the area and stakeholders that had been
involved with the local centres project.
• City of Newcastle’s staff newsletter.