3 days Ago By Newsdesk
A VISION to improve Jersey’s built environment in the form of practical suggestions made by Islanders is to be published by the JEP as a series in the coming weeks. Last year the government commissioned art consultant Sasha Gibb to conduct research for the Public Voice: Common Ground project which used temporary installations to show how St Helier could become a more attractive place in which to relax and unwind. To demonstrate the potential, improvements were made at Weighbridge Place and in Dumaresq Street where one of the partners – Romerils – used an area previously devoted to parking to provide a seating area that was also used for cultural events.
Seeking to establish what Islanders – particularly those living in St Helier – wanted to see in the long term, the project also used a series of workshops, public discussions and a questionnaire to explore public opinion. More than 2,100 Islanders responded, in many cases providing their own suggestions to improve the public realm in answer to the starting question “What does good public space look like?” Commenting on the value of speaking directly to Islanders, Mrs Gibb said: “Engaging the public in the process, whether events or installation planning is not only polite, it generally creates greater tolerance and less misunderstanding. This in turn leads to events that are successful and more fun for more people.
Inclusive cultural events and activities are a vital element in all happy communities.” A number of themes emerged from the consultation – the desirability of more green spaces for community use in St Helier; the need to manage traffic and improve access; enhancement of seating and spaces for people to meet; and provision of spaces for entertainment, cultural activity and community use. Mrs Gibb explained that the priority was to engage with as many demographics as possible, particularly groups perceived as not already engaging with cultural, political or community issues.
Emphasis was also placed on holding discussions in schools to ensure a significant number of younger voices. Three participative workshop events – a drawing workshop at Howard Davis Park to visualise the “wonderful” in St Helier, a clay workshop with artist Jo Pearl at Weighbridge Place and a public art commission involving a illustrated walk – were also used to generate discussion and shared opinion. Encouraged by the response from members of the public, Mrs Gibb said: “Having such unusually large community engagement illustrated the value of creating better public realm for people.
Anonymised data enabled all views to have equal weight. “Interviews and discussions engaged nearly 500 locals. These included students, mental-health charities, youth services, Portuguese [speakers], business and disabled communities.
This method had the impact of raising the percentage of youth engagement from 16% in the survey to 23% overall.”.
