The rise of 'opinion based' place data

Lessons from my first three months training to become a digital engagement specialist at Commonplace.

Why I was attracted to digital citizen engagement in the first place.

When I first heard about Commonplace, I knew that I wanted to work here.

It all started during lockdown in NW London when I began to look at my neighbourhood and access to local services in minute detail. I wondered why it was, that I, as a local resident, could not be more embedded in the shaping of the public spaces, and even helping to curate what shops and restaurants existed near me. At VU.CITY, my previous role, we had discussions with location based data companies like Mastercard, who were harnessing spend and footfall data and this is when I learned about other PlanTech solutions like Commonplace and the value of not only geolocated data, but opinion based data around place.

In the height of our nationwide lockdown, having previously worked for StreetDots in development activation (using mobile food and retailers for pop-up seasonal experiences), I had visions of a colourful Mexican food truck rolling up the road to serve us all warm tacos on the weekends in our tiny village'y Kensal Rise during lockdown. Something other than the bland flavours on offer locally. The neighbourhood forever lacked community events and soul. Park bandstands always empty, no street furniture where it was needed, insanely heavy traffic and pollution, dark streets which were unsafe at night etc... This is when I started to dive into the innovative solutions allowing residents to have their say on local placemaking and shaping.

Since then, I moved to Hammersmith and Fulham (which is amazing), and recently moved over to Commonplace. I have been here a few months now (loving it) and wanted to share my key learnings on digital engagement so far...

The Value in the Data

Opinion based data for local areas is becoming increasingly more valuable. Architects can benefit from local insights to identify local needs early in order to co-create future proofed designs. Landscape architects and transport planners can too. Property Developers are now harnessing data they have never been able to gather on this scale. They can use this data to speed up planning by creating places which people 'say' that they want, (whilst being able to play with scale) and really listen to what local residents want and need in regards to local amenities. Councils (we support over 100) can now involve residents on climate and place based projects and help to shape things like policy and local plans using the valuable feedback. Anyone needing to communicate with local communities can benefit, be it a food bank, a charity, consumer researchers, renewable energy developers... the list goes on.

Not only can we harness the data, but we manage it and allow you to analyse it easily.

The Importance of Early Engagement

Since starting at Commonplace, I have learned the art of engaging communities of all sizes. Early engagement was a topic which was new to me and refers to the practice of involving stakeholders and community members in the planning and decision-making process at an early stage. This approach is increasingly being used in the context of public projects and initiatives, such as the development of new housing, transportation systems, or public facilities.

Early engagement can help to ensure that the needs and concerns of the community are taken into account, and can also help to build trust, support and buy-in for the project. By involving stakeholders early on, project managers and decision-makers can gain valuable insights and feedback that can help to shape the direction and design of the project, and can also help to avoid potential conflicts or disruptions down the line. Overall, early engagement is a valuable tool for promoting trust, transparency, collaboration, and community involvement in the planning and development process.

The Rise of Co-Designed Buildings and Neighbourhoods

Similar to early engagement techniques, Co-design refers to the practice of involving stakeholders and diverse community members in the design and development process, in order to create places that are better suited to their needs and individual preferences.

We have supported many co-design projects on Commonplace - ensuring that the places in which people live and work are more responsive to the needs and priorities of the people who use them. By involving community members in the design process, we can create spaces that are more inclusive, accessible, and user-friendly.

Second, co-design can help to foster a sense of ownership and pride among community members, as they are able to see their ideas and input reflected in the final design. This can help to build support and engagement for the project, and can also help to promote a sense of community and connection among residents.

Finally, co-design can help to create more resilient and sustainable places, as community members are likely to have a deeper understanding of the local environment and the challenges and opportunities it presents!

How you can use Engagement Tools to Create a Trusted Dialogue with Communities

First, these tools can make it easier for stakeholders and community members to have their voices heard and to participate in the decision-making process. By providing accessible and convenient ways for people to share their thoughts and ideas, digital engagement tools like Commonplace can help to create a sense of inclusion and empowerment among community members.

These tools also help to promote transparency and accountability, by providing a transparent and accessible record of the feedback and input that is received from stakeholders. This can help to build trust by demonstrating that the opinions and concerns of community members are being taken seriously and considered in the decision-making process.

Finally, digital engagement tools can help to foster ongoing dialogue and communication between stakeholders, which can help to build stronger relationships and a greater sense of trust and collaboration.

How Digital Engagement Tools Can Help With More Than Just Planning

When I was studying the 2000+ projects we have hosted during my onboarding, I created a matrix of project types, a reference tool to use when demonstrating the value of the platform. Once created, I was able to identify over 37 themes which we have covered on Commonplace - and I am sure there are even more - but this list will give you an idea of the variety of topics we have been able to support. I was delighted to learn that many of our projects have been focused around sustainability and renewable energy.

I have gotten to grips with LTNs and Active Travel - very important topics which I had not really been exposed to. The big lesson for me was that ANY organisation requiring feedback from local communities and enhanced 'reach' can benefit from Commonplace.

Creating Safer Places Using Feedback From Residents

Another thing which I was surprised to learn was that Commonplace is useful at ALL stages of development. From pre-planning and early engagement right through to post-occupancy. Landlords in social and private housing are using Commonplace as and ongoing communication and survey tool. It is also widely used for retrofitting and regeneration purposes as well. We have also just created a TSM reporting tool to measure compulsory tenant satisfaction measures once fully introduced in April 2023 which will help to make social housing safer and more sustainable. (check out our latest TSM and retrofitting webinar!) We have also hosted a number of safer streets campaigns and focusing on important topics like women and girls safety in cities.

Just How Sophisticated the Tech is...

I knew that Commonplace's platform was highly regarded in the real estate community, but until I started my role and spoke to my various teams, I did not grasp how good the tech actually was. I was not aware that we host thousands of websites, which are always available online even if the consultation has closed (which helps with transparency and also to review accountability).

The response times are insanely good. All of the tech is done in house meaning a 15 minute diagnosis to any technical issues. The data team is incredible - they are working on NLP and other clever data analysis solutions, and the backend client dashboards and pivotable graphs are the icing on the cake. With clever drag and drop engagement building solutions, and cognitively designed question types, there is definitely more to the fully accessible platform than meets the eye.

Why We Use Map-based Solutions

With our 'drop a pin' on a heat map solution, we are capturing geolocated data.We can understand at what point on a street people are talking about. We can now fully understand not only what people are thinking about, but WHERE people are thinking about. This geolocated data can be downloaded and pulled into other data systems or layered over 3D city models. This sentiment data can also be used to secure more funding into ideas and projects!

Winning work with Commonplace

I did not realise how much leverage we can bring to a tender until I started at Commonplace. We are often pulled into tenders and it is a very large part of our business as we can provide the community engagement, stakeholder engagement, data, industry relationships, ideas and compliant platform to projects of any size, anywhere. Our expertise can help to secure and win bids for collaborative projects.

There's a LOT more to it, and I am sure that in 2023 there will be even more benefits and learnings to share. Happy Holidays and a very prosperous New Year to all!

Charlotte Bowen, Business Development Manager, UK and Ireland

Digital engagement is here to stay - which is good news for people everywhere. Want to find out more? Book a demo with me in 2023

[email protected]