People eating lunch

People reading the paper

People chatting on the phone

People smoking and vaping

People walking their dogs

People sitting

People pausing

People pushing prams

Engines revving

Wheelie bins rolling

Paper bags rustling

Pigeons strutting

Pigeons huddling

Pigeons pecking at crumbs

These observations are part of an action learning project, with Street Space, exploring the relationship between social behaviour and the street furniture situated in three West Yorkshire town centres. As this project is reflective and open in nature, our definition of street furniture is also flexible. It can be used to refer to objects found in public space — including, but not limited to, signs, planters, benches, barriers and bollards, statues, bus shelters, bike racks, and lighting.

Over the past few months a group of 12 residents from across Shipley, West Yorkshire have been meeting together to plot. Not to overthrow the status quo, but almost.

We set up Play Street Pioneers because actually closing a road to traffic (even for a few hours) is a radical act. Making safe space on our streets for children to play on their doorsteps, for older people to chat and parents to watch on and connect is gently radical. We have become so immune to the idea that our street space could be used for anything other than space to keep and move vehicles around the idea of using it for anything is quite a leap, especially for those living on popular rat runs.

Last week we brought to life a series of experiments and ‘hacks’ in our town centre to explore the impact of creating a sense of permission to play in public space. Experiments or temporary re-imaginings as we like to call them, were loosely designed around the height of 95cm (the height of an average 3 year old) but this didn’t mean shorter (and taller) people couldn’t get involved!

We asked Nathan, our young farmer engagement & outreach team member to share with us some insights around working on our recent listening project with farmers and landowners across West Yorkshire. Joining our team for the duration of the project he generously guided our engagement approach, strengthening and connecting opportunities to build relationships across the farming community as well as being a fantastic team member. Read on for his perspective on the whole process:

On a hot summer’s day last year, 8 strangers met for the first time in Shipley, a town in West Yorkshire to begin a collective imagination practice journey with an invitation from myself, stewarded by Huddlecraft, Canopy & Centre for Public Impact. The aim? To get curious about our towns and what their future could hold.

Ever since locating Street Space to Bradford it’s been fascinating to notice an important actor making her way into all of our projects, quite by stealth: Nature.

Now, I’ve never been a big ‘nature’ person, probably guilty of being one of those people who enjoys ‘doing things in nature’ rather than connecting with its natural healing and life giving powers. My focus is often getting people outside, making it easier to walk and cycle and I’ll do whatever it takes to support this mission.