IN INDUSTRY LAST UPDATED : 07 DECEMBER 2017
On Thursday 30 November, MA Planning Built Environments students ran an interactive activity as part of the RTPI West Midlands Planning Summit.
Over the extended lunch break, students invited delegates to take part in a participatory placemaking exercise. As part of their coursework, students have to come up with a new design for the car park behind Moor Street railway station; an area that is going to become part of the ‘gateway’ to the city once HS2 has arrived. Students asked conference delegates for their preferences regarding uses for the site, design ideas, and what people thought it would be important to preserve.
The conference organiser expressed profound thanks to the students for stepping in to help with the conference at short notice, after another organisation had pulled out. Conference delegates were excited to see the way that Planning students are taught at BCU and how they apply what they learn in class to real-life situations.
The group also showcased The Planning Game, an educational resource developed by Planning lecturer Claudia Carter in partnership with RTPI. The game introduces GCSE and A-level students to planning and placemaking, and sparked interest with its use of gaming to engage young people with the challenges and implications of planning for the built environment. Delegates were delighted to hear that the Planning Game is due for publication this month.