future bayswater

Project Description

How are we to better manage urban growth in our neighbourhoods in a way that is responsible and just to all stakeholders?

The Bayswater town centre is situated adjacent to Bayswater train station, on the Midland rail line just six kilometres north-east of Perth City centre. There has been little investment in the town centre for many years, and business and social activity in the once vibrant high street has declined. With the new Forrestfield Airport Link and Ellenbrook Rail Line, the town centre will become one of the busiest transport hubs in Perth and the first urban centre travellers will see when emerging from the airport tunnel. There is a renewed optimism for the reinvigoration of the town centre.

Future Bayswater, a motivated group of Bayswater residents, ratepayers and local business owners want to harness the collective goodwill of the community to inform the debate about what makes a good town centre and vibrant future-focused community. In an effort to grow community involvement, Future Bayswater invited Curtain University planning students to conduct a community engagement intervention.

This project presented a structured opportunity for students to engage in a live-project site and a community grounded place-making exercise. The aim of the studio was for students to undertake a community engagement intervention that was fun, effective and low budget. Future Bayswater tasked students to focus on six key areas; community, transport, economics, design quality, environment and housing diversity.

At the end of the studio, the students presented a holistic place analysis of Bayswater to support future planning directions that represented the wishes and desires of the community.

Learning Methodology

The studio was open to planning students where over 12 weeks they examined the importance of plan formulation, evaluation, implementation and monitoring of an integrated approach to urban and regional planning. By having students conduct their learning of Bayswater at the Future Bayswater community hub, students were able to have regular conversations with members of the community and Future Bayswater committee. For students, this offered a more authentic and genuine community engagement process.

Throughout the project, students built an applied understanding of Future Bayswater as a case study in place-based and community-led integrated planning. At the conclusion of the semester, students had the opportunity to construct a formal reflection on the role of placemaking for planners and community in integrated planning through the placemaking processes.

How does this studio match PlaceAgency Objectives?

Students participating in this studio became collaborators in a place-based community-led organisation. Through this studio they engaged with community members, at two Future Bayswater events, worked with materials collected by Future Bayswater through community consultation, developed and implemented small ‘installations’ directly supported through the Myer Foundation grant, and synthesised their understanding of the place through the production and communication of an integrated plan for this place.