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Beresfield Engagement

Report

Findings

May 2019

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May 2019 Prepared by: Major Events and Corporate Affairs, City of Newcastle Enquiries: engage@ncc.nsw.gov.au or phone 4974 2738

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Table of Contents

1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 Objectives ............................................................................................................... 5

2 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Research approach ................................................................................................. 6

2.2 Data handling .......................................................................................................... 6

3 Findings ......................................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Ideas wall ................................................................................................................ 7

3.2 Mapping tool ........................................................................................................... 9

3.3 Feedback frame .................................................................................................... 13

3.4 Feedback cards .................................................................................................... 14

4 Communications .......................................................................................................... 18

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Figure 1: Public Participation Spectrum, International Association of Public Participation ..... 6

Figure 2 Ideas wall ................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 3 Mapping tool – theme results .................................................................................. 9

Figure 4 Mapping tool - overview ........................................................................................ 12

Figure 6 Feedback frame design ......................................................................................... 13

Figure 7 Feedback cards design and comments ................................................................. 14

Table 1 Ideas wall results ...................................................................................................... 8

Table 2 Mapping tool - What would you like to be doing in this space? ................................. 9

Table 3 Mapping tool - What's your big (or little) idea for this space? .................................. 10

Table 4 Feedback frame results .......................................................................................... 13

Table 5 Feedback cards – themed results ........................................................................... 15

Table 6 Ideas cards responses ........................................................................................... 15

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1 Introduction

As part of the Beresfield Local Centre Public Domain Renewal Project, City of Newcastle

(CN) is creating a new public open space at the intersection of Beresford Avenue and

Lawson Avenue. This corner space has the potential to be a prominent and special place for

locals to meet and spend time.

A placemaking co-design process has been identified as the best way to create a space that

the community will value into the future. Placemaking focuses on taking a public space and

creates a living space for the community, it includes thoughtful and inclusive designs with

input from the community. CN undertook a placewarming activity, inviting the community,

and individuals who will be working, living and / or recreating – into the space to experience,

then generate and test ideas to imagine how this space could be activated and used into the

future i.e. “warming the place”.

This new community space for Beresfield is the final piece of the renewal works and CN

actively engaged with the community and stakeholders to help us create a welcoming place

for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy into the future.

As part of the placemaking exercise creative engagement company UP&UP were contracted

to engage with local young people and develop an artwork/mural for the space. They visited

local schools and a learning centre to generate ideas for how the space could look and

aspects that could make the space inviting and comfortable for young people, and people of

all ages. There was a focus on ideas surrounding potential artwork designs and themes.

1.1 Objectives

To engage with the community to gain insight and data from the community on how they

might like to use the space and what they would like to see implemented in terms of hard

and soft infrastructure. Taking a placemaking approach was implemented to foster creating

better relationships with the community and encourage community ownership of the space.

This is considered to result in fostering a space that is looked after by the users in the long

term.

2 Methodology

The placewarming was planned for Saturday 6 March 2019 from 10 until 12pm. There were

four activities designed for attendees to participate in.

• Ideas wall - Images with ideas that could be incorporated into the space for

participants to vote on

• Mapping tool - a map of the space with freedom to comment locations based. Also

available to complete online before and after the event

• Feedback frame - used to identify priorities for the space via a vote

• Feedback cards - used to advertise the placewarming event and to gain feedback

on ideas the community have for the space.

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Participants were presented an incentive voucher to use at a local food store, as a token of

appreciation. At this event CN community engagement and project staff engaged with over

100 locals.

2.1 Research approach

This study falls under the Involve category of the IAP2 framework endorsed in CN's

Community Engagement Policy.

Figure 1: Public Participation Spectrum, International Association of Public Participation

2.2 Data handling

The data handling and analysis was carried out by CN’s engagement team and software.

Verbatim responses have been edited only for grammar and spelling in the verbatim

comments.

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3 Findings

3.1 Ideas wall

Below is the ideas wall that was used to capture feedback at the placewarming event.

Participants were provided six sticky dots to vote on a wide selection of ideas that were

presented as photographs. There was not any limit to what they could vote on, if they

wanted to use all six votes for the one idea that was acceptable.

Figure 2 Ideas wall

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Use of space was the most popular theme with community events (57%), live music (52%)

and public art (49%) being three of the top four selections. Grass was also a popular

selection for surface type (52%).

Table 1 Ideas wall results

Theme Subthemes Totals %

Use of space

community events 23 57%

live music 21 52%

public art 20 49%

games 12 30%

picnics 4 10%

surface

greenery - grass 21 52%

greenery - fake grass 6 15%

pebbles 1 2%

concrete 1 2%

asphalt 0 0%

creative and

colourful

sculpture (tin fish) 16 40%

mural 12 30%

creative planters 8 20%

art 8 20%

sculpture (love) 4 10%

shade

shelter shade 14 35%

tree shade 10 25%

permanent shade 10 25%

sculpture shade 9 22%

mesh shade 5 12%

tarp shade 2 5%

gardens

edible plants 14 35%

natives 10 25%

flowers 8 20%

succulents 5 12%

shrubbery 5 12%

seating

creative seating (swivel) 12 30%

bench seating 8 20%

lounge seating 7 17%

light up seating 7 17%

creative seating (curved) 7 17%

creating seating 2 5%

*red cells indicate top selections.

N= 40 participants

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3.2 Mapping tool

The top four themes identified in the mapping tool exercises were:

• Activities n=9

o Games areas, music, speakers for music, community events including

markets, movie screen and skate park

• Kids activities n=6

o School holiday activities, kids play space and kid friendly surface

• Creative (art/sculpture) n=5

o Water feature, decorated furniture, mural, sculpture

• Shade n=5

o Shade, awning and shade tree

Figure 3 Mapping tool – theme results

The tables below show the comments received and the votes received. Voting gave users

the option to vote on a comment that already existed. Very few participants used this aspect

of the tool.

Table 2 Mapping tool - What would you like to be doing in this space?

Comment Up

Votes Down Votes

School holiday activities - the kids need somewhere and something to do! 0 0

"Children's university" activity passport where you do some art/activity and get it signed off on to fill the passport. 0 0

Game area and music: Musical statues, karaoke - ways to play and plug in music 0 0

Community events - very inviting - bring people 0 0

Playable space for kids 0 0

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Somewhere for kids to use 1 0

Buskers 1 0

Table 3 Mapping tool - What's your big (or little) idea for this space?

Comment Up

Votes Down Votes

Community book box take a book leave a book 0 0

Sculpture and artistry playground 1 0

Accessible for scooters and wheel chairs etc. 0 0

Water fountain 0 0

Community garden and seed bank 0 0

Established fruit trees and shade 0 0

Community garden with church (father Doug) 0 0

Youth activity space 1 0

Make sure trees do not block vision of cards 1 0

Community garden 0 0

Skate deterrents on wall 1 0

Small tables in centre with decorated tops 0 0

LED lighting under the wall 0 0

Book co-op and seed exchange drawer. 0 0

Playable space 1 0

continuous awning to join existing awnings 0 0

Mural on ugly brick wall 0 0

Water play and water sculpture like at Honeysuckle 0 0

Movie screen 0 0

Pop up market all along 0 0

Bring people to the space so that businesses will benefit 0 0

Shade 1 0

Skate park 0 1

Chairs to suit our diverse community including chairs out front of post office - to suit aged community. 0 0

A nice shade tree 0 0

A big shade tree, more grass, less concrete 0 0

Markets stalls 1 0

Please no gardens, they just get trampled on by people crossing the roads. Plus the cars stopping there will have passengers doors opening on to some of the garden, so people will be stepping on to them also when they alight from cars. 0 0

Would like to soft fall space with some small activities for young children to play on e.g: stepping stones, hopscotch. with some cut off knee high logs for parents to sit on. 1 0

Tamworth Regional Park has a great little splash pad next to a cafe. <Image included below> The facility is very popular for the under 10 age group. The new playground equipment at Tarro Park is good, but not really for the younger kids. I think this would be an excellent draw card - bringing visitors from all around to 0 0

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our little town and activating the space.

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Figure 4 Mapping tool - overview

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3.3 Feedback frame

Participants were asked ‘What is most important for the space?’ they were then asked to

place their tokens in the corresponding slots. Each participant was given three tokens.

Figure 5 Feedback frame design

The top three themes: Cool and shady (71% n=28), Activity (69% n=27); and Safe and

Inclusive (51% n=20).

Table 4 Feedback frame results

Themes TOTAL %

cool & shady 28 71%

activity 27 69%

safe & inclusive 20 51%

environmental/greenspace 18 46%

creative art/sculptures & furniture

16 41%

feels unique to Beresfield 9 23%

N=39

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3.4 Feedback cards

Below is the feedback card that were delivered to businesses, education centres and the

Beresfield local library. It advertised the placewarming event and provided a mechanism for

feedback on ideas for the space.

Figure 6 Feedback cards design and comments

The top three themes that appeared are as follows:

Furniture (n=13) included comments surrounding tables and chairs and comfortable places

to sit and relax. There was no further detail given in terms of what kind of furniture just that it

is needed.

Garden (n=9) included comments surrounding flowers, drought hardy plants and protection

(vandalism).

Shade (n=8) was mentioned generally with limited detail.

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Table 5 Feedback cards – themed results

Theme Total %

Furniture 13 48%

Garden 9 33%

Awning/Shade 8 30%

Dining area 3 11%

Inclusive 3 11%

Maintenance 3 11%

Traffic 3 11%

Tree 3 11%

Activities 2 7%

Antisocial behaviour 2 7%

Atmosphere 2 7%

Business 2 7%

Bike racks 1 4%

Bins 1 4%

Grass 1 4%

Lighting 1 4%

No garden 1 4%

WiFi 1 4%

N=27

Below are the verbatim responses received on the feedback cards with participants age

bracket.

Table 6 Ideas cards responses

Ideas

age bracket

1 More undercover dining areas (more awnings constructed) with surrounding garden planet

Bike space-racks for bicycle riders to lock/secure their bikes

At intersection a four-way pedestrian crossing is needed making it easier and safer for people to walk across both Lawson Ave and Beresfield Ave. As well as go back and forth to various businesses there.

Ideas from local resident/homeowner

40-54

2 Tables and chairs

25-39

3 Games World (I want this installed at

Don’t want extra gardens as not

An IGA small grocery store

permanent shading

18-24

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Beresfield or to become a shop)

maintained normally

4 Ethnic representation/multiculturalism

Some kind of topiary

5 Benches Flowers Trees Solar powered lights

25-39

6 Keeping the place clean and front of shops tidy

25-39

7 Seating Nice flowers 18-24

8 Tables and chairs

55-69

9 A reason to be here - young people

40-54

10 Lovely place to eat

Tables and chairs Relaxing place to be that is maintained

25-39

11 Tables and chairs with umbrella

Nice area to sit 55-69

12 Seating - sit down and rest for a bit

LED lighting

13 Seating Shade Flower Bins 40-54

14 Tables and chairs

70+

15 Tables and chairs

Grass area 18-24

16 Furniture means kids will congregate in mornings and smoke

17 More bike racks (outside woollies; near building society & outside pizza place)

Protect gardens - will be vandalised

55-69

18 Tables and chairs

19 Tables and chairs

20 Bush tucker garden

Drought hardy plants

shaded areas with seating

18-24

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21 An area for diverse, multicultural communities - Tongan, polish

Nice big shady tree

Wi-Fi - survey businesses to assess Wi-Fi hours - if problems turn it off. Turn off before last business closes at night

Concern teenagers at night time/vandalism, kids hanging out, at night causing vandalism

22 Crossing concern - it's too close to the intersection and when cars stop they block traffic. Dangerous location

23 not enough sidewalks. Young kids need to walk on road, is dangerous

24 Parking

25 Parking 55-69

26 A shady well seated place is comfort for all ages

It’s nice to have a place where locals can play and other entertainment. it would be nice for all ages in this environment.

A nice garden with shade and shelter is a nice comfy place to sit

55-69

27 Beresfield is the hottest suburb of Newcastle and what we need is shade, not large areas of concrete reflecting the heat

My choice for the area next to the outdoor dining would be large shade tree (preferably deciduous) with seating

Along Lawson street Ave a low hedge type planting would be good but would have to be resistant to the searing hot westerlies blowing down Beresfield Ave

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4 Communications

• City of Newcastle’s website

• Onsight signage

• Posters in local business, schools and libraries

• Face to face visits from City staff and postcard deliveries to local businesses, schools

and library

• Facebook event with paid promotion - FB event page ($50 paid boost) 4.5K reached

• Email sent to Newcastle Voice members in the area and stakeholders that had been

involved with the local centres project.

• City of Newcastle’s staff newsletter.