491 ideas for the improvement of the Byker Community Trust housing estate

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In January 2019, architecture firm JDDK and their project partner 22Sheds used the PlaceChangers platform to deliver the resident engagement work for Byker Community Trust (BCT)'s estate improvement program.

BCT is one of the largest landlords in the North East. The estate is located to the East of Newcastle City Centre and covers a large area with six distinct neighbourhoods.

With the help of the PlaceChangers platform, JDDK delivered a resident engagement programme that combined online and offline feedback methods. The multi-channel approach took account of the diverse and complex needs of residents.

What was done?

Using the neighbourhood map of the estate, PlaceChangers provided an interactive proposal map that the project team and residents could use to exchange improvement ideas and capture concerns.

JDDK used the PlaceChangers platform to assist in site visits in advance to the main campaign. 22Sheds delivered a regular program of on-site booths and distributed a wide range of creatively designed lamp post notices to create awareness and invite residents to the interactive estate map.

Residents could also add responses in their own time.

What outcomes were achieved?

The combined forces of three architects and 30 local residents resulted in a total of 491 responses across the estate, all of which were digitally captured, providing easy access and analysis for the project teams.

The platform enabled JDDK to capture very granular feedback on a wide range of locations all across the estate. Labelling feedback with simple topic keywords on the PlaceChangers platform enabled JDDK to generate visual summaries to report back to the board of their client.

As a result of the detailed feedback, BTC decided to apply for further funding to enable a more ambitious program of improvements.