We engaged Stockport communities to inform the design of a park on the roof of the new Stockport Transport Interchange. Stockport Council wanted a town centre park with a real identity which benefits everyone.

Objectives were to:

  • Tell Stockport communities about the plans for the park.
  • Engage and excite communities in the conversation about the park.
  • Gain feedback on the proposals which reflect voices across all demographics including those who are typically seldom heard.
  • Summarise feedback to inform a design brief for the park.

Our work included four stages:

  • Understanding the local community.
    We assessed the local demographic profile and identified key priority groups for engagement. This included identifying seldom heard groups. We defined relevant approaches for engaging different groups.
  • Start the conversation.
    We engaged selected priority groups through interactive in-person and online sessions. This included: focus groups with older residents, disabled people and ethnically diverse people; art tutorials for families; and workshops with primary school children and college students. We also built a website for capturing feedback.
  • Events programme.
    We continued the conversation with the wider community through a series of pop-ups and other events in key locations across Stockport.
  • Engagement feedback.
    Our report highlighted feedback from the community engagement. This informed a design brief for the park.