Local Distinctiveness

Some suggestions from the organisation Common Ground on conserving a sense of place and identity:


I like these ones:

1. Know your place. Facts and surveys are not the same as KNOWLEDGE and wisdom. Itinerant expertise needs to meet with aboriginal, place based knowledge so we can make the best of both worlds.

2. NAMES carry resonances and secrets. Respect local names and add new ones with care

3. Get to know your place intimately. Search out PARTICULARITY & PATINA help add new layers of interest.

4. REVEAL the past! Decay is an important process. Don't tidy things up so much that the layers of history and reclamation by nature are obliterated. Let continuity show. Personality often resides in SUBTLETY and idiosyncrasy. Look closely and often. Get things in proportion and in SCALE. Every place has its own distinctive dimensions.

5. REMEMBER the depth of people's attachment to places. Do not undermine local pride and rootedness with insensitive change.

6. Let NATURE in. Encourage the plants that want to grow in your locality. You 'll find a succession of good and diverse neighbours that bring richness to your doorstep. Champion the ORDINARY and everyday.

and perhaps most of all

7. Value the COMMON place. Our Cultural Landscapes are our ordinary history and everyday nature intertwined.