a centre for place-making
Click the links to find out about MADE's four main areas of work: Art & Culture, Communities, Design Quality and Education and four other special services. In each category you can see our current Projects or look at Case Studies of previous MADE work.
MADE works with local communities to help people influence change in their neighbourhoods for the better. We provide support and avice to communities undertaking neighbourhood planning. We offer learning programmes that help people understand what makes for better places and how to bring about improvements in their communities.
MADE works with children and young people to ensure they have a real influence over the design of the built environment. We create opportunities to bring together young people and built environment professionals to work as partners on real design projects. We work with schools and colleges, youth groups and individuals to develop bespoke activities which engage young people in place-making.
MADE supports local authorities and other public sector bodies to achieve good design by providing expert support, training, support for networking, awards and competitions, information, events and resources.
MADE led the 2010 CABE urban design summer school in Birmingham when over a hundred delegates from various built environment professions came together for four days to learn about how to make great places. We will be rolling out a programme of urban design training in the coming months and can provide bespoke training for local authorities, housing providers and community group. Alternatively we can support and enhance your in-house training events and programmes.
The built environment is an expression of our culture and an arena for cultural activity. MADE supports and facilitates the role of artists as part of design teams for new developments. We also support artistic practice in the built environment including public art. We particularly work with schools and other eductational establishments to ensure that there is a role for culture in the curriculum and space for it in school buildings.
MADE supports people to make better buildings, places and spaces in all sorts of ways. We provide design advice from our expert panel members and from the MADE team through Design Review. We provide support and training for local authorities. We support networks, like the Building for Life Accredited Assessors Network. We provide information and good-practice case studies through our website. We can help with design competitions for new developments and we support local and regional design awards.
Design Review is one of the main services MADE offers to raise the quality of design of buildings and places. Design Review provides independent, objective, expert feedback on the design of proposed developments.
As a result of the Localism Bill, neighbourhood plans are set to become a significant part of the planning system. MADE helps residents and local business to come together to develop spatial plans for their neighbourhoods. We also help local authorities to deal with the challenge of neighbourhood planning. Our expertise in community engagement, planning and quality place-making can help ensure that neighbourhood plans are effective in articulating local opinion and creating better places.
