Camden Council Street Engagement
2025
A pioneering project using participatory action research to transform how Petworth House engages, collaborates, and learns from its communities.
Project Downloads
Camden Streets Engagement Research Report
Findings poster
We collaborated with Camden Council to explore innovative ways to improve community engagement for street upgrades, giving residents a stronger voice in shaping the public realm and ensuring consultations are inclusive and meaningful.
Our Approach
Our approach combined three complementary strands to gather evidence, foster professional dialogue, and engage residents:
Evidence review: We analysed six existing street scheme consultations to identify gaps in reach and representation, uncovering demographic disparities in current engagement practices. This was complemented by a comprehensive grey and academic literature review to identify best practice in consultation and engagement.
Co-design workshop: We convened 17 street design professionals for a collaborative workshop. Case studies from Urban Symbiotics and New Practice sparked discussions on effective marketing, engagement formats and tools, and the short- and long-term impacts of engagement on street design. Insights from workshop discussions informed the draft Principles of Engagement.
Community research sessions: To capture underrepresented voices, we ran 24 community research sessions across Camden, engaging 174 participants from diverse backgrounds. Feedback was analysed to refine the Principles of Engagement and develop a Proportionality Matrix to guide future consultation approaches.
Recommendations
To build trust and participation, Camden Council should focus on authentic, ongoing engagement - listening to what matters most to residents before proposing solutions. Feedback should be shared openly, showing how community voices shape real change.
Engagement must be inclusive and accessible, using plain language, translated materials, and diverse formats. Combining in-person activities - like drop-ins and community events - with creative and digital approaches will help reach a wider audience.
Partnerships with local organisations and underrepresented groups are key to strengthening relationships and ensuring diverse perspectives are heard.
Finally, insights from this research should inform future street design and decision-making, embedding learning across departments to create more responsive, equitable, and trusted engagement practices.
Outputs
We produced a set of practical resources to support more inclusive and effective engagement in street design projects:
Principles of Engagement for inclusive street consultations
Proportionality Matrix to guide engagement relative to project scale
Research poster designed by Ada Jusic summarising findings
Full project reports with evidence, workshop insights, and community feedback
Impacts and learnings
Combining evidence review, professional workshops, and community participation created a framework for meaningful engagement. Camden Council now has practical tools to ensure consultations are trusted, inclusive, and responsive to the issues that matter most to residents.
“True engagement is about co-production. When residents see their ideas reflected in the outcome, it builds ownership and trust - not just in institutions, but also in the community itself..”
Community member
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