Places Matter! is working in partnership with Arts Council England (ACE) North West to research the combined impact of ACE and other partners investment into the public realm over the last 5 years throughout the region, with specific reference to Merseyside, but also taking into account work in Blackpool and Pennine Lancashire.

Dream, St Helens, by Jaume Plensa

Places Matter! as the Architecture & Built Environment Centre for the Northwest has undertaken a range of programmes and projects relating to the public realm, notably Creating Inspirational Spaces (2007) – research and skills programme, a proportion of the ixia Public Art Programme (2009) and two series of Manual for Streets training events (2009, 2010).

Over the past twenty years, artists’ engagement with the built environment has grown and evolved significantly from the creation of one-off pieces of work to active involvement as ‘visual engineers’ in all aspects of the design and planning process.

ACE and Places Matter! recognise that a range of individuals and organisations are responsible for delivering and managing public spaces and this programme of scoping activity will help to inform future strategic developments in the region.

ACE and Places Matter! are particularly interested in exploring the context of the current changed economic climate and the future opportunities and potential barriers or new opportunities to this area of work.
 
The research is intended to:

• Identify successes (and failures) in developing and delivering public realm and public art initiatives
• Consolidate project knowledge often housed in a variety of locations, and will suggest priorities for future action 

The outcome of this scoping programme of work is intended to:

• Inform ACE’s future regional planning and investment in relation to public realm, public art, spatial planning, with the intention that learning from this work programme might inform similar public realm activity on an area north basis
• Inform how ACE and PM! might best explore and support new working models in the public realm arena
• Identify for  ACE any refinements in how ACE could  work more effectively with others to unlock opportunities for artists’ and communities in playing a significant role in the shaping the regions public realm

The research will be undertaken from April 2011 with a final report expected in the Summer.  A dissemination programme will then be agreed.