Do you believe that places work better if the people living and working in them are involved in their creation and management? Then this is an excellent opportunity to support research and the provision of online resources to promote good practice in placemaking.

I have enrolled at the University of Brighton to do a PhD reflecting on the invaluable experience I gained over four decades as an author, researcher and practitioner. The focus will be on the creation and impact of five books I wrote or edited relating to community involvement in placemaking: 'The Battle for Tolmers Square' ; 'Squatting, the real story'; 'Community Architecture'; 'Action Planning' and 'The Community Planning Handbook' (all still in print with Routledge apart from 'Squatting'). Lessons learnt will be spelt out, future initiatives needed in the field signposted.

Funding is needed to cover the costs of this research which includes tuition fees, digitising photographic and paper archives, preparing exhibition material and both computer and website technical support.

What you will get

Access to my thesis, available online (by mid 2020).

Access to an updated Community Planning Website.

Useful archives, digitised and available online.

Invitations to exhibitions and workshops.

All contributions credited unless requested otherwise.

Reports on progress and the use of the funding raised posted here (see below) and on 'Back to school' blog.

Thank you for any support you can offer. The more we raise the more that can be achieved.  

Photocaptions. Top: Community planning masterclass, Taipai, 2013. Above: The five books and their translations, adaptations and new editions.