Community Engagement

GRACE CRANNIS

Grace is a designer, researcher, and community engagement practitioner with a background in architecture and an MA in Information Experience Design from the Royal College of Art. In her most recent role she worked as Design Champion at The Glass-House Community Led Design, a design charity working with stakeholders to support a collaborative design process. She is also co-founder of Syrup, a creative platform and print magazine which produces socially-motivated projects and events. She is currently working on a project with school children in Hackney to explore their changing area, and has recently completed a project exploring memory in Barking and Dagenham.

Grace’s role as Senior Planning Engagement Officer at Richmond and Wandsworth is focused on helping both Authorities rethink how to meaningfully engage, in particular with communities who are seldom heard and under-represented in the planning process. Acting as the principal point of contact for local organisations and community groups, Grace is leading on the development of creative and inclusive engagement strategies, including for the Local Plans in both boroughs, while also building capacity with the Planning Policy and Design team and advising on best practice.

You can contact Grace via her LinkedIn profile.

DAN DALEY

Dan is a researcher and certified project manager with experience in urban design, community outreach and artistic programming. Prior to joining Public Practice, he worked on multiple collaborative planning processes to shape small to large scale masterplans and design briefs, created research material and facilitated design workshops for nonprofit and for-profit clients. He has a background in creative writing and producing independent theatre.

Part of the second cohort of Public Practice, Dan joined Ashford Borough Council as Masterplanning and Delivery Coordinator. He led a high profile initiative bringing together multiple stakeholder groups to determine long-term community stewardship of local assets in a major growth area south of Ashford. His role involved developing the Council’s long-term quality placemaking ambitions and he made recommendations for a joined-up approach based on best practices identified in the emerging community management trust for Chilmington Green.

JESSICA CARGILL THOMPSON

Prior to joining Public Practice, Jessica was a writer, editor, journalist, urbanist and community engager. Following a career in journalism which included seven years as features/deputy editor of Time Out London and authoring numerous books, she recently undertook an MSc in Urban Studies at UCL. Her research included a joint report into local involvement with Opportunity Area planning, and an independent dissertation on place, identity and regeneration strategies around London's Old Kent Road. Since 2016 she has been running community engagement events around the Old Kent Road, and fundraising to establish an 'urban room' as a permanent hub for the public to interact with planning.

As part of the fourth cohort of Public Practice Jessica joined Waltham Forest's Planning Policy Team as Community Engagement Officer. Her role involved engaging with local residents and other stakeholders to develop an effective communication and engagement strategy for the Local Plan and an issues and options version of a strategic site allocations document. Her role centred on building a strong relationship with stakeholders and acting as a bridge between the Council and the community.

You can contact Jessica via her LinkedIn account.

You can view Jessica's Associate Story video here.