The quality and provision of facilities in any neighborhood makes a difference to people’s moral, property value, spots of anti-social behaviour and resident participation. Since 2018 Cognitive Paths has voluntarily led the St Paul’s Neighborhood Plan as part of its Placemaking project. Thanks to the University of West of England Architecture Students we have been able to work with 16 aspiring students who have devoted their time and energy into community participatory design.

Together we have produced these projects to respond to the needs of the area in as much detail as possible. Our aim is to make urban design relevant to communities that live and reside within the area for the present and future.  

Our Vision:

• Contribute to the wider planning of the urban fabric of the city and enhancing the urban landscape
• Encourage community participation in the improvement and management of green spaces
• Advocate for better housing for both private a social tenants 
• Increase opportunities for young people and businesses to access contracts through local developers.   

Bristol Parks and Green Spaces

The value of our green spaces has become even more apparent this year. Parks provide a wealth of opportunity to support our wellbeing, opportunities for social interaction and learning as well as precious space for urban wildlife; how can communities make the very best of the resources available to them and take a lead on ensuring parks continue to thrive. How can we create a new way making parks work for everyone? We want to encourage local people to explore how their Parks and Green Spaces benefit their community. What is already happening that can be built on? What opportunities do people see and how can we as communities make those opportunities a reality?

St. Paul’s Decolonised Museum

The project is implementing the concept of a “De-Colonised Museum” in the area of St Paul’s and Ashley Ward, Bristol. A series of workshops, engagements with the local community, and public experiments, will take place in order of realising, in one form of another, the museum. The provisional site, 31-32 Cave Street, for the museum comprises of a bomb damaged Georgian building, with extensive warehouses to North-West and South. At this stage of the concept of a “De-colonised Museum”, the has created meaningful discussion with the community and collaborated with other organisations to help facilitate what concept will look like for the area. The outline brief from UWE and Cognitive paths is to develop proposals for a creative, aspirational museum for the locals and wider community.

St. Paul’s Neighbourhood Plan 

Since the closure of St. Paul’s Unlimited, the St. Paul’s Neighbourhood Plan has been facilitated by Cognitive Paths. Our aim is to connect local organisations and residents with the planning authorities and developers. Supporting the community to take ownership of local assets will hopefully result in a strengthening of the community, an improvement in the maintenance and care of the spaces, a boosting in tourism and local businesses, and a preservation of heritage.

Hotwells & Clifton 

Clifton and Hotwells aims to increase community awareness about support service, green spaces and community building that the public can use. We have created a survey to find out what kind of outdoor and indoor activities the community currently enjoy and, more importantly, their thoughts on what community services they would like to see in the area. We have also taken Carrick House in Hotwells as a case study for making a change in our neighbourhood.