Put 24 16 year-old strangers from 12 different schools in a room for three days. Give them the task of responding to and designing for one of the most interesting and complex of Brisbane's contemporary urban developments: the Kelvin Grove Urban Village and Creative Industries Precinct.
Begin with discussion about the history, design innovations and aspirations for the site led by Project Director, Stephen Pincus and Department of Housing's Penny Somerville. Add a bevy of artists, designers, planners, architects and educators; combine with site visits, creative teamwork, argument, revision and challenge, more discussion, and finally, big bursts of creative energy to absorb and respond to information overload and meet presentation deadlines.
Outcomes: chaos, learning, lots of interesting (and some unexpected) design ideas and the conviction that the voices of these 24 articulate and creative young people were worth listening to. Three days hadn't transformed them into professional designers and planners, however their intuitions, poetic and practical, often seemed to get to the heart of complex issues. They certainly walked away with a clearer understanding of the roles of the planners and designers who determine the shape of the built environment, and in many cases a burning desire to make their own contribution.
