Fairness Theme

Stepping Stone 4 adds layers to the High Street. Like the other visions, we wanted to use CoLab Dudley’s principles ‘use nature as a guidebook’ and ‘create conditions for curiosity and experimentation’. The main way we proposed to do this was adding a green canopy to provide shelter, create a hybrid indoor outdoor space welcoming to families and a more communal open space, and support ecosystems.

Drawing Map Access Actions Agency Care Change Colour Commerce Community Consumption Curiosity Economics Emotion Fairness Food Future Growing Health Imagination Interacting Invitations Layer Life Lingering Nature Opportunity Ownership People Plantlife Potential Shelter Stillness Unused

Timeline of Dudley’s History with information on historic buildings and geological features of the High Street. Dudley has a rich history by being know as a busy market town and being a capital for manufacturing. The timeline emphasises the rapid change of the traditional industries in Dudley and how it has effected the High Street.

Diagram Drawing Text Architecture Colour Commerce Economics Fairness Growing Hiding Industry Light Making Material Nature Past Pollution Transport Vehicle Water Words

We created a visual representation of the main factors and sectors we came across in our research and explored individually: environment, economy, technology and education. It also summarises our goal of creating a connected High Street, and the steps we took to achieve this goal.

Imagining Other visual delight Community Connection Doughnut Economics Fairness Future Industry Learning Material Past Play Regenerative Sustainable Technology Waste

The first Stepping Stone project looks into designing multifunctional furniture for Dudley High Street to provide opportunities for a regenerative community, focusing on how the high street can be occupied with resilience. Initially, the stalls act as market stalls to provide opportunities for enterprises and small businesses to begin thriving and encouraging the High Street to become a place of inclusivity. However, the stalls can extend out into outdoor seating arrangements, which can become an extension of the community kitchen and during events can become a part of the whole atmosphere. By extending the furniture, they can connect together and become a large spread where people can sit together and enjoy company. It creates a lowered centre space so children can sit together, or paint on the surfaces. We decided to focus on furniture because we felt the importance of it can go unrecognised. We felt through the design of this market stall, many memories can be created and attached to these items, and become valuable assets within the community.

Collage Drawing Imagining Agency Change Colour Commerce Community Connection Conversation Creativity Culture Fairness Food Friendliness Future Imagination Interacting Invitations Life Lingering Low Memory Opportunity People Potential Regenerative Relaxing Resilient Stillness

Dudley was pretty much at the centre of the Industrial Revolution. It had many advantages like making things faster, leading to technological advancements, a wider distribution of wealth and the social changes that came with this. However, it also had its own set of problems that are still relevant today which we need to acknowledge and address to successfully move forward, mainly: overpopulation, housing, water, air pollution and depletion of natural resources.

Collage Commerce Economics Fairness Homes Industry Material Nature Past People Play Speeds Technology Waste Water