What is place-keeping?
Place-keeping is the long-term and flexible management of green and open spaces to ensure they can be enjoyed by all users now and in the future.
The ongoing work of the place-keeping group shows that there are a number of dimensions of place-keeping. These are inter-dependent dimensions and don’t stand in isolation of one another. We present these dimensions as a set of questions:
Partnership
How do people work together to do place-keeping?
What makes a good partnership?
This is the focus of the Sheffield Places Project.
Funding
How much funding is available and what are the funder's requirements?
What is meant by 'good value'?
Design and Management
Does the design of a place take its long term management into account?
How can the design and management processes be more closely aligned?
Governance
Who does place-keeping?
Who makes the decisions?
Policy
What are the drivers behind policies?
How are policies put into practice?
What are the implications for place-keeping?
Evaluation
How do you measure place-keeping in practice?
Whose opinion counts?
What is meant by 'good place-keeping'?
Place-Keeping Publications
Nam, J. and Dempsey, N. (2020) Acceptability of income generation practices in 21st century urban park management: The case of city district parks, Journal of Environmental Management, 264, view in WRRO.
Nam, J. and Dempsey, N. (2019) Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions of Acceptability and Feasibility of Formal and Informal Planting in Sheffield’s District Parks, Sustainability, 11(2), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020360
Nam, J. and Dempsey, N. (2018) Community food growing in parks? Assessing the acceptability and feasibility in Sheffield, UK, Sustainability, 10, 2887; https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2887
Dempsey, N., Burton, M. and Selin, J. (2016) Contracting Out Parks and Roads Maintenance in England. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 29(5), view in WRRO.
Dempsey, N., Burton, M. and Duncan, R. (2016) Evaluating the effectiveness of a cross-sector partnership for green space management: The case of Southey Owlerton, Sheffield, UK, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 15, 155-164.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.12.002
Mathers, A., Dempsey, N., Molin, J. (2015) Place-keeping in action: Evaluating the capacity of green space partnerships in England. Landscape and Urban Planning, 139: 126-136.
Dempsey, N. and Burton, M. (2012) ‘Defining place-keeping: the long-term management of public spaces’. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Vol. 11 (1), 11-21.
Dempsey, N., Burton, M. and Mathers, A. R. (2012) ‘Place-keeping – long-term and responsive open space management’ Town & Country Planning, Vol. 81, (October) pp. 431-436.
Mathers, A. R., Dempsey, N., and Burton, M. (2012) ‘Open space management – can communities take on long-term responsibility?’ Town & Country Planning, Vol. 81, (November) pp. 514-519.
Mathers, A. R., Burton, M. and Dempsey, N. (2013) Taking an Area-Based Approach to Open Space Management. Town and Country Planning, Vol. 82, (March) pp. 138-142.