I am an
urbanist, creative thinker and social researcher specialising in
human centred design and place shaping. I am interested in the dynamic between public space,
architecture, the individual and their communites. The ways that we
shape place and places shape us.
I
use a solution driven approach which is enabling and focuses on drawing out the nuance of local culture and context, finding
points of consensus to be able to imagine shared futures, to tell future stories. My unique approach grounds big picture, strategic thinking in the fine detail of everyday experience.
Projects
take many forms and sit at the edges of design and planning practices. I
am the lead author of ‘This is for the Majority’ design guidance for
gender inclusivity, made with women and girls in London Borough of Tower
Hamlets, the Winchester Vision 2020-2030 and ‘Future
Stories’, a collaborative project with residents of BCP, to shape high
street renewal.
BIOG:
Jennie Savage is an expert in engaging individuals and communities, co-producing design frameworks, vision documents, spatial and strategic plans in consultation with those who will be affected. She is sensitive to everyone's views, holding space for multiple perspectives and finding common ground from which to design workable solutions.
Jennie works as part of places shaping teams and leads engagement and research projects including ‘This Is For The Majority’, an evidence base & design guidance for gender inclusion in London Borough Tower Hamlets and 'Future Stories’, a highly consultative placemaking and spatial design strategy, which showed how to reimagine our town centres, putting people and culture at their heart. Jennie is a public practice alum and RTPI Woman Of Influence.
Recent conferences Empowering spaces: Planning for inclusive built environments, RTPI East, Cambridge University. March 2025.
Co-production round table, Arup / Future of London Feb 2024.
Co-production panel. Future Of London, Excel centre, 2024,
‘Our cities, Our streets’ Panel and break out workshops gender and public space, LSE, Oct 24
Launch of LLDC Handbook, Creating places that work for women and girls, Arup, July 2024
‘Cities for
Citizens’, UN Planners, (2023) gender mainstreaming and co-design.
‘Loneliness, the next five years’, Campaign To End
Loneliness, speaking about how the public realm impacts health and wellbeing.
RTPI National Planning Conference and Planner Live North, about the value of
storytelling in place shaping.
Future of London- presenting on co-design as practice.
Public urban design and planning documents (selected):
As Public Realm Project Officer at London Borough of Tower Hamlets I wrote,
‘This Is For The Majority’ design guidance on gender inclusion in the
borough.
Lead author of Winchester Vision 2020-2030 where I set up
citizens panels to collectively ‘vision’ Winchester for the next ten years
(adopted 2020)
I wrote ‘Future Stories’, a strategy for high street renewal which I
co-designed with residents and place making professionals.
Publications:
Nutopia: A critical view of future cities, co-editied, Jennie Savage/ Malcolm Miles, Pub University Plymouth Press 2011
Concrete A Users Manual, Jennie Savage & James Tyson 2008
Depending On Time, Written Jennie Savage Pub Safle 2008
STAR: A Psychotopography Of Place, Jennie Savage, Pub CBAT 2006
Awards & membership
RTPI Woman of Influence 2023 & 2025
Member of RTPI and Fellow of the Royal Sociaty Arts
Public Practice Alumn
|