Growing and greening communities with Shopfront

In the diverse, inner-city suburbs of Glebe and Forest Lodge, a group of long-standing community members have been plotting together to create change. These community networkers, from the sustainability subcommittee and Glebe Computer Project, are full of ideas: greening urban areas, gardening workshops, communal spaces. 

Their latest idea was a Glebe sustainability hub: The Green Plot, born of the community voice project in collaboration with UTS, a long-standing partner. Inspired by existing green spaces like St Helen’s Community Garden in Glebe and the sidewalk gardens in Chippendale, The Green Plot aimed to showcase existing initiatives and connect locals with the know-how and spaces to bring it to life. 

The only thing standing in their way was sourcing the right expertise. While the local community groups of Forest Lodge and Glebe Coordination Group (FLAG) and Glebe Computer Project (GCP) were rich in a variety of experiences and skills, they needed people who knew design. Without a website, the project couldn’t grow. 

The community network knew who to call: UTS Shopfront, a community coursework program with established roots in the community. Shopfront paired them with a skilled team of design students, supported by industry experts from the Design, Art and Building Faculty to bring the idea to fruition. 

The first step was immersion. Shopfront students took their first steps outside the classroom and got to work at the old Glebe fire station courtyard and Glebe Computer Hub, which the community had transformed into a garden with the guidance of the Royal Botanic Gardens community greening team. Together, students and residents rolled up their sleeves and got to work constructing water-saving wicking beds. 

“People were sawing wood, getting their fingers dirty and having a great time. That’s what the project is about. Half of the effort is gardening, the other half is connecting with people,” says a community member. 

The connection happened through vital conversations, “The students asked us a lot of questions that I’d never thought about before. It really made me think deeply and in new ways about the project,” says Jean Pierre, of Glebe Computer Project. 

Grounded in this vital real-world experience, Shopfront students were better placed to deliver the design assets that the community needed: from a brand guidelines document to posters and QR codes. Everything detail was thoughtfully tended to: the logo and design-font are warm, the font-size on the website is adjusted for the accessibility of older residents, many of the photos taken and displayed on the website are authentic yet professional shots of the students and community together. 

“This project was unique because it wasn't an organisation, it was a community network. The students helped us shape the thinking around the project which has resulted in what's been created, and that's exciting”, says Mitra Gusheh, CEO of Glebe Youth Service and a partner on the project. 

Community members of FLAG continue to add events, projects and ideas to the website.  

“We have a lot more planned for the community and we wouldn't be able to plan and do that without the platform that the website has given us. The platform has enabled people to be inspired by nearby and overseas initiatives,” says one of the community networkers.  

With the forty-degree days over this summer, the wicking beds the students and residents created together have ensured the plants – like The Green Plot itself – last long into the future.