015 - Place Literacy: the value of a shared language to empower people and places with Devorah Block

In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin is joined by Devorah Block, founder of the Place Literacy Project, to explore why ‘place’ sits at the nexus of today’s polycrisis, and how a shared language could unlock collaboration across the built environment, policy and the general public.

Together, they unpack what ‘place literacy’ means, teh need for agreed definitions, why conversations across the built environment sectors often fail owing to a lack of a shared language, and how promoting incredible work already being done could help us create more inclusive, resilient, and democratic places.

From Devorah’s journey from art history and museums into strategic consulting for the Built Environment Trust, to her vision for a place literacy framework and lexicon that bridges silos, this conversation challenges how we think about place, placemaking, and our own role in shaping the spaces we inhabit.

Discover:

🟣 What “place literacy” is - and why it matters for everyone, not just practitioners and policy makers

🟣 How siloed language and vertical barriers are holding back progress in the built environment

🟣 The role of shared language in connecting climate, equity, migration, and other intertwined crises

🟣 Why definitions of ‘good’ places are never universal - and how they can change over time

🟣 The lessons from projects like Civic Square in Birmingham that give true democratic agency to communities

🟣 How the Place Literacy Project’s workshops are helping everyone from schoolchildren to policymakers engage with the complexity of place

Whether you’re an architect, planner, policymaker, developer, or community organiser, this episode will expand how you think about collaboration, language, and the future of our shared natural and built environments.

Join us as we ‘talk place’.

🔗 Links & Mentions:

Learn more about the Place Literacy Project:

Website: https://placeliteracy.org

Devorah Block:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devorah-block

To learn more about Tanisha – visit here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tanishaa

Website: www.conceptculture.co

Twitter: @tanisha.rr Instagram: @tanisha.rr

To learn more about Talking Place – visit here:

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To learn more about Concept Culture – visit here:

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