How can places think outside the box to engage residents in the development of their place? From wayfinding to digital skills building, here are six examples of places who are building the future of their visitor economy in partnership with their locals.

London: Co-creation in wayfinding

Co-creation requires a leap of faith. Opening up your process can invite unhelpful or even risky outcomes — who can forget the infamous Boaty McBoatface? But done right, co-creation can bear braver results than we first imagine. Over in Sydney, a state-wide naming competition led to Barangaroo Reserve, a name that honours a powerful figure in Aboriginal culture and community. In Dublin, Rosie Hackett Bridge, named after the influential trade union activist, was the result of nominations from the city.

Here at DNCO, we led a citywide co-creation process to name the six London Overground lines. From riding the entire network and interviewing hundreds of customers to conversations with experts, we were able to unearth untold stories like the Mildmay, Europe’s first hospice caring for people with AIDS-related illnesses. Bridges to buildings, parks to entire transport networks — these everyday public infrastructures are transformed into exciting opportunities for citizen engagement. Ultimately, co-creation ensure that we better reflect the super diversity of the cities we know and love.

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