Uniting citizens and stakeholders to shape Bristol Harbourside’s future

Creating consensus for an accessible, inclusive public space

Bristol City Council (BCC) recognised that Bristol Harbourside-a vibrant and iconic city landmark-needed a long-term strategy to enhance accessibility and inclusivity. However, understanding the diverse needs and aspirations of citizens, businesses, and community groups presented a complex challenge. To ensure the harbour's future truly reflected the community's vision, BCC partnered with Healthia to conduct an in-depth discovery exercise.
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Collaborative research with diverse stakeholders

We designed a robust mixed-methods research programme to deeply understand visitor behaviours, needs, and expectations:

• Engaging diverse perspectives – We collaborated with disabled groups, community safety advocates, local businesses, and city officials, ensuring broad and inclusive stakeholder input.
• Capturing real-world usage – Over four days, across nine strategic locations, we undertook observational research, intercept surveys, and in-depth interviews, creating a rich picture of how people currently experience the harbour.
• Identifying aspirations and priorities – Conversations with visitors highlighted not only appreciation for the harbour’s heritage and leisure offerings but also clear desires for improvement, such as increased accessibility, green spaces, child-friendly amenities, and new cultural experiences.
  
  

Our approach effectively balanced varied community interests, generating a cohesive understanding of both immediate opportunities and longer-term visions.
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Defining a flexible, future-oriented vision

Insights from our collaborative research informed crucial elements that will shape the Harbour Placeshaping Strategy:

• Accessible, inclusive spaces – Enhancements specifically tailored to improve usability for individuals with disabilities, ensuring equitable enjoyment of the harbourside.
• Balanced development – A thoughtful mix of commercial, cultural, and public spaces designed to sustain the area’s unique identity while supporting economic vibrancy.
• Community-driven enhancements – Incorporating ideas for performance areas, sculptures, cafes, and greener environments to foster deeper community connection and visitor engagement.
  
  

These insights will underpin strategic decisions and investment over the next two decades, ensuring the harbour evolves in alignment with community expectations and needs.

Impact: shaping Bristol’s future together

• Robust, evidence-based insights – Providing BCC with a clear, research-grounded understanding of visitor behaviours and needs.
  
  
• Enhanced stakeholder alignment – Demonstrating the value of collaborative research methods that integrate diverse community voices.
  
  
• Sustainable, adaptable methodology – Offering BCC a repeatable approach for ongoing and future public space consultations across the city.

Through collaborative engagement, consensus-building, and evidence-driven planning, Healthia has empowered Bristol City Council to confidently shape a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable future for Bristol Harbourside.
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Feedback

“We needed a clear understanding of citizens’ needs to inform the future direction of Bristol Harbourside. Healthia’s expertise in mixed-methods discovery research was instrumental. Their detailed insights are pivotal for shaping our upcoming Harbour Placeshaping Strategy, ensuring it aligns with genuine community aspirations. I highly recommend Healthia for their exceptional ability to deeply understand and articulate user needs in public space design.” - Bristol City Council