Exploring your community to shape the future.
Client
Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association
Sector
Non-Profit
Offering
Customer Experience
When the Shawnee Evergreen Community Association (SECA) began thinking about the future of their neighbourhood, they recognized that the best ideas would not come from a boardroom or planning document. They would come from the people who live there every day.
To help bring those voices together, SECA partnered with J5 Design to lead a community-driven placemaking initiative inspired by the work of urbanist Jane Jacobs. Through a series of Walk & Talks, community workshops, and pop-up engagements, residents were invited to slow down, explore their neighbourhood through fresh eyes, and share their hopes for the future. Together, they uncovered hidden stories, celebrated community strengths, and generated a shared vision for a more connected, vibrant, and welcoming Shawnee Evergreen.
Like many growing communities, Shawnee Evergreen had an opportunity to strengthen community connection, build a stronger sense of identity, and create a shared vision for future investments and improvements. While residents valued the area's pathways, parks, natural beauty, and sense of safety, there was no single process for bringing together the collective wisdom, experiences, and aspirations of the people who call the community home.
Traditional engagement approaches often struggle to capture the richness of lived experience. SECA wanted a process that would move beyond surveys and public meetings toward meaningful participation—one that would empower residents to become active contributors to the future of their neighbourhood.
Our Process
J5 designed and facilitated a placemaking process rooted in co-design principles and inspired by Jane Jacobs' belief that the people who use a place every day are the true experts of that place. Throughout the summer, J5 led a series of community Walk & Talks guided by local champions and residents. Rather than discussing the community from a distance, participants experienced it together in real time—walking pathways, visiting gathering spaces, sharing stories, and observing opportunities through a strengths-based lens. The process encouraged people to slow down, connect with one another, and see familiar spaces in new ways.
The initiative was built around three engagement activities:
Walks
Community-led walking tours that encouraged residents to explore Shawnee Evergreen from different perspectives while sharing stories, observations, and ideas about the neighbourhood's future. These walks revealed hidden assets, celebrated local history, and surfaced opportunities that may otherwise have remained invisible.
Talks
Facilitated workshops where participants reflected on what they had learned during the walks, identified common themes, and collaboratively explored opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Pop-Ups
Interactive community touchpoints placed in public spaces that extended participation to residents who were unable to attend the walks or workshops. These engagements allowed additional ideas and feedback to be captured and shared.
Throughout the process, J5 synthesized hundreds of observations, stories, and ideas into a structured placemaking framework. The team documented community priorities, developed concept prototypes, identified opportunities at different scales, and created a library of community-generated ideas to guide future decision-making. The work was grounded in J5's four principles of co-design: building trust, enabling participation, growing champions, and sharing power
Impact
When the Calgary Airport was preparing to open a new terminal for international travel, there was an opportunity to match their new, world class facility with a world class passenger experience. Traveling can be a stressful, and the Calgary Airport Authority wanted to change that, creating a process that made travel easy, from finding a parking spot, to getting through security and customs, to navigating gates.
This bold vision was matched with an equally bold timeline. The building had already been delayed, and it was critical for the terminal to open on time. That meant that the 5000+ employees would need to be able to work with new technologies, new processes, and new systems, all in a new building. J5 supported this large-scale change over 13 months, across 21 major projects in 4 different portfolios, orchestrating Agile delivery at an impressive magnitude.
The solution
Airports are places of connection where tearful goodbyes, joyful reunions, and the anticipation of new adventures converge. Yet, the practical realities of travel can overshadow these meaningful moments. Anxiety over long security lines or confusing wayfinding can take away from the things that make travel memorable. When Calgary Airport opened its international terminal, they invested in the things that mattered most for travellers, excitement, relaxation, and human connection.
This image illustrates the complexity of designing an airport experience that works for everyone. It depicts a diverse range of passengers navigating the airport, including people with mobility challenges, families with young children, older adults, individuals with sensory sensitivities, travelers with luggage, and those requiring language or wayfinding support.
Outcomes
The project generated far more than a collection of ideas. It created a stronger foundation for community-led change.
Strengthened Community Connections
Residents developed new relationships with neighbours, discovered shared interests, and built a deeper sense of belonging within the community. The process demonstrated that placemaking is as much about strengthening social connections as it is about improving physical spaces.
A Community Placemaking Framework
J5 translated community insights into a practical placemaking framework organized around themes such as safety and accessibility, belonging and identity, connection and engagement, and prosperity and opportunity. This framework provides a foundation for future planning and investment decisions.
A Living Library of Ideas
The engagement generated a rich collection of community-led ideas ranging from small tactical improvements, such as seating, signage, and little libraries, to larger strategic opportunities including community gardens, gathering hubs, recreational amenities, and cultural programming. This library continues to serve as a resource for future initiatives.
Empowered Community Champions
One of the most important outcomes was the growth of local leadership. Residents became advocates, facilitators, and champions for the future of Shawnee Evergreen, helping create momentum that extends well beyond the project itself.
“This is not like adding a new concourse or even a few gates, it’s a whole new terminal.”
— Ian Jobe, President of Evergreen Community Association
Impact
The Shawnee Evergreen placemaking initiative demonstrates the power of designing with communities rather than for them. By slowing down, listening deeply, and creating opportunities for residents to share their stories, J5 helped transform community engagement into a meaningful process of discovery, connection, and collective action.
The result was not simply a vision for future spaces, but a stronger, more connected community equipped with the relationships, insights, and confidence needed to continue shaping its future together. At its core, the project reinforced a simple idea: great communities are built when the people who live there are invited to help design what comes next.