Pathways into place-based work

This map shows different ways people contribute to place-based work – individually and collectively. It helps you orient yourself in the work, based on where you are right now. You can start anywhere. Follow what feels familiar, or explore other ways of getting involved. Click a pathway or practice point to explore further.

Don’t know where to start? Visit the landing pages for Collective pathways and Individual pathways to get a sense for the different parts of the map.

Pathways Map - Key

This map shows different ways people contribute to place-based work - individually and collectively - and where those forms of work connect.

Colours

Green - Individual pathways

Red - Collective pathways

Pathways

Each colour contains three pathways.

Pathways represent different ways of contributing, not stages or levels.

Practice points

Each circle represents a practice within a pathway.

Select a highlighted practice point to explore reflections, activities and resources.

You can visit practices in any order and return to them at any time.

Overlaps

The blue highlighted areas show where individual and collective pathways connect.

These highlight shared practices that influence both personal contribution and the wider conditions for place-based work.

Overlaps are shared ground, not additional steps.

How to use the map

There is no start or end.

Begin wherever feels most relevant to you.

Explore one pathway or move between several.

The map is designed for exploration rather than a fixed sequence.

Identifying what matters to you

Notice what draws your attention in your place. Connections often begin at community gatherings, in cultural spaces, through shared projects or within informal networks. Learning happens through being present and taking part.

Reflect on:

where you feel most connected in your community and place

what you would like to strengthen or support locally

the skills, experiences or stories you already bring.

Small step

Name one thing that is drawing you toward place-based work. Write it down and keep it nearby as you explore what comes next.

Go deeper

Ask one person you trust what first drew them into local work. Notice what resonates.

Dadirri, shared by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, introduces the practice of deep listening from the Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages of the Nauiyu (Daly River) region in the Northern Territory. Place-based work often begins with listening deeply to people and place, and noticing what matters.

Community Engagement 101 (Visible Network Labs, 2023) introduces how people and groups connect, relate to one another, and participate in shared life. It helps make visible how community priorities take shape, and where you might connect or contribute.

Making Place Matter (PLACE) is a podcast that shares stories and examples from people doing place-based work across Australia. Listening to how people describe their work can help you understand how place-based work happens and where you might connect or contribute.

Return to 'Starting where I am'

Explore the pathway