CD022 Designing Places - A Policy Statement for Scotland (2001)

8/11/2019 CD022 Designing Places - A Policy Statement for Scotland (2001)

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Summary

Creating successful and sust ainable places willdepend on a shift in attitudes, expectations andpractices about the design of cities, towns,villages and the countrysid e. We need:

D ecision m akers w ho und erstand the role of designin de livering sustainable develop m ent (page 9).

D evelop ers, landow ners, investors and pub lic bo diesw ho recognise the co m m ercial and econom ic valueof go od design (page 1 8).

Effective co llab oration betw een disciplines, professiona ls,local com m unities and others in the plann ing and urbandesign process (page 27).

D evelop m ent plans w ith effective design policies, andurban design fram ew orks, develop m ent briefs and m asterplans to provide plann ing and design guidance (page 34 ).

D evelop ers subm itting design statem ents w ith planningap plication s tha t explain the d esign princ iples o n w hichthe d evelop m ent prop osal is based (page 4 1).

A high level of aw areness and urban d esign skills in localautho rities, inc lud ing planners and coun cillors w ho arecom m itted to raising design stand ards and und erstandthe im pact of their decisions (page 47).

A stron ger design elem ent in built environm entprofession al ed ucation (page 48 ).

B etter design education in con tinuou sprofessional develop m ent program m es (page 49 ).

G reater com m itm ent to higher stand ards o fdesign am ong pub lic bo dies (page 49).

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designing

c ity town

A Policy Statement for Scotland

urban design the co llab orative p rocess of shap ing these tting for life in c ities , tow ns , villag es a nd rural areas

village rura l

Making it work together

places


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Contents

Introduction

Social, economic and environmental goals

Scotlands urban and rural traditions

The qua lities of succ essful places

Design in the landscape

Forgotten places

The fourth dimen sion

The value of good design

The price of poor d esign

Setting a framework for design

Collaboration

Opportunities for ac hieving urban design q ualities

Planning for good design

The d evelopment plan

Planning and design guidance

Using the toolkit

Development control

Design skills

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

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confident,competitivecompassionateScotland

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C row n C op yrig ht 20 01ISBN: 0 7559 0037 5


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Foreword

NPPG1 (Revised 200 0) The Planning System em phasises the im po rtanceof design considerations in reach ingplanning decisions. W e have pub lishedP lanning A dvice N otes o n sub jects suchas the S iting and D esign of H ousing inthe C ountryside, S m all Tow ns and Tow nC entre Im provem ent. B ut w hat w e d idnot have until now w as a generalstatem ent setting out the E xecutivesaspirations for design an d the role o fthe p lan ning system in d elivering these.

This d ocu m en t fills that gap. It w asw ritten b y R ob ert C ow an, an u rbandesigner and autho r. A S teering G roupincluding S cottish Executive officials and

outside interests steered the w ork.R epresented o n the G roup w ere theU rban D esign A lliance (w hich em bracesthe R oyal Tow n P lan ning Institute inS cotland, the R oyal Institution o fC hartered S urveyors in S co tland andthe R oyal Incorporation o f A rchitects in

S cotland), plan ning and architec tureschools, local authority officials,arch itec ts, lan dscape a rch itec ts andtransport planners. The aim of thedocum ent is to dem ystify urban designand to d em onstrate ho w the value o fdesign can contribute to the q ualityof our lives. G ood design is an integralpart of a confiden t, co m petitive an dcom passionate S cotland .

This statem ent sits a longside thepolicy o n arch itecture, w hich w aslaunched in O ctober 2001, and it isa m aterial consideration in decisionsin planning ap plications and ap peals.It w ill also provide the basis for a se ries

of P lanning A dvice N otes d ealing w ithm ore detailed aspects of design.

Together I hope that thesewill provide the foundations fortomorrows conservation areas.

Lewis Macdonald, MSPD ep uty M inister for Transport and P lanning

The P oint Conference Centre, Edinburgh

In N ovem ber 200 0 m y predecessor asP lanning M inister, S am G albraith, askedthe question W here are the co nservationareas o f tom orrow ?There are no sing leor sim ple so lutions to raising the stan dardof develop m ent in u rban and ruralS cotland but w e have to m ake a start.


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firstThe first policy statement on designing places in Scotland


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This, the first policy st atementon designing places in Scotland,marks the Scottish Executivesdetermination to raise standardsof urban and rural development.

Introduction

Designing Places sets o ut the policy co ntext for im portan t areas o fplan ning p olicy, design g uidan ce , professional practice , an d ed uca tionan d training. It is aim ed at everyone w ho plays a part in shap ing the b uilten vironm en t, w hether as p oliticians, developers, planners, designers,opinion-form ers or anyone else w hose attitud es have a direct or ind irectinfluence on w hat gets b uilt. The statem ents them es w ill be developedin further docum ents w ith m ore detailed operational guidance.

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1: Science Centre, Glasgow2: Sc ottish Pa rliament Development Site, Edinburgh


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G ood d esign has alw ays been valuedby tho se w ho ap preciate architecture.Today its va lue is recognised also asa practical m eans of achieving a w iderange o f social, econo m ic and

environm ental goals, m aking placesthat w ill be successful an d sustainable.

A t one end of the scale, sensitive sitingand design o f single houses in thecoun tryside can help sup port andrevitalise rural com m unities w ithoutunderm ining the areas d istinctivequalities. A t the other end, S cotlandscities ch allenge us to find form s ofsustainab le d evelopm en t that w illrenew urban life.

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Social, economic and environmental goals


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Every day cou ntless d ecision s are m ad etha t have the poten tial to m ake a pieceof a city, tow n or village a little m orelively, w elcom ing and pleasant, or a littlem ore hostile, un pleasant or un safe; or

to enhance o r erod e the character ofsom e corner of rural S cotland. Theseare design decisions, even tho ug h theym ay w ell no t be taken b y design ers.

The real trail of resp onsibility m ay leadback to people w ho w rite p olicy, setstandards, draft briefs, selectco nsultan ts, issue design guidanceand d ecide w hether to g ive a prop osalplanning perm ission. A lternatively thetrail m ay beg in w ith a d eveloper or clien tw ho places little value on g ood design.

The design of places p lays a large p artin determ ining w hat im pact w e have onthe land and other scarce reso urces.D ecisions ab ou t design determ ine ho wm uch energy w e w ill use, ho w efficient

transport system s w ill be, and w hatpeo ple and econom ic activities w illflourish in a particular place.

In recent years w e have learned a greatdeal, often through p ainful experience,ab ou t design p rinciples and ho w toap ply them . O pportunities for design tom ake successful places are taken, orm issed , every d ay.

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opportunitiesfor design to make successful places are taken, or missed, every day

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1: Ga elic College, Skye, Highland2: Festival Square, Edinburgh

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S cotlands enorm ously rich traditionof urban design go es b ack to them ed ieval period, for exam ple atS t A nd rew s. M any of S co tlandssm aller tow ns and villages w ere b uilt

as new tow ns or extend ed in p lannedsettlem ents. Land ow ners createdm any planned rural settlem ents in adrive for im provem ent. The N ew Tow nof Edinb urgh is p robab ly E uropes b estexam ple o f neoclassical tow n planning .S cotlands tenem ent tradition is p rovingunexpected ly robust and todaysdesign ers are find ing new w ays o finterpreting it. The best of thesepatterns of developm ent are seentoday as m odels of successfuldesign for the 2 1st cen tury.

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Scotlands urban and rural traditions

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In the developm ent of 20th centurytow n and reg ional planning , no on ew as m ore influen tial than P atrickG eddes. S cotland pion eered regionalplanning w ith the 1946 C lyde Valley

plan , setting out a new strategy fortackling the appalling legacy o f Victorianslum s. The p rogram m e of new tow nsw as one resu lt.

S co tlands co nfidence in m akingits urban future has b een shaken,as elsew here, by instances w heresom e of the h op es of 20 th centuryplanning and arch itecture turned outto have been m isplaced . W e havelearned by bitter exp erien ce thefinancial and hu m an co st of buildingag ainst the g rain of the n aturallandscape and the patterns o fhum an life.

A fter three difficult decades, w e arebecom ing m ore co nfident that w eund erstand w hat m akes successfulplaces. The co nservation of historicbuildings w as the starting point. It is

no w accep ted that the b est of w hathas been hand ed d ow n to us shouldbe protected . The rise of theconservation m ovem ent has involved ared iscovery of w hat m akes p laces w ork.

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1: St Andrew Sq uare, Edinburgh2: Marchmont, Edinburgh3: Sundrum, South Ayrshire

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The m ost successful places, the o nes that flourish socially an deco nom ically, ten d to have certain q ualities in co m m on. First, theyhave a distinct iden tity. S econd, their sp aces are safe and pleasant.Third, they are easy to m ove around, especially on foot. Fourth, visitorsfeel a sense of w elcom e.

P laces that have been successful for a long tim e, or that are likelyto co ntinue to be successful, m ay w ell have another quality, w hichm ay not be im m ed iately ap parent they ad ap t easily to chang ingcircu m stan ces. Finally, places that are su ccessful in the long term ,and w hich contribute to the w ider quality of life, w ill prove to m akegood use o f scarce reso urces. They are sustainable.

S ustainab ility the m easure of the likely im pact of developm ent onthe social, econo m ic and environm ental co nditions of peo ple in thefuture and in o ther places m ust run as a com m on thread throu ghall our thinking about design. Thinking ab out sustainab ility focu sesin particular on prom oting greener lifestyles, energy efficiency, m ixed

uses, biodiversity, transp ort and w ater qu ality.

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The qualities of successful places

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1 & 2: Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh

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sustainabilityThe measure of the likely impact of development on the social, economic and environmental conditions of people in the future and in other places


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Those six q ualities identity, safe andpleasant spaces, ease of m ovem ent,a sense of w elco m e, ad ap tab ility andgood use o f reso urces are at theheart of good d esign for urban and

rural developm ent.

There is one o ther qua lity tha t m anysuccessful places have. B eau ty, likethe other six, should also be o ne ofthe objectives of urban design. It isless easy to plan for directly, but w e

m ay not need to. In a place that hasthe six q ualities, beauty m ay w ell bethe natural product of the p atternsof hum an life and the skills oftalen ted designers.

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Throug ho ut Scotland there are beautifulcities, tow ns and villag es that w erecrea ted w ith the help of civic lead ersw ith vision, landow ners w ith a stakein the long term future, and deve lopers,

arch itec ts and designers of talent andgenius. Today their legacy is b eingeroded and too little of value isbeing put in their place.

C ircum stances are m ore d ifficult than ever.G lobalisation stam ps its undifferentiatedim ag e on the w orld. Trad itiona l tow nbased industries have largelydisappeared as techn ology increasing ly

frees us from ties of place. The individualfreedom s of the private car have notbeen w on w itho ut a cost to the qualityof the places w here w e live.

W hat w e b uild can be im po rtant to oursense of identity at all scales, from localto reg ional and na tional. In the w ords o fthe S co ttish Executives fram ew orkdocum ent on The Developm ent of a

Policy on Architecture for Scotland:The architecture and buildings of ourtow ns, cities an d rural settlem en ts area rep ository of our com m on cu lture andheritage, they provide continuity and aunique sen se of history and trad itionThe challenge for our arch itecture todayis to fuse w hat is still vital in localtradition w ith the best in our increasinglyglobal civilisation, to m arry them in neww ays that m eet our m od ern need s andasp irations.

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1: City Centre, Dundee2: Inverara y, Argyll and Bute3: Irvine, North Ayrshire4: Sc ottish Executive Architectural Policy Documents

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M uch successful developm ent is rooted in the landscape: in theshape of the land, its m aterials, its ch aracter, its appearance an dits ecologies. All these are the resu lt of natural and culturalprocesses. Trad itionally the lan dscape and the m aterials that canbe w on from it have shap ed the p atterns of building , helping to

m ake places locally or regionally distinctive.

Design in the landscape

1: Isle of Ba rra, Weste rn Isles2: Ben Nevis, Highland3: Peebles, Scottish Borders4: Tow nsc ap e, Edinburgh

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D evelop m ent designed to m ake them ost of its setting in the landscap e islikely to avoid todays com m on failingof looking and fee ling as though itcould b e anyw here. U nd erstanding

the landscap e is the basis for know ingsuch essentials as w hat plan t speciesw ill flourish, ho w drainag e system s canw ork successfully and ho w building scan best be sited . P laces that aredistinc tive and designed w ith a realunderstanding of the natural w orldare likely to be enjoyed, cared forand valued .

S co tlands w ell loved places showho w the landscape can inspire in verydifferent w ays in different settings: fromcities w ho se g randeur is enhanced bydram atic n atural settings to the sm allest

village nestling in a hillside.

Land scap e design can create placesin harm ony w ith n atural processes ofchange. Land scape architects areparticularly conscious that design isa m atter of directing a p rocess o fcon tinuous chang e and that successdepend s on carefully m anag ing w hathas b een created .

In the countryside, inappropriatedevelop m ents, how ever sm all, can havelarge im pacts. S en sitive location anddesign is need ed to avoid u rban spraw l,ribbon developm ent, new building s on

obtrusive sites, incongruous m aterialsand house styles m ore characteristicof suburban than rural areas. To protectthe coun tryside w e need to findopportunities for infill developm ent, forconverting and rehabilitating existingbuildings, and for planning buildings ingroups rather than on their ow n.

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Th e p hysical form of a d evelop m ent canenhance or detract from the qua lities ofa p lace , and sup port or underm ine theinten ded uses. In every part of a city,tow n or villag e w here there is scope for

change and that is alm ost everyw herethere w ill be a w ealth of opportunitiesfor achieving g ood design.

Too o ften, though, the opportunitiesare w asted . S om etim es the necessaryfram ew ork of planning and design p olicyand gu idance is m issing . S om etim es thedesign er m ay not be up to the job .Too m any b uildings and spaces aredesigned b y som eon e w ith no d esigntraining.

O ften opportun ities are w asted becauseno one had any exp ectation that herew as a place w here any q ualities m igh tbe achieved . It w as w ritten off as justa m ass m arket housing develop m ent,

an industrial estate, a leisure park,a corner of suburbia, a superm arketsdelivery yard, a g yratory road roundthe sho pping centre, or the scrub bybit of land w here the tow n peters out.S ignificant parts of our cities, tow nsand villages consist of just those so rtsof forgotten places.

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Forgotten places

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1: Dalry, Edinburgh2: Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire

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frameworkSometimes the necessary framework of planning and design policy and guidance is missing


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U rban design is o ften said to be am atter of w orking in three dim ensions,com pared to the tw o dim ensions oflan d use or policy plan ning. In facturban design should be fou r

dim ensional, the fourth dim ensionbeing tim e. M aster plans generally showan end state, even w hen co ntinuouschange is m uch m ore likely.

W e need to d esign and p lan in theexpectation that social, econom ic andtech nological conditions w ill change.A developm ent brief, for exam ple,should be a basis for dialoguebetw een planners and develop ersrather than a prescriptive substitutefor it. A rrangem ents for long termm anagem ent and m aintenance isas im portan t as the actual design.

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The fourth dimension

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2: Falkland , Fife3: Willowbra e, Edinburgh4: Central Edinburgh

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There should be scope for review ingdevelop m ents to assess ho w w ell theplanning process w orked. C ouncillorsshould visit rep resen tative exam ples sothat they understand the consequences

of the councils policies and their ow ndecisions. P lanning and d esignguidance should itself be review edperiodically to ensure that it rem ainseffective.

M uch of w hat m akes or m ars cities,tow ns, villag es and the co untrysidedoes not just consist of bu ildings,but is the conseq uence of theco ntinuous ap plication of, for exam ple,

highw ay standards (specifying thedetails of road design, signage, safetym easures and traffic calm ing) andplanning standards (specifying suchm atters as p arking and the distancebetw een b uildings). U sually these areim posed for reasons far rem oved fromany considerations of design. O ften ,w ithout anyone no ticing, places areshap ed by the innum erab le d ecision stha t together can create theoverw helm ing im pression that noone cares.

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managementArrangements for management, aftercare and maintenance may be as important as the actual design


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A w ell tho ug ht out design process,for exam ple, w ith urban designfram ew orks and d evelop m ent briefs, canprovide a clear basis for co m m unicationand neg otiation. D evelopers benefit

from a g oo d degree of certainty ab ou tw hat is expected , avoiding delay andsaving ab ortive w ork an d unnecessaryexpense. The d esign process canreso lve conflicts that m ight otherw iseem erge, m essily and expensively, ata later stage.

G oo d design adds value to theinvestm ent that any develop m entschem e rep resen ts.

G oo d design creates p laces that w ork.

P eo ple w ill use and value such places,supporting reg eneration and bringinglong term econo m ic benefits. W elldesigned places attract custom ersand their w orkp laces keep their staff.

G oo d design can reduce the longterm co sts of energy, m aintenance,m anagem ent and security.

W ell designed p laces estab lish and

m aintain a distinct identity, to theben efit of users and investors.

W ell designed places a re easy to getto and m ove around . The thoughtput into co nn ecting them into theirsurroun ding s pays o ff.

G ood design is a key to achievingsoc ial, eco nom ic and environm entalgoals o f public p olicy, as laid dow nby central and local governm ent.It can bridge the gap betw een

asp irations and reality.

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The value of good design

G oo d design is a m ean s of ach ievingaim s and adding value:

1 & 2: George Street, Edinburgh3: Hunter Square, Edinburgh

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poorly designedOften development is poorly designed because those who commissioned or built it failed to see how design could serve their own best interests


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Ineptly design ed developm ent continuesto be b uilt. S om etim es the reason isthat the costs of a p oorly designeddevelopm ent falls o n people otherthan those w ho co m m issioned ,

designed or built it.

The price of poor design is paid bypeople w ho find their fam iliar routesblocked, w ho w alk in the shadow s ofblank w alls, w hose choices are lim itedby spaces that m ake them feel unsafeand unw elcom e, and w hose enjoym entof the co untryside is spoiled . The priceis paid by people w ho find them selvesliving in new ly b uilt suburban housingw hose designers gave no thought tothe quality and distinctiveness of the

place they w ere m aking. It is p aidby peo ple w hose surround ings aredeg raded by the con sequences ofunsustainable building prac tices,and by those w ho w ill end up paying

a buildings long term energy,m aintenance and m anagem entco sts. It is p aid by those w ho livein a place w hose d ecline has beenm ad e m ore p ainful by its building sand spaces proving hard to ad apt.

O ften , tho ug h, developm ent ispo orly designed because those w hoco m m issioned or built it failed to seeho w design could serve their ow n b estinterests.

The price of poor design

1: Whitfield, Dundee2: Sighthill, Edinburgh3: Scottish Borders

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A fram ew ork for design can w ork at any scale from a sm all building , atone end of the scale, to preparing an urban design fram ew ork or m asterplan for an en tire area , at the o ther. There are a num ber of distinctstages: 1. appraise the local co ntext; 2. review w hatever policy, guidanceand reg ulations apply; 3. co nceive a vision for the p lace; 4. find out w hat

is likely to be feasible; 5. draw up a set of planning and design principles;and 6. agree on the develop m ent process.

Tho se six stages m ight be anything from the paragraph heading s for asim ple d esign statem ent to the chap ter head ings of a m ajor planningand design guidance docum ent. H ow fully the relevant questions w ill beansw ered w ill dep end on the scale and sensitivity o f the site or area.

Setting a framework for design

visionA framework for design can work at any scale1: Homes for the Future 1, G lasgow2: Homes for the Future 2, G lasgow 3: Ba ck Wynd, Aberdeen

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1. Context appraisalWhat do we understand about theplace and its setting?

C ontext ap praisalis at the heart of

designing p laces. A successful balancebetw een the inevitably conflictinginterests of various uses and users canbe achieved only throug h und erstandingthe p lace and its peo ple. Lo cal co ntextcan be ap praised in term s o f the sixdesign qualities identity, safe andpleasant spaces, ease o f m ovem ent,a sense of w elcom e, ad ap tab ility andgo od use of resources.

2. Policy reviewWhat policies, guidance andregulations apply to this areaor site?

The policy question canno t be igno red ,if on ly because a d evelop m ent prop osalcontrary to policy is likely to be refusedplanning perm ission. Exploring howpolicy can be interpreted in relation toa specific site o r area should be aco llab oration betw een ap plicants,planners and others, each o f w homhave an interest in understanding eachother, reaching agreem ent, and avo idingunnecessarily entrenched attitudesand delay.

3. Vision statementWhat sort of place do we want t his tobecome?

The vision q uestion is too often ignored ,

som etim es because the designers arethinking ab out buildings rather thanplaces, som etim es because no onehas thought that there is any alternativethan to respond blind ly to the pressureof events.

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Design framework


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4. Feasibility appraisalWhat use or uses are realistic andachievable in view of legal, economicand market conditions?

This question d oes no t im ply that them arket w ill support only m ore o f thesam e sort of develop m ent as has beenbuilt in the past. G ood design shouldhave a positive effect on w hat ispossible to achieve.

5. Planning and design principlesOn what planning and designprinciples should development bebased?

P lanning and design principles are am eans o f thinking ab out and discussingthe basic ideas on w hich a d esign is orw ill be based, w ithout getting involvedunnecessarily in the d etail of the design.

6. The development processWhat p rocesses should b e followedin developing the place?

The issues covered and the level

of detail w ill depend on the p articularkind of planning tool: for exam ple,w hether it is an initial developm entbrief or a m aster plan. The processesof public p articipation and stakeholderco llab oration m ust be carefully p lanned .O ther possible issues include sitedisposal,develop m ent phasing andm anagem ent.

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1: Buchanan S treet , Glasgow

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The planning p rocess w ill supportgood design only if the issues arem ade com prehensible to a range ofpeople w ith little or no design training.That includ es m any of the councillors

and co uncil officers w ho operate theplanning system locally, the peoplethey deal w ith, such as developersand their agents, peop le w ho m aketheir living d raw ing p lans, com m unityorgan isations, interest groups andm any m ore.

P lanners and urban designers havedeveloped a sp ecialised language fordiscussing their subject. They talk aboutnodes, perm eability, im ageability, naturalsurveillance and hierarch ies of spaces.Th is language exclud es m any of thepeople w ho sho uld be invo lved in theprocess o f planning for design.

Local authorities, partnerships anddevelopers too o ften provide anopportunity for the public to b ecom einvolved at too late a stag e, in a w aythat m akes little sense in relation to the

tim ing and substance of thedevelopm ent process. The result is likelyto b e unnecessary frustration and delayfor everyone.

The process of preparing planningand d esign guidance can p rovidean effective m eans o f involving peopleearlier and in a m eaningful w ay.A program m e of public participationand collab oration need s to be carefullyplanned , ensuring that the tim ing isright and that the necessary skillsand resources are m ad e availab le.

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Collaboration

supportThe planning process will support good design

1: The Ha ys, Craigmillar, Edinburgh

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There is a potential for prom oting good design every tim e anyone does anythingthat w ill, in som e w ay, shap e the physical form of developm ent: setting a budget,

laying dow n standards, w riting a policy or a brief, draw ing up a plan , instructinga designer or builder, or designing a building or a space. A ppropriate physical formgoes hand-in-hand w ith an ap propriate use. In every local co ntext the potentialfor good design w ill be d ifferent.

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Opportunities for achieving design quality

1: Co alhill, Leith, Edinburgh2: Spec trum Building, Glasg ow

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Opportunities for creatinga sense of identityD istinctive landscapes, natural features,buildings, streets, street patterns,spaces, skylines, building form s,practices and m aterials that should

insp ire patterns of new building.

Opportunities for creatingsafe and pleasant spacesP laces w here a street w ould be livelierand feel safer if a b uilding had w ind ow s,doors or active uses on to the street,rather than p resenting a b lank faad e;

places w here foo tpaths and openspaces w ould feel safer if buildingsoverlooked them ; places w ith potentialfor living over shops to provide inhabitedroom s overlooking streets and toencourag e evening activity; placesw here the d istinction betw een pub licor private sp ace can be m ade c learer;places w here a gap in an o therw iseco ntinuous line of building frontag esalong a street detracts from the streetsquality, and could be either filled or

m ad e into a usable, attractive sp acefor pedestrians; and opportunitiesto create a sense o f enclosure b yenclosing streets, squares, parks andother spaces by buildings and or treesof a scale that feels right.

Opportunities for creatingeasier movementO pportunities to ensure that the densityof develop m ent is highest w here accessto public transp ort is b est; opportunitiesto site bus stops m ore conveniently

and to m ake them safer and better lit;opportunities to m ake railw ay stationsaccessible b y foot from all directions;roads or footpaths that need to bebetter connected into w ell used routes,so that the presence of m ore p eoplem akes them feel safer; pub lic sp acesthat need to be b etter linked into a routethat is w ell used by people on foot;opportunities to encourag e cycling; andplaces that ped estrians go to and fromw hich need to be connected b y m ore

direct routes.

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Opportunities for creatinga sense of welcomeP laces w here new land m arks couldcreate or im prove view s and helppeo ple find their w ay around ; placesw here view s need to be opened up;

opportunities to m ark places that actas gatew ays to particular areas;places w here better lighting is neededto im prove safety, help people find theirw ay around, highlight landm arks,show off attractive buildings or disguiseeyesores; opportunities for creatingdistinctive w orks or art and craft; andplaces w here better signs are needed .

Opportunities for makinga place adaptableO pportunities to ensure that newdevelop m ent or other im provem entssupport a m ix of com patible uses andtenures, helping to m ake the place one

w here p eople live, w ork and play, ratherthan having a single use and being deadafter hours; and opportun ities to m akebuildings and areas ad ap tab le to avariety of future uses, by ensuring thatthey are not tightly designed to aparticular use.

Opportunities for makinggood use of resourcesO pportunities for new and existingbuildings to m inim ise their use of energythroug h the w ay they face the sun , howthey are sheltered from the w ind by the

slope of the land, trees and otherbuildings, and how they are constructed ;buildings, sites or areas that areunderused; building m aterials that areavailab le from local and or sustainab lesources; natural features that areim portant to conserve and em phasise;places w here a park or green spaceneeds to be created or im proved; andopportun ities to im prove hab itats andsupport w ildlife, attracting and protectingliving things.

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1: Irvine, North Ayrshire2: Princes Street Ga rdens, Edinburgh3: City Centre, Dundee4: Falkland , Fife5: Grass market, Edinburgh6: Ecohouse, Ullapool, Highland

1 2 3 4 5 6


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S om etim es o pportun ities for achievinggo od design are m issed w ith d ram aticresults. D ull, big-box buildings turntheir backs on their surrounding s.Lifeless streets and spaces cast each

passer-by in the role o f intruder. O ver-engineered roads proclaim the caras king. R ural and urban sites alikeare transform ed into shapeless andunsustainable sub urbia and landis needlessly w asted .

In other cases the m issed opportun ityis just one barely noticeab le episode inthe gradual erosion of the qualities thatonce m ad e a p lace good to live in,w ork or visit.

M aking the m ost of the opportunities isno t a sim ple m atter of checking them offa list, altho ug h that can be a good w ayto start and a P lacecheck is a usefulw ay of asking the first questions.

There are a lw ays conflicting interestsand lim ited resources. Liveliness andtranquillity, for exam ple, can both bevalued qualities, but a choice m ay needto b e m ade ab out w hich to aim for in a

specific p lace. Teenag ers and elderlypeople are likely to have different view son the m atter. S uccessful design is am atter of balancing interests andopportunities in the w ay that is right forthe p articular place.

W hat is a goo d solution for one personm ay b e less good for another. That isw hy the process of setting the contextfor design should be shap ed by pub licpriorities, and be open and dem ocratic.

A t its best, the p lanning system canhelp to m ake this p ossible.

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Planning for good design

placecheck

1: Loudoun Hall, South Ayrshire

1

Placecheck is a m etho d, developed by the U rban D esign A lliance, of assessing the qualities o f a p lace, sho w ing w hatim provem ents are need ed , and focusing peop le on w orking tog ether to ach ieve them . Locally based collaborations use achecklist w hich avoids abstractions that are d ifficu lt to assess and jargon that excludes no n-specialists. The P lacecheck canbecom e an agenda for local action , or the first step in p rep aring design guidance such as urban design fram ew orks anddevelop m ent briefs. If necessary, a P lacecheck can start sm all: w ith half a dozen people a round a table o r a sm all grou pm eeting on a street corner. A P lacecheck can cover a street or part of one, a neighb ou rho od, a tow n centre, district or acity. The setting m ight be urban, suburban or a villag e. The initiative can co m e from anyone, in any organisationor sector. A guide to carry out Placechecks is availab le on www.placecheck.com


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A develop m ent plan sets out thepolicies and proposals against w hichplanning ap plications w ill be assessed.The plan sho uld b e a pow erful m eansfor prom oting develop m ent that

achieves the local councils agreedobjectives and of preventingdevelopm ent likely to frustratethose objectives.

S om e aspects of a plan m ay becontroversial. They w ill have im plicationsfor ho w people live, how the localeconom y perform s, how theenvironm ent changes, and howm uch land and prop erty are w orth.

In particu lar a p lan m ust set out thecouncils p olicies on design and thephysical form of developm ent. The planw ill not go into great detail, but it shouldexplain how its p riorities are distinctly

differen t from those of other places.S aying that the council is co m m ittedto g oo d design , or that develop m entshould respect its context, is notenough. M any local autho ritieshave said just that for years,w ithout significant resu lts.

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The development plan

Development plans should contain a positive andsustainable vision of an areas

based on a thorough understanding of how the area functions, thechallenges it is expected to face and community requirementsfuturepriorities


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The plan m ust set out the co uncilsdistinctive vision for how its areaw ill develop. It should sum m ariseits appraisals o f the m ost im portantfeatures o f the areas character and

identity.

The plan sho uld also set out keydesign policies relating to issuesthat are particularly im portant locally,and to specific areas and sites w herechange is expected . It should explainhow the planning process should dealw ith d esign, such as by specifyingw here urban design fram ew orks areneeded and in w hat circum stances adevelop m ent brief should be prepared .

The plan should sp ecify w hat degreeof detail w ill be exp ected in planningand design gu idance; in w hat degreeof detail proposals should be p resentedat different stages in the planning

ap plication process; and in w hatcircum stances planning ap plicationdesign statem ents w ill be needed ,for exam ple, in relation to particulartypes of develop m ent of m ore thana sp ecified size. It should also sp ecifyw hich areas or sites need g uidancew ith the status of supplem entaryplanning g uidance and howguidance should be p repared .

A n effective plan w ill set out conciselythe local authoritys priorities in relationto design, leaving the d etail to beprovided in guidance do cum ents.

development

The aim is to provide a land use framework within which

can take place with confidence

investment&


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A n im portant function o f the p lan is to provide the basis for m ore d etailedguidance on ho w its policies shou ld be im plem ented in specific areas andsites. U nless the p lan is supported by w ell conceived supp lementary planning guidance (S P G ) , it is likely to have little effect on w hat is actually b uilt.

S P G is additional ad vice provided by the local authority on a p articular topic,explaining p olicies in a developm ent plan. S P G includ es urban designfram ew orks, developm ent briefs, m aster plans and design guides. It m ust beco nsistent w ith the p lan , prepared in co nsultation w ith the p ublic and form allyapproved by the council. S P G status g ives guidance considerab le w eight asa m aterial consideration in the planning process.

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Planning and design guidance


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S uch guidance can b e prepared by localauthorities, landow ners, developers,regeneration partnerships, developm entagencies, and business and com m unityorganisations, individually or jointly.

Its clarity should benefit all of them .The b est guidance w ill involve allrelevant parties, w hoever is form allyresp onsible for it.

The choice of the appropriate typeof guidance w ill dep end on its purpose;on the stage o f the planning anddevelopm ent process in relation tothat particular site or area; and onthe resources and skills available forpreparing it. Those criteria w ill helpdeterm ine w ho w ill prepare theguidance; w ho else needs to beinvolved; by w hat processes it w illbe prep ared ; and w hat form al statusit w ill have.

The best of S cotlands tradition ofm aking successful places w as theresult of a variety of designers o rbuilders w orking w ith a degree offreedom w ithin a fram ew ork o f rules.

These rules governed such m atters asthe layout of an area, the size of plots,the height of buildings, buildingm aterials and the line of buildingfron tages. S om etim es the controls w ereset out by a landow ner w anting toensure that the value o f the estate w asnot com prom ised by m essy, thoughtlessor substandard develop m ent. In othercases they w ere em bo died in m unicipalbuilding regulations m otivated byreq uirem ents of public health, by

architectural vision and by civic p ride.

Tho se trad itional controls m ay no longeroperate, having been rep laced by theplanning system . Their leg acy, ho w ever,convinces us that shap ing the settingfor life in cities, tow ns and villages in

the m od ern age depends on us devisingfram ew orks of our ow n. A range ofpossibilities exists. W e m ust tailor themto w hatever is appropriate in thecircum stances and at the p articularstage in the design, planning anddevelop m ent process.

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A m ong the m ost effective tools forplanning and urban design guidanceare u rban design fram ew orks (for areasof change), developm ent briefs (forsignificant sites), m aster plans (for sites

w here a d eg ree of certainty is possible),design guides (for sensitive areas o r onspecific topics) and design codes(w here a d egree of prescription isap propriate). A s p eople use a variety ofdifferen t and inconsisten t term s for suchdocum ents, it is w ise alw ays to explainw hat is intended in a particu lar case.

D ifferent types of guidance are oftenclosely linked . A n urban designfram ew ork for an area m ay be

elab orated by developm ent briefs orm aster plans for several sp ecific sites.A developm ent brief m ay be expand edinto a m aster plan by an organisation,such as a developer or partnership,

that ow ns the site or co ntrols thedevelop m ent process. A design cod eis likely to be part of, or associated w ith,a d evelopm ent brief or a m aster planw hich sets out the design principles

that the code elab orates.

Urban design frameworksD etailed thinking ab out urban designbeg ins w ith areas w here there is aparticular need to control, guide andprom ote change. D ocum ents calledurban design fram ew orks show howplanning and design policies shouldbe im plem ented , and w hat principlesshould b e follow ed by developersand their designers.

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Using the toolkit


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Development briefsG uidance on how planning anddesign p olicies should be im plem entedon a sp ecific site of significant size orsensitivity is set out in a developm ent

brief (com bining w hat used to bedescribed as d esign b riefs and planningbriefs). D evelopm ent briefs should bew idely used, w ith as m uch or little detailas is appropriate in view of the natureof the site and the likely uses. Everydevelopm ent brief w ill set out the m ainplanning and design principles on w hichdevelopm ent of the site w ill be based .In som e cases it w ill be appropriate togo into m ore detail.

Master plansA m aster plan is a d ocum ent thatusually com es later in the developm entprocess than either an urban designfram ew ork or developm ent brief.

A m aster plan exp lains how a siteor a series o f sites w ill be developed ,describing and illustrating the proposedurban form in three dim ensions.It should exp lain how that form w illachieve the intended vision for theplace, describing how the proposalw ill be im plem ented , and setting outthe costs, phasing and tim ing ofdevelopm ent. A m aster plan w ill usuallybe prep ared by or on behalf of anorganisation that ow ns the site or

controls the d evelop m ent process.

Design guidesA design guide provides guidance onhow develop m ent can be carried outin accordance w ith the d evelop m entplan, or som etim es w ith the planning

and design p olicies of som e otherorganisation.A local au thority d esignguide w ill often relate to a sp ecific topicsuch as conservation areas, shopfrontsor house extensions.

master planM aster plan is the m ost com m only usedterm for design and planning gu idance .

M aster plans can g ive coherence and astrong sense of place to an unprom isingbrow nfield site

1: Granton, Edinburgh2: Granton Mas ter Plan, Edinburgh

1

2


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N P P G 1 (R evised 20 00) m akes it clear that design is a material consideration in determ ining planning ap plications. A co uncil m ayrefuse an application, and defend the refusal at ap peal, solely ondesign ground s.

P lanning authorities should provide guidance on the circum stances inw hich design statement s m ust be subm itted w ith planning ap plications.These w ill exp lain the design principles on w hich the developm entprop osal is based , and how the prop osal m eets the requirem ents ofplanning policy and guidance.

A landow ner or developer intending to apply for planning perm issionm ay also subm it a d esign statem ent to the council at an earlier stage inthe planning process. This gives the council a chance to respond to thedesign principles, and either endorse them (giving the developer theassurance that those principles w ill no t be rejected w hen the planningapplication is finally subm itted) or reject them (saving the d eveloper thetim e and cost of ab ortive d esign w ork).

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Development control

designDesign is a material consideration indetermining planning applications villa ge c ity

1 & 2: Graham Sq uare, Glasgow

1

2


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In the developm ent control processa local authority decides, on aconsistent basis, w hether and w ith w hatcond itions, a p roposal for developm entshould be granted planning perm ission.

D evelopm ent control is a key to acouncils ability to guide and controlthe quality of w hat gets b uilt.

Too often p lanning is reactive andnegative, m erely telling prospectivedevelopers w hat they cannot do. It isaccused of im posing unnecessary costsand delays on ap plicants. A t its b est it

is positive, taking the initiative in helpingdevelop ers to draw up prop osals thatw ill m eet the req uirem ents o f policy,resp ond to the local context and proveto be econo m ically feasible. D evelopersunderstand that they m ust w ork w ithinthe co nstraints of public p olicy. W hatthey w an t is help in finding their w aythrough the planning process. Theyare looking for as m uch certainty aspossible about w hat w ill be asked ofthem , as early as possible in the p rocess.

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The best w ay of creating thesecond itions is throug h a d evelop m entplan w ith w ell co nceived design policies,throug h supplem entary planningguidance and throug h a developm ent

control service run by people com m ittedto go od design.

P lanning authorities have a key roleto play in estab lishing standards andraising aspirations. They m ust haveaccess to the necessary skills of theurban designer, arch itect, landscap earchitect, conservation officer andengineer, all of w ho m can have a rolein shap ing developm ent for the better.

External reviewS tandards of design can be raisedby p roviding opportunities fordevelop m ent prop osals and designgu idance to b e discussed or assessed

by peop le beyond the im m ediateplanning process. These m ay includ em em bers of the pub lic, local am enity oraction g roups, national am enity group sand national review bodies. In particu larlocal au thorities should seek ad vice fromthe R oyal Fine A rts C om m ission forS cotland.

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standardsPlanning authorities have a key role to play in establishing standards and raising aspirationsrural c ity

villa ge

1 & 2: Crichton, Dumfries and Ga llowa y

1

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Local design awardsLocal design aw ards for buildingsand places can help to raiseaw areness and expectations.

Design competitionsA design com petition can som etim esbe a go od w ay of find ing the designeror the d esign for an im portant site.C om petitions w ork w ell only if they

are carefully conceived and m anaged .A com petition is only as good as thebrief that co m petitors are g iven andcom petitors m ust know the exactterm s on w hich they are co m peting .

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awards

city

Local design awards for buildings and places can help to raise awareness

1: P lanning Design Awards 2000, Argyll and B ute2: Sc ottish Awa rds for Quality and Planning3: P oetry Library, Edinburgh4: Ramsay Gardens, Edinburgh

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2

3

4


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skillsMore intensive effort needs to be made to raisestandards of urban design skills


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H igher standards of design depend on the attitud es, know led ge and skills ofeveryone invo lved in the developm ent process. The necessary know led ge and skillsinclude those associated w ith the b uilt environm ent professions such as planning ,architecture, landscap e d esign, surveying and engineering . They a lso extend toproject m anagem ent, com m unity develop m ent, develop m ent finance, transport

planning and m uch m ore.

P rep aring an urban design fram ew ork, a d evelopm ent brief or a m aster plan, is likelyto req uire creative co llab oration from a w ide range of people. These w ill includetho se w ho interpret policy; assess the local econom y and property m arket; appraisea site or area in term s of land use, ecology, landscap e, ground conditions, socialfactors, history, archaeo logy, urban form and transport; m anag e and facilitate aparticipative process; draft and illustrate design principles; and program m e thedevelop m ent process. Those w ho take the lead in this w ork should b e those w hoare skilled in prom oting co llab oration am ong professionals and everyone w ho has ahand in shaping our cities, tow ns and villag es.

M ore intensive effort needs to be m ad e to raise standards of urban design skills.

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Design skills

tow nc ity village

1: Royal S cottish Museum, Edinburgh

1


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Professional trainingThere is scope for the q uality ofgeneralist and sp ecialist professionaltraining to be im proved . P lanners,arch itects, landscape arch itects,engineers and surveyors should be

encouraged to study urban d esign atpostgraduate level. S om e w ill becom eprofessional urban designers. O thers w illgain a new perspective on how topractise their ow n specialism s.

Future generations o f built environm entprofessionals w ill need different w ays ofw orking to those o f the past. They m usthave a deep und erstand ing of howtow ns and cities w ork and how urbandesign can cope w ith com plexity.

W orking collab oratively m ust becom esecond nature to them . S om e of themw ill com e from other background s andillum inate the subject w ith their ow ndistinctive outlook and experience.

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It is essential that urban design isincluded in the education and trainingcurriculum for all the b uilt environm entprofessions. C ontinuous p rofessionaldevelop m ent should introd uce a w iderange of professionals to the essentials

of urban design and should p rovideothers w ith a high level of skills.Aw areness raising and skills trainingshould not be confused a one daycourse cannot m ake a planner, anengineer or an arch itect into an urbandesigner.

Im proving skills and raising aw arenessof the value of good design is asim portan t in the private sector asit is in the public sector.

Local authoritiesLo cal autho rity officers need to becom em ore skilled and m ore aw are of howdesign can help fulfil their corporateaim s. A num ber of councils alreadysupport their staff in taking design

co urses. Every planning authorityneed s, ideally, to have an urban designteam w ith a range of skills, includinglandscap e architecture. At the least,it should have one m em ber of staffw ith an u rban design qualification orskills. Training should also be p rovidedfor councillors to help them becom eaw are of the im portance of designand the im pact of their decisions.

Public bodiesEvery public b od y com m ission inga new develop m ent or otherw iseinfluencing the design of places w illbe expected to dem onstrate how ithas raised standards. It should also

consider no m inating a designcham pion to focus these efforts.

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trainingIt is essential that urban design is included in the education andtraining curriculum for all the built environment professions

1: Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow

1


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W e need to see a d ifferent w orldem erging , one in w hich: a sense ofquality d esign is part of childrenseducation; professionals are trainedto ap preciate the com plexity of places;the planning system is used creativelyto set fram ew orks for develop m ent;developers know that the effort theyput into com ing up w ith a g oo d design

w ill be appreciated ; and w here b addesign is no long er accep tab le.

This p olicy statem ent has outlineda shift in attitudes, expectations andpractices that is already under w ay.Everyone invo lved in develop m entcan play a part in designing places.

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Much development results in p lacesof which no one can be proud.

Conclusion

good designwill be appreciated

1: New P arliam ent B uilding VisitorCentre, Edinburgh

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Acknowledgements

Argyll and Bute C ouncil Be njamin Tinda ll Architects Crichton Development Company Ltd Ga ia Architects Gillespies Go rdon Murray a nd Alan Dunlop Architects Highland Council Keith Hunter Photography

Llewelyn-Davies New Parliament Building Visitor Centre, Edinburgh Reiach and Hall Cha rtered Architects RMJM Sc otland Ltd Stirling Council

CD022 Designing Places - A Policy Statement for Scotland (2001)

Documents

Transcript of CD022 Designing Places - A Policy Statement for Scotland (2001)