DUNDEE · 2013-08-16 · 1 back to top of page back to contents page What is Urban Design? 222...

DUNDEE

THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE

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What is Urban Design?What is Urban Design?What is Urban Design?What is Urban Design?What is Urban Design? 22222

Introduction 33333

PPPPPart 1art 1art 1art 1art 1 The Evolution of DundeeThe Evolution of DundeeThe Evolution of DundeeThe Evolution of DundeeThe Evolution of Dundee 55555

PPPPPart 2art 2art 2art 2art 2 Urban Design PUrban Design PUrban Design PUrban Design PUrban Design Principlesrinciplesrinciplesrinciplesrinciples 1111111111

Context and LContext and LContext and LContext and LContext and Local Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctiveness 1313131313

SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability 1515151515

New BuildingsNew BuildingsNew BuildingsNew BuildingsNew Buildings 1717171717

Safe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential Streets 1919191919

Public ArtPublic ArtPublic ArtPublic ArtPublic Art 2121212121

Design StatementsDesign StatementsDesign StatementsDesign StatementsDesign Statements 2323232323

TTTTTo Reawaken Civic Po Reawaken Civic Po Reawaken Civic Po Reawaken Civic Po Reawaken Civic Priderideriderideride 2525252525

FFFFFurther Readingurther Readingurther Readingurther Readingurther Reading 2626262626

Contents

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What is Urban Design?

Urban Design is defined as therelationship between different buildings:the relationship between buildings and thestreets, squares, parks, waterways andother spaces which make up the publicdomain; the nature and quality of thepublic domain itself; the relationship ofone part of a village, town or city withother parts; and the patterns of movementand activity which are thereby established;in short, the complex relationshipsbetween all the elements of built andunbuilt space.

All new development, not onlyregeneration, requires a thoughtful designapproach and an appreciation of existingbuilt form.

URBAN DESIGN ALLIANCE


The urban realm is the setting for civic life. Itcomprises our streets, parks monuments andbuildings as well as the events which happeni n t h e m . C i v i c l i f e i s e n r i c h e d b ydevelopments which welcome a broad rangeof people and is impoverished by those whichexclude or discourage all but a narrow rangeof users. The diversity of socio-economicneeds and multi-use activities required tosustain society gives a rich vitality to the urbanenvironment yet this balance of needs is afragile achievement.

Introduction

Everybody supports the idea of having a high-quality environment but usually feels someoneelse is responsible for creating or maintainingit. The purpose of this Urban Design Guide isto inform and encourage all those whocollectively shape the appearance of Dundee,to share a vision for future developments whichwill explore and enrich the ‘grain of the city’and progress its unique character.

This guide will provide a common point ofreference for those involved with land useplanning and development, with trafficmanagement strategies and with the designand maintenance of public places.

This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:

PPPPPart 1art 1art 1art 1art 1 looks at the history and evolution ofDundee, more recent development trends andalso describes current thinking on how toachieve better land use patterns for the future.

PPPPPart 2 art 2 art 2 art 2 art 2 explains the purpose of the UrbanDesign Guide and sets out the principalobjectives to be pursued. This part also statesthe Design Principles for developers and theiragents to help in addressing the objectives ofthe Guide. The Guidelines are illustrated byreference to actual developments in Dundeewhich can offer practical solutions for widerapplication.


Historically, towns were shaped by theirlocation, their principal economic purpose andtheir natural topography. Their hinterlandswere small and different towns took ondifferent identities quite naturally. In the caseof Dundee the pattern of growth from medievalburgh to major whaling port and then toindustrial city with associated docks andrailyards remained spatially coherent until wellinto this century. Public buildings were obviousas such due to their prominence of site andarchitectural style. Open spaces were edgedor sheltered by buildings and had much lowervolumes of traffic than today, being also usedfor markets or conducting business outdoors.

Dundee’s transformation over the last centuryhas been phenomenal. A variety of factorswere at play, such as the drive to clear theVictorian slums, the need to quickly build newhousing and the desire to accommodate muchhigher volumes of traffic on new and improvedroads. After World War II, the ethos of thefree standing building surrounded by parklandallowing unimpeded traffic flows waspromoted as the ideal. In city centres the oldtenements and workshops were systematicallydemolished. The comprehensiveredevelopments of the 1960s liberated manypeople from crowded and unhealthy livingconditions, destroyed much of the pre-Victorian Dundee and in doing so left manyawkward sites, particularly in the city centrewhere earlier development and ownershippatterns were more complicated.

Part 1 THE EVOLUTION OF DUNDEE

Overgate/Tally Street; late 19th century view. A backdrop of modestmixed use structures formed the counterfoil to the classical publicbuildings and contributed to a lively streetscape.

High Street at the turn of the century. The Trades Hall and TownHouse are dominant and the entire space is available for a multitudeof uses. The “Pillars” arcade and numerous awnings offer additionalshelter for pedestrians.

The High Street and the Overgate in the 1950s. Note the architecturalform of the lodging house to the centre right albeit in a poor state ofrepair.

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Until recently many roads were designedprimarily to accommodate ever increasing carnumbers, with pedestrians given a lower status.On the busiest roads this has led to a completesegregation of pedestrians and vehicles.Modern roads have become much moredivisive than the streets of the past, with wideroads creating difficulties for pedestrians andvehicles to safely coexist.

The 20th Century has brought great changesto the appearance of our city and to the lifestyleof city dwellers, but the wisdom of land usepatterns which generate more and more trafficis now being questioned. Since the 1960s thepractice of zoning or segregating different usesof land from each other and the rates ofpersonal car ownership have both greatlyincreased and are interdependent to a largeextent.

While the initial spur to distance the tenementsfrom the mills for public health reasons gaveus industrial and housing estates we now haveother such single-use areas as the shoppingcentre, the retail park, the leisure park, eventhe business park.

A development pattern of zones or estates maybe acceptable to those with cars but it isacknowledged as being difficult to service withpublic transport and it leads to the isolation oflarge sections of the community such as thevery young and the very old, the disabled andthe underprivileged.

The attractions and health of historic urbanquarters are being looked at afresh withinformed clarity and vision.

The Inner Ring Road effectively divides Dundee from its waterfrontand the priority given to keeping vehicular traffic moving has resultedin inconvenience to pedestrians.

The creation of the West Marketgait left many awkward sites thathave only recently been developed. The junction between theMarketgait and the Nethergate should be redressed to re-establishthe continuity of the city centre to the Perth Road.

A flat in Menzieshill was a dream come true for those who left theovercrowded and insanitary slums of the city centre.

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L 2003


In architectural terms, a monotony and samenessin buildings across the whole country has becomethe accepted practice. It is possible to findsizeable housing estates where all the homesare alike creating a “placelessness” which offerslittle in the way of distinctive character, long termsustainability and valued amenity. The result isa series of discrete estates for separate uses thatoften become impenetrable, no-go areas foranyone not living or working in the area andquality of the urban environment is diminished.

In the last ten years, following the completionof the Inner Ring Road, it has been possible toreplace scenes of traffic congestion in the citycentre with pedestrianised streets of highamenity value paved in natural materials ofquality and of an attractive detailed designwhich accommodates street furniture andsculpture unique in design to Dundee.

One measure of the success of the recentimprovements is that it is now possible to enjoya meal or a drink outdoors as more and morecaterers are utilising this option for theircustomers and providing a lively and transientstreetscape within many parts of the city. Therecent redevelopment of the Overgate Centrealso adds a highly successful and popular retailcentre to the city drawing shoppers from afar.

The number of people choosing to live in thecity centre is increasing which suggests a goodbalance is growing between the convenienceand privacy standards for residents and thecontinuing promotion of commercialenterprise with the provision of a wide rangeof leisure activities.

Edge of town retail parks cater primarily to car owners.

The old Wellgate had a diversity of uses and gave direct access toand from the Hilltown at all times.

Today Reform Street offers opportunities for cafe society.

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Suburbs evolved to accommodate the nuclearfamily, but families are changing andhouseholds are becoming smaller. The trendnowadays is for many people to marry lateafter living alone or in short-term partnerships.Families tend to have fewer children thanbefore and a large proportion of marriagesend in divorce, leaving the partners singleagain or as lone parents. People live longafter their children have left home, as couplesor alone.

A truly sustainable development is one thatcan accommodate the changingcircumstances of people throughout their liveswhether they are breaking up or settling down,growing up or growing old. But mostcontemporary housing estates offer littlechoice of house type and may be quiteunsuited to the householders of the future.

For environmental and social reasons as wellas concerns about poor standards of urbandesign, there is now a greater resistance tothe tendency for cities, towns, villages and thecountryside to b e c o m e s h a p e l e s s l ysuburban. It is now policy at all levels ofgovernment to encourage environmentallysustainable and socially inclusive patterns ofdevelopment and the recommendations of theUrban Task Force have recently given impetusand direction to these objectives.

To promote the principles of sustainability andsocial inclusion, it is important that we ensurethat all developments make the best possibleuse of the natural resources of the site andthat, where appropriate, a mix of uses andtenures is incorporated into the package.

When catering to traffic is the principal design influence on the layoutof housing estates, it is not surprising that roads and hardstandingscome to dominate the overall environment.

Cul-de-sac developments result in a less permeable settlement. Inthe diagram there is little choice of route across the area and hightraffic flows would be generated on the through routes. By contrastthe street pattern layout of Craigiebank allows multiple choices ofroute for both vehicles and pedestrians.




We also need to integrate transportation andland use planning to ensure new developmentsare located so as to reinforce the viability ofexisting centres and public transport services.Adherence to these principles can reduce theneed for people to travel and reduce theenvironmental impact of traffic by encouragingwalking and cycling instead of the use of cars.

Ultimately the creation of attractive andsuccessful places and the promotion ofsustainable patterns of living, working andtravelling are wholly compatible objectives.

The traditional pattern of urban growthgenerated r e l a t i v e l y d e n s eneighbourhoods by today’s standards butwhere they survive, such areas remain verypopular. Many areas like the West End orcentral Broughty Ferry have a very distinctcharacter by virtue of their mixed use nature,and possess a real “sense of place”.

Analysis of such areas reveal common qualitiessuch as ;

a well balanced mix of uses

catering for the private car withoutencouraging its use and being safefor walking and cycling

having a strong identity usually byhaving well-known landmarkbuildings, busy outdoor focal pointsor interesting views out to the widerarea.

Although planning practice since the 1960shas mitigated against mixed-use developmentpatterns, there is evidence that things arebeginning to come full circle with the benefitsThe Hilltown clock is instantly recognised and functions as a local

landmark for the area.

A bustling High Street.

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of mixed-use, mixed-tenure communitiesbeing increasingly recognised.

Proponents of mixed-use development arguethat since we all need to work, shop, beeducated, and enjoy some recreation, thecloser and more integrated these functions are,the more contented we are likely to be. Thecase is also well supported by environmentalconsiderations.

A better environment for pedestrians andcyclists and the reduced use of the private carcan help make places both safer and healthier.

The term “urban village” is now commonlyunderstood as a concept which aims to bringtogether the vibrancy, culture and variety ofthe city, yet retaining the intimacy, ease ofaccess and human scale which create strongand lasting communities. It is a place wherethe elements of design which often characterisesuccessful historic neighbourhoods arerediscovered and where home and work,leisure and retail opportunities are wellintegrated.

This type of development can bring social andeconomic benefits to our area and may bewell suited to accommodating a wide rangeof household types in the future.

On street parking between pavement buildouts

Wider frontage housing can accept frontage parking whilst stillallowing a reasonable area for soft landscaping

Frontage parking with shared drives - useful where it is desirable tolimit pavement crossovers e.g. fronting main roads or to avoid existingtrees.

Parking to the side can allow the housing to be set forward containingthe street.

A shared drive to garaging at the rear allows the housing to be setforward and closely spaced maintaining street enclosure.

Thoughtful Car Parking Layouts1

1Birmingham City Council - Places for Living 2001


The Urban Design Principles have a dualpurpose -

Firstly, by setting the criteria for developers anddesigners about to embark on new projects,the principles are intended to set theframework for urban design in Dundee.

By reference to developments in Dundee, theyaim to raise design expectations generally anddemonstrate that achieving good developmentis a thoughtful rather than an onerous orexpensive task.

The principles have been developed as a directresponse to encourage and foster the gooddesign ethos of NPPG 1 and 3 and are inaccordance with the Scottish Executive’saspirations of “A Policy on Architecture forScotland”, and “Designing Places”. Theprinciples also augment the standards laiddown in Policy H10 of the Local Plan which seta minimum safeguard of satisfactory standardsof privacy, garden ground, parking spaces etc.in new developments.

The Urban Design principles create aframework against which a qualitativeassessment of development proposals can bemade. Good design control requires such anapproach.

Part 2The Urban Design Principles

The Urban Design Principles outline the CityCouncil’s design expectations at a city-widelevel. Inevitably, the principles, from time totime, will need to be augmented byDevelopment Briefs for specific sites. Pastexperience suggests that Development Briefscan have a significant influence on the qualityof proposals submitted for approval andhenceforth Briefs will be a means to furtherpromote and illustrate the objectives of theUrban Design Guide.

The principles are arranged into six topic areas

11111 Context and LContext and LContext and LContext and LContext and Local Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctivenessocal Distinctiveness

22222 SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability

33333 New BuildingsNew BuildingsNew BuildingsNew BuildingsNew Buildings

44444 Safe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential Streets

55555 Public ArtPublic ArtPublic ArtPublic ArtPublic Art

66666 Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.

Each of these topics is dealt with individuallyon the accompanying pages. In time these sixprinciples may be supplemented by theinclusion of others.

The Georgian elegance of form andmaterial implementation sets thegrandeur and formality of South TayStreet.

The Hillcrest Housing Association buildingin Dock Street responds to the local contextin the use of materials, detail and height toresult in a new building which sits happily inand contributes to the 19th century terrace.

The retention, restoration and reuse of the existing building in its landscape settingallows the design agenda of new buildings to be of a practical form dominated bythe landscape plan.

The character of Craigiebank is determined by the flowing lines ofthe original masterplan and landscape design resulting in an almostArcadian neighbourhood.

Dundee High School of formal urban classicismforming the visual termination to Reform Street andcommanding and defining Euclid Crescent.

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Context &

Local D

istin

ctiv

eness

Context is crucial. It is formed by the character and location within which aproject is to be developed, drawing on the existing built form, open space,infrastructure and existing community. If the aim of high quality places is tobe achieved the design must be informed from the context in a cohesive andinclusive approach to reinforce and develop the character of its locality andto ensure that the unique identity of a place is not harmed.

Popular places are often familiar and distinctive in type and detail, it is thisdistinctiveness that gives an area its character and helps people to find theirway about the city, to read the urban environment as a series of distinct, notseparate, community areas.

Design Principle Elements :

Character the aim is to build on local character, not necessarily copy it.

Identity a development should respect the constraints of a site and thedetailing should draw strength from local identity to avoid the“placelessness” formed when standardised design solutionsare used.

Landscape an attractive and well detailed landscape plan should bedeveloped in conjunction with the built form design, notsecondary to it.

Infrastructure the existing site and surrounding infrastructures must beenhanced to provide a valid network of permeable streets andattractive open amenity spaces to strengthen the localcommunity facilities.


Replacement Scottish oak windows at PowriePlace, Dundee, using oak grown nearInverness, converted to lumber atNewtonmore and manufactured intowindows at Kirkmichael. The windows werethen installed in Dundee benefiting theeconomy and promoting social inclusion bysupporting employment and contributing tothe reduction of global warming.

The re-use of an existing listed mill to create city centre accessible homeswhilst retaining the historic built form and street pattern, transportinfrastructures and aiming to build upon the community of the Locheearea.

The 1980s car-orientated proposals for the North East Arterial. This has been replaced by traffic management andrealignment proposals promoting sustainable transportation policies that will conserve the Albert Street area, save substantialacquisition and construction costs and avoid creating physical barriers between residents and their amenity.


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The objective of good urban design is to develop environmental and socialsustainability whilst achieving economic viability.

At each key stage of the design process decisions are made regarding theconstraints of cost, materials, construction techniques and the overall design.Each of these decisions must be tempered by selecting the sustainable optionoffering the most benefit in order that the vision of a healthy, robust and stimulatingsociety constantly aspiring for improvement can be attained.


Environment

Infrastructure consideration of new constraints placed upon theexisting networks.

Space Use site layout to maximise solar gain by orientation andthe relationship to the existing built fabric.

Materials retention and reuse of already built structures wherepractical with the knowledgeable implementation ofnew construction materials.

Utilities the thoughtful accommodation of car parking withgood landscaping, the provision of the waste recyclingcentres onsite or on adjacent sites and innovativeapproaches to waste and water recycling within eachbuilding.

Social

Design formation of an attractive development for the greaterenhancement of the city as a primary catalyst of theLocal Agenda 21, and as a future legacy for the city.

Space Use creation of practical public and private realms withina site.

Space provide minimum room size/minimum number ofStandards rooms/minimum external space.

Government Dundee Local Plan/H10/Building Standards/SocialPolicy Inclusion.

Economic

Materials Evaluate the long term implications of a ‘quick -fix’solution .

Energy the use of technical advances of active and passivestrategies to alleviate the strain.

Quality ‘good design is not necessarily expensive design’

Susta

inabil

ity


Dundee Contemporary Arts - a sophisticated modern buildingenclosing a series of arts spaces that has instantly become a popularcity centre venue.

The glass facade of the University of Abertay Library uses the solar gain of a southerly aspect to induce aircirculation by natural convection throughout the building. The library continues the set piece design ethos ofthe Victorian buildings in the area.

Innovative architectural form, materials and detailexpressed in harmony.

The bold and contemporary modern design of the facade and the reuse of the existing structure greatlyenliven this forgotten corner of Union Street and add to the vital night-time scene.

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New

Buil

din

gs

New buildings, extensions and infill developments should be well designed,flexible and outwardly expressive as to their purpose. An agenda of imaginativeand innovative contemporary architecture is sought to discourage ‘off-the-peg’design and debased versions of historical styles.


Design new buildings and developments must present a designsolution appropriate to the site and context and be constructedin materials consistent with the design approach adopted.

Regeneration existing buildings should always be considered forregeneration rather than demolition and replacement tosustain a built form representing embodied energy, an existinginfrastructure and on occasion an urban microclimate.

Detail the design elements of elevations, roof lines, doors, windows,materials and floorscape should draw from the site context toretain and create valued places.

Facade the ability of a design to ‘turn a corner’ to a development,and not present a blank gable, has an important contributionto make in planning the urban form.

Innovation new building solutions are to be encouraged, especially withresidential proposals, to accommodate a modern lifestyle andbe flexible enough to accommodate future lifestyle changesand needs.

Inclusive the key to producing good buildings is simply thoughtful designApproach and detailing, the use of good construction materials with a

particular attention being paid to the interface relationshipbetween the building and the street.


The regeneration plans for Ardler haveclear urban design objectives and beginan ambitious programme to provide over1,300 new homes. The proposals are thefruit of a Partnership/Masterplanningexercise by the City Council and thedevelopers rather than the outcome ofsuccessive estate developments byindividual housebuilders. The City Councilhas worked with Sanctuary ScotlandHousing Association, Wimpey Homes andthe local residents to consider the problemsand potentials of the entire area andthrough a combination of refurbishmentand new-build aims to create a new�Urban Village�.

The street pattern follows a simple andelegant hierarchy. A concentric tree-linedavenue passes through the entiredevelopment while linking streets givedirect access inwards to the village centreand outwards to the surrounding areas.Lower in the hierarchy are Local Streets,Lanes and Courts. Each type of road hasspecific characteristics and dimensions andtaken together, they bring a clear identityto the new Ardler. The development alsoimplements the principles of sustainableurban drainage systems.

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To establish a safe and attractive street a traffic management hierarchy is sought.An efficient and attractive hierarchy of boulevards, avenues, streets and lanes canfeed local traffic onto main roads and yet actively discourage the presence ofnon-local traffic and restrict vehicle speeds in residential areas.

Streets must do more than just accommodate traffic.


Definition the built form of new developments should reinforce and definestreets and spaces and follow a clear building line, usually setfrom the context.

Streetscape the built form must be as ‘active’ as possible, especially at groundlevel, in layout and specification to provide attractive and welldesigned facades contributing to form a valid streetscape.

Boundaries boundaries of walls, hedges and railings, and level changes,define what is perceived as the public realm of the street andthe private realm of the garden to generate feelings of belongingand personal space, yet can provide privacy without beingperceived as a defensive barrier.

Permeability new roads and streets should link up with the surrounding roadsand services infrastructure to provide a high degree ofpermeability for pedestrians, cyclists, cars and public transport.

Surveillance the design of new streets must incorporate a high degree ofappropriate landscaping and accommodate parked vehicles ina way that does not break up the street frontages and restrictsgeneral security surveillance.

Management a management and maintenance agreement will be sought forshared areas not adopted by the City Council as long termsuccess is only achieved by good management.

Safe

& A

ttractiv

e R

esid

entia

l Str

eets


The bronze sculptures around theexterior of the Overgate Centrewere part of the overall buildingproject.

‘On the Wing’ on Riverside Drive makesreference to both the Tay Estuary NatureReserve and Dundee Airport.

The dragon refers to the local legend of theNine Maidens. It is an important landmarkfor pedestrians in the City Centre.

The Compass Mosaic brings a richness ofdetail to Discovery Point.

Traditional drystone dyking used in a livelyand contemporary manner to give emphasisto ‘just’ a stone wall.

Tony

and

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ie M

orro

wTo

ny M

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w a

nd A

lista

ir Sm

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Mag

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How

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DC Thomson’s Desperate Dan and Minniethe Minx are a new addition ot the HighStreet.

The intricate gates to Doigs Court contributeto the charm and variety of Castle Street.

Phil

John

ston

& C

o

Dav

id W

ilson

Dav

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ilson

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Public

Art

Public Art is a means by which artists and their patrons can enrich theenvironment of built forms, open space and contribute to the cultural heritageof the city. Artworks can take the form of “stand alone” pieces or be functioningelements on buildings or in public spaces. Buildings are enriched by the inclusionof individually designed and crafted metalwork, stonework, stained glass etc.In the streets, the design of bollards, seats, banner columns and boundariescan all benefit by artists involvement in manufacture and construction. Newdevelopments offer excellent opportunities for the inclusion of contemporaryarts and crafts.

To set an agenda of nurturing and sustaining a high quality cultural base inDundee the City council has continually commissioned unique artworks at manylocations which are functional on a daily basis yet have enormous value in theformation of streetscape, landscape, monuments and landmarks.

New major buildings in prominent locations and large housing projects will besubject to a future “Percent for Art” policy, whereby a percentage of the projectcosts will be used to employ artists to enhance the project.

Where new developments are to incorporate artworks :

Architects, designers and developers must involve artists andcraftsmen from the outset of the design process to give validity anddirection to the commission

In the case of free standing artworks they must act as local landmarksand bring a sense of identity to their location through the beauty ofproportion and quality of finish.


In response to the Dundee City Council DevelopmentDesign Briefs for the Railyards Site, the Design Statementfor redevelopment makes a long term vision for the futureof the property all the more essential.

Linking the City

Framework Connections

In this situation a Design Statement can explain the fundamentalapproach of the developer, clarify what is and what is not open tonegotiation and identify the impacts in the wider area. A good DesignStatement can help a consensus to be reached about the broadprinciples of the development, take the contention out of subsequentdiscussions on matters of detail and may allow a variety of equallyacceptable development options to be identified.

The Design Statement submitted by the owner of the Seabraes Millarrives at the framework for development based on an objectiveanalysis of the surrounding area. The framework is loose enough toallow a high degree of flexibility for the future but strong enough toensure a pattern of ad-hoc developments is avoided.

Design Development Brief illustration - Railyards Site West Design Development Brief illustration - Railyards Site East

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L 2003 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L 2003


© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L 2003 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L 2003

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Desig

n S

tatements

Design statements are needed to demonstrate that the local context has beenappreciated and fully appraised and that the development proposals are basedon consistent design principles.

Planning Applications or Listed Building Applications for new buildings orextensions to existing buildings on significant sites must be accompanied by aDesign Statement. Significant sites will be identified in the Local Plan allocationsfor Development Sites and in these cases Design Statements should explore andillustrate :

The environmental impact on the site and the surrounding area anew development will have.

The site and surrounding infrastructure, local communities and howthe development will affect them

The area context and how it has informed the design of thedevelopment

The sustainability of the development and the implementation ofmanagement plans to ensure future maintenance.

Development proposals must always consider the far greater extent of the localityrather than the constraints of the site boundary.


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To explore and maximise the potential for goodurban design the guide has focused upon theimportant parameters relating to the substanceof Dundee’s built form to nurture an excellentend product of quality urban buildings, placesand life. With the advent of the ScottishExecutive’s ‘Policy on Architecture for Scotland’,‘Designing Places’ and the aspirations of gooddesign and the environment expressed in theNational Planning Policy Guidelines 1 and 3,Dundee City Council are well placed to lead andmanage this urban renaissance within the city.

The quality of the built environment is critical tothe way Dundee functions as a city as we seek toencourage a mix of activities, services, tenuresand incomes within neighbourhood areas. Inthe promotion of sustainable improvements inurban quality, and citywide image, we will raisethe quality of urban design by producing detaileddevelopment briefs for important sites and theuse of the Urban Design Guide as a materialconsideration for Development Quality planningapplication assessment. Developers areencouraged to liaise with the Planning andTransportation Department at an early stage ofthe development to enable a swift decisionmaking process.

The talents of skilled architects and designersmust be engaged by developers to provide thebest solution for each particular context and totake a holistic approach to developmentconsidering design details at an early stage.Good design will ultimately contribute to themarketability of a development though how it islooked after and managed will determine thequality of the urban environment inherited byforthcoming generations.

To Reawaken Civic Pride

Further Reading

Birmingham City Council PLACES FOR LIVING (2001)

DETR / Commission for Architecture and the Built EnvironmentBy Design / Urban Design in the Planning System : Towards Better Practice

Urban Task ForceTowards an Urban Renaissance (1999)

Dundee City CouncilDundee Local Plan Review (2005)

Enfield Council SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION GUIDE (2000)

English Partnerships Urban Design Compendium (2001)SUSTAINABLE URBAN EXTENSIONS : Planned Through Design (2001)

Essex County Council Planning Officers Association THE ESSEX DESIGN GUIDE for Residential and Mixed Use Areas (1997)

Peter KatzTHE NEW URBANISM - Towards an Architecture of CommunityMcGraw-Hill, Inc. 1994

Scottish ExecutiveA POLICY ON ARCHITECTURE FOR SCOTLAND (2001)DESIGNING PLACES (2001)

Urban Design Group THE URBAN DESIGN SOURCEBOOK (1994)

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http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/placesforliving

http://www.cabe.org.uk/publications/by-design

http://www.urbantaskforce.org/UTF_final_report.pdf

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/localplan/

http://www.enfield.gov.uk/download/1572/sustainable_design_and_construction-a_guide_for_developers_and_building_professionals

http://www.urbandesigncompendium.co.uk/

www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/qualityandinnovationpublications.htm

http://www.rudi.net/books/6972

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2001/10/10129/File-1

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/National-Planning-Policy/Designing

This Urban Design Guide is produced by the Policy, Development and Regeneration Division of the City Development Department, Dundee City Council

All maps within this document are based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Dundee City Council Licence No. LA09026L.

The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this document is provided by Dundee City Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function to make available Council held public domain information. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to licence Ordnance Survey mapping/map data for their own use. The OS web site can be found at www.ordsvy.gov.uk.

DUNDEE · 2013-08-16 · 1 back to top of page back to contents page What is Urban Design? 222...

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Transcript of DUNDEE · 2013-08-16 · 1 back to top of page back to contents page What is Urban Design? 222...