best practice guides and initiatives
Best practice and placemaking initiatives are ‘how to do it’ manifestos, design strategies, design initiatives, design briefs, manuals and handbooks created by local authorities, Government bodies, professional bodies and campaigning and community groups. These offer information and advice outside of the regulatory system.For UK statutory design guidance, please visit RUDI's Design Guidance section. From January, 2007 onwards, RUDI's best practice and placemaking initiatives are available below. Free to access on RUDI: core urban design guidesThe Urban Design Compendium was published by English Partnerships in partnership with The Housing Corporation and examines the factors that make neighbourhoods stimulating and active places in which residents feel comfortable and safe. It aims to provide accessible advice to developers, funding agencies and partners on the achievement and assessment of the quality of urban design for the development and regeneration of urban areas. It is designed to provide a source of best practice to all those involved in the regeneration and development industries. The Compendium was produced by consultants Llewelyn-Davies, and is available free from English Partnerships |
Success and the city - Learning from international urban policies
This is series of papers on urban policy, investigating six different cities and city-regions in three different continents – Vancouver, Amsterdam, the Ruhr Area, Warsaw and Łódź, and Hong Kong. The authors interviewed policy makers and local government officials, representatives of civil society and academics, as well as ordinary citizens, to find out which urban regeneration policies worked in these places – and why; looking for common themes that would inform the debate in Britain
Cross boundary working- Spatial Plans in Practice: Supporting the reform of local planning
his study seeks to provide detailed analysis of the practice of cross 1.1 boundary working in local development framework (LDF) production, including evidence of good practice. It is based on the findings of work specifically undertaken for this study and from other research on the Spatial Plans in Practice (SPiP) project. It concludes by recommending to local planning authorities, Communities and Local Government, Government Offices and the Planning Inspectorate, ways to achieve this
Growing cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change
This new book documents how key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a comprehensive review of dozens of studies by leading urban planning researchers, the book concludes that urban development is both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it.
Health, place and nature
Sustainable development aims to ensure a strong, healthy and just society while living within environmental limits. It also takes into account a sustainable economy, good governance and sound science. Within the context of sustainable development, this document examines the contribution of aspects of the outdoor environment (both natural and built) to health. It draws together evidence to provide a comprehensive knowledge base to be used by those promoting a more sustainable approach to the natural and built environment and health.
Who gains- The operation of section 106 planning agreements in London
Mitigation is the act of making something less harmful. In a crowded and ever changing London it is one of the cornerstones of the planning system and, without it, it would be impossible to juggle the demands for new development with the protection of the quality of life for existing communities.This report reviews how the section 106 system operates in London – and it operates with very different results depending on the opportunities for negotiation and the policies and skills possessed by the boroughs to extract this public value.
Building Sustainable Transport into New Developments
This document, which forms part of the Government’s advice on transport within Ecotowns and New Growth Points, is aimed at all those involved in the planning, design and construction of new housing developments. It sets out advice on how to build an effective sustainable transport system in new developments, from the planning to the implementation stage. It recommends a variety of transport options to integrate and adopt according to the location and needs of the individual development.
Places to Go - A summary of research evidence
Safer streets, neighbourhoods which embrace children playing in them and a public transport system that is affordable and takes young people where they want to go are all essential in a civilised public realm. Until recently, these have not received the attention that they should. ‘Things to do and places to go’ were recognised as important in Every Child Matters, but a programme of change in the delivery of statutory services was slow to realise that some outcomes could only be delivered by changes to public infrastructure and public space.This document highlights the change that needs to happen to deliver the sspirations of the Children’s Plan.
Creating inspirational spaces - a guide for quality public realm in the northwest
Investing in the quality of the region’s public realm and green spaces is a key transformational action highlighted in the Northwest’s Regional Economic Strategy.A quality environment is essential for encouraging private sector investment, as well as improving the region’s image as a place to live, work and invest and significantly enhancing quality of life.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency is pleased to support this document, which highlights examples of good practice from within the region and beyond, and aims to inspire those responsible for designing, procuring, managing and investing in our public spaces to raise their aspirations.
Civilised streets
There has been an important shift in thinking in recent years about urban street design. Where the car was king, now – according to the government’s Manual for streets at least – people must come first. In some places, we are seeing bold changes to street design, with the emergence of shared spaces which remove physical barriers and force drivers to consider pedestrians. But do these changes create safer, more civilised streets – or scarier streets? Do they help or hinder children, or people with impairments? We all want streets to work better for everyone – so does that make compromise inevitable? This briefing sets out the debate. It’s designed to prompt further discussion among design professionals and lobby groups in our search for civilised streets.
