Place Alliance is a movement campaigning for place quality. It is founded on the idea that through collaboration and better communication we can establish a culture whereby the quality of place becomes an everyday national and local priority.
Place Alliance is open to all and brings together organisations and individuals who share the belief that the quality of our built environment has a profound influence on people’s lives.
Place Alliance is hosted by
NEWS AND UPDATES
NEW RESEARCH – REVIEWING DESIGN REVIEW IN LONDON
This study, undertaken throughout 2017 by Place Alliance researchers, examined a range of design review cases in London. Design review is a formal peer review process focusing on the design of built environment projects. The research findings are based upon in-depth interviews with applicants, designers, panellists, and panel managers, providing a 360-degree analysis of the diversity of design review practices across London and the benefits that flow from high quality provision.
Overwhelmingly those interviewed, from all sides, were positive about the purpose and value of design review, accepting that for a modest cost the process did improve design. For those managing, commissioning, serving on, or presenting to design review panels, the aspirations for review are clear and unified. They focus on achieving better design and placemaking than would otherwise be achieved without design review. Developers tend to be more circumspect about design review than these groups, but also accepted that the process is a necessary means to raise the standard of design.
The research revealed that generally the practice and experience of design review across London is improving, although there remain some important challenges.
CIVIC VOICE PRESS RELEASE: New national alliance calls for “Government to get serious on design’’
Call comes as the alliance prepares to hold a debate in London featuring Griff Rhys Jones and Max Farrell
A new alliance of national organisations aimed at raising awareness of the quality of design in the built environment will come together on April 11th at a joint event in London. The Academy of Urbanism, Civic Voice, Design Network, IHBC, Place Alliance and Urban Design Group will host a meeting to call on the Government “to get serious on design” in the draft National Planning Policy Framework.
DECLINING URBAN DESIGN SKILLS IN ENGLISH LOCAL AUTHORITIES
A new Place Alliance report summarises the findings of a nationwide survey of urban design skills within local planning authorities and how they have changed over the last five years.
The full report can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/PA_SkillsReport2017
URBAN DESIGN MATTERS A regular blog by Prof. Matthew Carmona of The Bartlett School of Planning on urban design issues in the UK and internationally
LAUNCH OF PLACE VALUE WIKI
The Place Value Wiki brings together in a ‘raw’ form the range of rigorous research evidence that links the ‘quality’ and design of ‘place’ with the value added in health, social, economic and environmental terms.
As a wiki it is available to all researchers to add (or edit) their evidence in order to create a collective resource. The evidence held in the wiki is available to all to use to help make the case for investing in the quality of place. The evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable. Please use it.
You can find more about the wiki here: www.place-value-wiki.net
Place Alliance is an independent not-for-profit movement. If you wish to make a donation to help grow the Place Alliance network visit our UCL online giving page by clicking the “SUPPORT” button below. Your help is truly appreciated