Press archive 2017
Housing delivery under threat through a lack of design skills in planning
The Government, both in its manifesto and in the recent Housing Green Paper, committed itself to a step change in the delivery of high quality new homes across the country. New research published by the Place Alliance and funded by the Urban Design Group, puts those aspirations in doubt because of worsening design skills gaps in English local planning authorities. Read more →
The urban design skills and capacity within Local Planning Authorities are ‘woefully low and declining’
The report, Urban Design Skills in English Local Authorities, was published yesterday by a team at University College London’ s Bartlett School of Planning with support from membership organisation the Urban Design Group and the Place Alliance. Michael Donnelly summarised the findings of the report in Planning Resource. Read the full article here →
Can new players achieve a real increase in house building?
A summary of the debate on how realistic is it for new players on the housing market to meet the government’s expectations and deliver a step change in production. Read more →
UDG Public Lecture: Design and NPPF
A presentation by Matthew Carmona, Professor of Planning & Urban Design at UCL’s Bartlett School of Planning. His research has focused on urban design, processes of design governance and on the design and management of public space.
Press Release: Generation Place inspires the next generation about placemaking and creativity.
Generation Place demonstrates the importance of educating young people about place and the built environment. Nurturing our future professionals and citizens, the newly formed initiative seeks to inspire the next generation of creative place-makers who will make the kinds of places where people thrive. Read more about the initiative →
Design Governance, The CABE Experiment, book launch
On 3rd March Place Alliance marked the book launch of Professor Matthew Carmona, Claudio de Magalhães and Lucy Natarajan’s research examining the history and impact of CABE. Read more →
How to make the most of Design Review
Design Review was given a huge boost by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which reinforces its role in ensuring high standards of design. Neil Morris has interviewed established panel members and explored how to make the most of Design Review process. Read more →
Coordinating codes, the right tool for the job!
Matthew Carmona in his blog on the Coordinating Codes as the possible solution to the Permission in Principle and the way to achieve both the Government’s aim of greater certainty in the planning process, whilst still enabling the proper consideration of design and other qualitative concerns through the planning system. Read the full article here →
Government could improve housing design by learning from CABE
It is six years since the government design watchdog was axed, but many of its initiatives could be aped to improve the quality of new housing, says Bartlett professor Matthew Carmona. Read more →
“CABE used national housing audits to embarrass the housebuilders by publicising how poor their products were.”
Community leaders seek a ‘manifesto’ for Farnham
Prominent members of the Farnham community and of Farnham and Waverley councils met to set our a ‘manifesto for Farham’ by considering the policies set out in the Healthy Places Manifesto by Place Alliance and to look for steps to overcome some of the problems faced by Farnham as a small historic town expecting substantial new development in the near future. Read more →