THE COUNCILLOR’SGUIDE TO URBAN DESIGN

INTRODUCTION 3

01 WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PLACE? 4The seven qualities that successful streets, spaces, villages, towns and cities tend to have in common

02 ASPECTS OF FORM 6The inter-related elements which work together to define buildings, groups of buildings and spaces

CASE STUDY: ANGELL TOWN 8

03 RAISING STANDARDS 10How local authorities get the best out of development

04 THE PLANNING TOOLKIT 14Outlines the tools currently available to planning authorities which, used effectively, can deliver quality

CASE STUDY: DONCASTER 20

05 GLOSSARY 22

06 BIBLIOGRAPHY 26

THE COUNCILLOR’SGUIDE TO URBAN DESIGN

The issue of good urban design is notabout some abstract ideal, it’s aboutcreating the right conditions to makeplaces work.

Sir Stuart Lipton, Chairman, CABE

Councillors have a key role to play in the delivery of high quality, well-designed places, both in the buildingsthey procure and by influencing thequality of all new development in theirareas through the planning system.

CABE is committed to supportingcouncillors in this important task andwe hope that this document, and thetraining seminar it accompanies, willhelp to build upon recent good practiceand deliver places that improvepeople’s quality of life and whichcouncillors can be proud to have been involved in.

FOREWORD

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Good urban design is not an abstractideal. It is a matter of creating the rightconditions to make places work, andthe planning system has a central role in achieving this aim.

Crucially, the planning system providesthe opportunity to ask:

• What sort of place do we want

• How can we promote the qualities we want

The planning system has always beenconcerned with getting the right mix of land uses, such as housing, retail orindustry, in the right location. Now werecognise that making successful placesalso depends on getting the physicalform of development right.

This has long been recognised inhistoric areas. But every town and city is special to the people who live or workthere. Urban design is relevant from thelargest to the smallest scale, and fromthe most historic town centre to thenewest suburban development.

Urban design is the process of shapingthe setting for life in cities, towns andvillages. It is a process that involvespoliticians; a wide range of people witha stake in an area; and many differentkinds of professionals. A successfuloutcome depends on these peopleworking effectively together.

Every day countless decisions are madethat have the potential to make a pieceof a city, town or village a little morelively, welcoming and pleasant, or a littlemore hostile, unpleasant or unsafe.These decisions can enhance or erode a place’s distinctive character.

Some of these decisions concern majordevelopments. But even the overalleffect of many small developments,such as house extensions, shopfrontsand infill schemes, can change a placedramatically for the better or worse overonly a few years. By focusing on qualityin urban design and architecture, theplanning system can make a difference.

Good urban design is a powerful tool forachieving a higher quality of life, greatereconomic vitality and a more efficientuse of resources. It is key to makingplaces where talented people will wantto live, and which will nurture economicsuccess.

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The purpose of this guide is not to show youhow to design, but howto think about design.

7DiversityEase of choiceA place with variety and mixed uses

• A mix of compatible uses and tenures• Variety of layout and building form• Diverse communities and cultures• Variety of architectural styles• Biodiversity

1CharacterSense of place and historyA place that responds to and reinforceslocally distinctive patterns ofdevelopment and landscape

• Distinctive landscapes• Natural features• Locally distinctive buildings• Streets and street patterns• Special spaces• Skylines and roofscapes• Building materials• Local culture and traditions• Avoiding standard solutions

2Continuity and enclosureClarity of formA place where public and private spaceare clearly distinguished

• Streets, footpaths and open spacesoverlooked by buildings

• Clear distinction between public andprivate space

• Avoiding gaps in the line of buildings• Enclosing streets and other spaces

by buildings and trees of a scale thatfeels comfortable and appropriate tothe character of the space

• No leftover spaces unused anduncared for

3Quality of the public realmSense of wellbeing and amenityA place with public spaces and routesthat are lively and pleasant to use

• A feeling of safety and security• Uncluttered and easily maintained• Carefully detailed with integrated

public art• Suited to the needs of everyone,

including disabled and elderly people• Well-designed lighting and street

furniture• Attractive and robust planting

4Ease of movementConnectivity and permeabilityA place that is easy to get to and move through

• Density highest where access to public transport is best

• Roads, footpaths and public spaces connected into well-used routes

• Easy accessibility• Direct routes that lead to where

people want to go• A choice of safe, high quality routes

5LegibilityEase of understandingA place that has a clear image and is easy to understand

• Landmarks and focal points• Views• Clear and easily navigable routes• Gateways to particular areas• Lighting• Works of art and craft• Signage and waymarkers

6AdaptabilityEase of changeA place that can change easily

• Flexible uses• Possibilities for gradual change• Buildings and areas adaptable to a

variety of present and future uses• Reuse of important historic buildings

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Successful streets, spaces, villages, towns and citiestend to have qualities in common. The fundamentalqualities of successful places, which all developmentmust contribute to, are outlined below.

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The qualities of successful placeoutlined above build upon theobjectives of urban design set out in By Design, the companion guideto Planning Policy Guidance Note 1General Policy and Principles (PPG1).

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The form of development is the physical expression of urban design. It consists of the relationships, shapeand size of buildings, structures and spaces. It willinfluence the users activity and movement in a placeand so is fundamental to the success of a place.

The most important elements of development form arelisted here. Each of these elements are informed by theseven urban design qualities described in section 01to create the physical components of a plan.

1Urban structureThe essential diagram of a placeshowing:

• The relationship between newdevelopment and nature, land formand existing buildings

• The framework of routes and spaces that connect locally and more widely, and the way developments, routes, open spaces and precincts relate to one another

2Urban grainThe nature and extent of thesubdivision of the area into smallerdevelopment parcels showing:

• The pattern and scale of streets, blocks and plots

• The rhythm of building frontages along the street as a reflection of the plot subdivision

3Density and mixThe amount of development and the range of uses this influences, to include:

• The intensity of activity relative to a place’s accessibility

• The place’s vitality relative to theproximity and range of uses

• The development’s viability

4Height and massingThe scale of a building in relation to:

• The arrangement, volume and shape of a building or group of buildings in relation to other buildings and spaces

• The size of parts of a building and itsdetails, particularly in relation to thesize of a person

• The impact on views, vistas andskylines

5Building type

• The size of the building floorplate itsstorey heights and means and locationof access

• The relationship of the building toadjacent buildings and how it relatesto external space at ground floor level

• The nature and extent of the building’ssetback at upper floors and roof treatment

6Facade and interfaceThe relationship of the building to the street:

• The rhythm, pattern and harmony ofits openings relative to its enclosure

• The nature of the setback, boundarytreatment and its frontage condition atstreet level

• The architectural expression of itsentrances, corners, roofscape andprojections

7Details and materialsThe appearance of the building in relation to:

• The art, craftsmanship, buildingtechniques and detail of the variousbuilding components true to localcontext

• The texture, colour, pattern, durabilityand treatment of its materials

• Materials sourced from local and/orsustainable sources, includingrecycled materials where possible

• The lighting, signage and treatment of shopfronts, entrances and buildingsecurity

8Streetscape and landscapeThe design of route and spaces,their microclimate, ecology andbiodiversity to include:

• Paving, planting and street furniture• The integration of public art, lighting,

signing and waymarkers• The treatment of parks, play areas,

natural features and recreation areas• Consideration of long term

management and maintenance issues

Urban structure

Urban grain

Density and mix

Height and massing

Building type

Facade and interface

Details and materials

Streetscape and landscapePublic Realm

Layout

Scale

Appearance

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CHARACTERTransforming the image and perceptionsof a stigmatised estate by adoptingcharacteristics of the surroundingterraces but without stylistic pastiche.

CONTINUITY AND ENCLOSURELegible block and street-based layoutenclosed by vertically proportionedmodern terraces.

QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC REALMPositive public spaces faced bybuildings, greater public safety and security, new five-a-side pitch.

EASE OF MOVEMENTNew route created across the estatelinking to bus services and school,interconnecting network of streets andmews providing a choice of routes.

LEGIBILITYCorners and mews access are givenarchitectural emphasis, there is a clearand easily understandable grid of streetsthat are better connected into thesurrounding street pattern.

ADAPTABILITYExisting buildings have been adapted tointroduce new uses and provide modernaccommodation standards. All homesare designed to Lifetime Homesstandard to facilitate future adaptation to residents’ needs.

DIVERSITYNew development provides a mix ofresidential tenure and introduces newcommercial and community uses.

Although the residential density has been slightly reduced by theredevelopment, a more varied mix ofnew uses has been introduced, makingefficient use of a site close to excellentbus services and local amenities. Energyefficiency of building construction hasbeen improved throughout andinnovative energy and waste recyclingmeasures are being introduced.

The following case studyillustrates urban designqualities and form ofdevelopment in practice.

BACKGROUNDOnce a notorious sink estate associatedwith crime, the Angell Town Estate insouth London has undergone a ten yearregeneration programme including theconversion and replacement of thehousing stock. Community leadershipand tenant management of the estatehave been important ingredients in thearea’s success. In partnership with aconsortium of Housing Associations,Lambeth Council commissioned sixarchitectural practices, each dealing withdifferent parts of the estate. Burrell FoleyFischer’s new housing has already wonawards including a 2002 RIBA Awardand a 2002 Housing Design Award.

The layout of the new housing to anoverall masterplan by John Thompsonand Partners has transformed deck-access flats with a rigid separation ofpedestrian and vehicular movement intoa street-based layout with entrances tohomes lining public spaces where oncethere had been only blank garage walls.The new layout has created legibleblocks with a clear distinction between

what is public space and what areprivate spaces for residents. Themonolithic concrete structures of theoriginal estate have been replaced with a finer grain of developmentexpressed through clean verticalproportions creating terraces in adistinctly modern idiom.

The new housing is complemented by conversion of some of the olderblocks, including accommodating new community and business uses inconverted car parking garages, and bynew landscaping and leisure facilities. In summary, the regeneration projectdelivers many of the qualities thatdistinguish successful places:

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WORKING TOGETHER

The quality of what comes out of theplanning process often depends on how effectively people both inside andoutside the local authority work together.

Everyone who:

• Guides and controls development

• Initiates and implements it

• Understands and interprets its context

• Designs and manages it

potentially has a part to play.

The creative process by which peoplecollaborate to build on commoninterests has to be managed. Managingthat process is itself a skill. Successdepends on using suitable approachesand techniques, holding the right sort of events, and involving the right people, in the right sequence and at theappropriate time.

The process of preparing urban designguidance can provide a particularlyimportant opportunity for this. Theprocess needs to be carefully plannedfrom the start, ensuring that thenecessary skills and resources are made available.

The guidance document, and its variousdrafts, should set out what has beenunderstood, and express conclusions in a form that people can agree to. Itsclear and logical structure should help to make the process open and easy tounderstand.

MONITORING AND REVIEW

Raising standards depends on learningfrom experience. A local authority shouldinvolve the people who make planningdecisions – including council members –in monitoring the quality of what getsbuilt and reviewing the council’s urbandesign guidance in the light of it.

Regular visits to completed projects willhelp everyone reflect on the decisionsthey took and on the impact made byofficers in negotiating changes to initialschemes.

PROTECTING DESIGNQUALITY AFTER APPROVAL

Too often what looked like a well-designed scheme when it receivedplanning permission turns out to be of poor quality when it is actually built. A local authority needs to ensure thatdevelopers’ commitment to gooddesigners, and the right materials and details, is maintained through to completion.

CHAMPIONING QUALITY

For design quality to be delivered itneeds leadership and championing. Alocal authority design champion may bethe means of delivering this leadership.The champion should be a seniorcouncillor supported by skilled officers.

The design champion would:

• Provide a symbol of commitment to good design

• Create leadership to generateenthusiasm and commitment fordesign quality and provide a point of contact for external bodies

• Co-ordinate effort across the authority,joining up different departments andcombating organisational ghettos

• Promote the benefits of good designand ensure every new investment inthe built environment, from a buildingto a road-crossing, is of high quality

• Ensure all investment is seen as apiece of urban or rural design, ratherthan in isolation

DESIGN SKILLS

Most development, including that whichrequires planning permission and thatbuilt under permitted development,consists of small scale domesticprojects such as house extensions. Veryoften, such development is designed bysomeone with little or no design training.Such people (including some plandrawers, house-builders andhouseholders) are an important targetaudience for design guidance and forinitiatives aimed at raising standards.

• The effectiveness of the planningtoolkit in raising standards of urbandesign depends on how it is used

• The extent to which the planningprocess facilitates good design willdepend on the skills, knowledge andattitudes of the participants – fromplanning applicants to councilmembers

• Currently half of all local authoritieshave no design skills at all among their officers

Councillors have an important role toplay in ensuring that their local authorityhas in place the right level of designskills to secure an informed andproactive planning process.

If the skills to produce urban designframeworks and development briefs are not available within a local authority,the council may well not be up tonegotiating with developers aboutdesign issues or assessing the designmerits of planning applications. It maybe appropriate to commission externalurban design consultants for specifictasks if design skills are not availableamong the council’s staff. But there is no substitute for the council itself havingofficers with a high level of design skill.

Everyone who makes policy, shapes opinions, setsbudgets, selects designers, writes briefs or assessesproposals can play a part in raising standards.

Many local authorities know that getting the best out of development depends on going beyond theminimum requirements of the statutory planningsystem.

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Protecting Design Quality in Planningis a guide intended particularly forplanning authorities and focuses onthe tools and techniques thatplanners use to protect designquality.

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ARCHITECTURE AND BUILTENVIRONMENT CENTRES

There is a growing network ofarchitecture and built environmentcentres. Such a centre is a building ororganisation that provides a focus for a range of activities and services (suchas discussions, information, exhibitions,training, collaboration and professionalservices) relating to design anddevelopment. It can provide a neutralground and a public face for the design debate locally and regionally. For more information visitwww.architecturecentre.net

DESIGN INITIATIVES

Some local authorities run successfuldesign initiatives that raise the profile of design locally through exhibitions,competitions, discussions, awards and publications.

DESIGN AWARDS

Local design awards can be an effectiveway of encouraging the best clients,design champions and designers, and ofraising the public profile of good design.

DESIGN ADVISORY PANELS

A number of local authorities use design advisory panels (also known asarchitectural advisory panels) to helpthem assess the design aspects ofplanning applications. Some panels meetfrequently to consider relevant items onthe planning committee agenda. Othersbecome involved only where there is adispute between an architect or designerand a planning officer, which can nototherwise be resolved.

The skills and experience of a designadvisory panel may be best used byinvolving it at an early stage in theplanning process, such as in thepreparation of design policies and urban design guidance.

DESIGN COMPETITIONS

A design competition can help to ensure a high standard of design fordevelopment on an important site. Theprocess must be carefully planned, andthe competition will be successful only if there is a good brief. The competitionprocess can help to raise expectationsand public interest.

BEST VALUE

Local government has a duty to deliverBest Value by providing good quality and affordable services in line with localdemands and to seek continuous service improvement over time.

A key element in the monitoring of BestValue is the setting of targets measuredby Performance Indicators, both statutoryand local.

Understanding and delivering good urbandesign can help authorities to meet theirstatutory Best Value targets in Planningby achieving excellence in its urbandesign and conservation service. This willhelp deliver a high quality, locally distinctand valued built environment.

Good urban design can also helpauthorities meet their statutory targets for education, housing, social services,community safety and culture by theprovision of well designed andappropriate buildings and environment.

Research by CABE demonstrates thatgood design:

• Generates economic and social andenvironmental value

• Delivers high investment returns

• Helps to attract investors

• Enhances workforce performance and satisfaction

• Increases occupier's prestige

• Opens up new investmentopportunities

• Delivers accessible places to all

• Benefits all stakeholders

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT:THE COUNCIL AS CLIENT

When the local authority is itself thelandowner or client for development it has a real opportunity to show itscommitment to quality. The route toprocuring good design in thesecircumstances must be carefullyconsidered.

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THE PLANNING PROCESS

The countless decisions that councillorsmake which shape a place are, in a realsense, design decisions. The planningtoolkit offers us the chance to influencethem.

• Councils approve or reject planningapplications

• Members take decisions drawing onthe recommendations of officers

• Decisions must be fair and transparent

• A local authority can be reactive andwait for applications, or proactive,setting the agenda and influencingevents

• There is no replacement for skilleddesign professionals within planningdepartments

For a particular site or area, finding theappropriate balance between what maybe conflicting objectives depends on fivefactors that influence the developmentprocess.

These are:

• Policy set out mainly by central andlocal government

• Feasibility based on anunderstanding of economic andmarket conditions

• Context of the site, its setting,adjacent land uses and local heritageissues

• Community involvement, includingthose directly affected by the schemeby virtue of proximity, local amenitygroups and the wider community

• Approach of the design team and the people who manage and plan the design process

They are important because:

• If policy is not in place or is given toolittle weight there is a lack of clarity fordevelopers, a proposed development may conflict with objectives of goodurban design and fail to get planningpermission

• If too little weight is given to feasibility,the proposal (or the development) mayfail commercially or economically

• If too little weight is given to localcontext, the development may fail toachieve its potential or suffer fromunexpected problems

• If too little weight is given tocommunity involvement, the proposalmay be derailed by local oppositionand/or trust in the authority may bedamaged

• If the design approach isinappropriate, the site’s opportunitieswill be missed and standards ofdesign will be low

For a significant amount of small-scaledevelopment, a planning application isnot required. Such development canoften, though, be influenced by localauthorities’ design guidance.

PROACTIVE PLANNING

By taking the initiative in planning, alocal authority can save time that mightbe wasted at a later stage innegotiations on ill-conceived planningapplications, and in appeals that mighthave been avoided. Proactive planning –through pre-application discussions anddesign guidance, for example – can helpthe council meet its planning deadlines.(Pre-application discussions shouldinvolve council officers, not members.)

Understanding what is likely to becommercially feasible is key toharnessing the development process to achieve the goals of public policy.

The timing of the planning processshould be influenced by the pace of the development process. Taking theinitiative depends on the local authorityunderstanding which sites are likely tobe subject to development pressure.

MULTI-DISCIPLINARYWORKING

Getting the best out of the council’sofficers will depend on all departments(including planning, highways andtransportation, housing, economicdevelopment) working together. Inparticular policy planners, developmentcontrollers, conservation officers, urbandesigners and architects, need tocollaborate closely to encourage good design.

NATIONAL PLANNINGPOLICY GUIDANCE

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs) set out the Government’s policies on different aspects of planning and urban design.

Local authorities must take them intoaccount in preparing their developmentplans.

Relevant PPGs will also be material to decisions on individual planning applications and appeals.

The issue of design is covered primarilyin PPG1, though most PPGs providesome guidance on design.

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The local authorities that are achieving significantimprovements in design quality in their area tend to be those giving a consistent message that designmatters at all stages.

This section outlines the tools currently available toplanning authorities. Used effectively, these tools candeliver the high quality of design and environmentthat people are increasingly demanding.

THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The local authority’s development plansets out the policies against whichdevelopment proposals will be assessed.

Every plan starts with a vision. Do wewant this to be the competitive town, the legible city, the city of innovation,environment town, city of architecture,city of culture? What civic aspirations do we hope development will reflect and support?

Every place needs a vision of what itwants to be: how it should respond tochange, compete with other places, orpreserve its unique qualities.

The development plan should include:

• Its main aims, objectives and targets

• General design policies – at leastcovering the seven urban designqualities

• Specific design policies

• Area-specific

• Site-specific

• Topic-based

• Process-based (describing how certainaspects of the planning process shouldwork)

The key to producing good policy and guidance is to think about whichqualities are most important and which aspects of form are relevant.

SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE

Further explanation of the plan’s policieswill be provided in supplementaryplanning guidance (SPG) and provideshelpful guidance for those preparingplanning applications.

SPG is prepared in consultation with the public, and is formally adopted by the council.

Planning inspectors and the DeputyPrime Minister will give substantial weightto supplementary planning guidance as a ‘material consideration’ in makingplanning decisions at appeal (or after an application has been ‘called in’ by the Secretary of State).

URBAN DESIGN GUIDANCE

Urban design guidance is an overall term for SPG documents that guidedevelopers and their designers (andother agents) in planning and designingdevelopment. It can be prepared by local authorities, landowners,developers, partnerships, and businessand community organisations (all of whom should be involved in theprocess), or by several of these jointly.

There are four main types of guidance:

1 Guidance relating to specific places. • Urban design frameworks (for areas)• Village and town design statements• Development briefs (for sites)• Masterplans (also for sites)

2 Guidance relating to specific topics(design guides). These cover topicssuch as shopfronts, house extensions,lighting and cycling.

3 Guidance relating to specific policies.Examples are policies on conservationareas, transport corridors, waterfronts,promenades and green belts.

4 Guidance relating to a whole localauthority area. These may give generalurban design guidance for the wholedistrict or county.

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USING URBAN DESIGNGUIDANCE

The effectiveness of the guidance willdepend on council officers (developmentcontrol planners as well as urbandesigners) and council members beingcommitted to it.

The guidance should be used as a basisfor discussions and negotiations withdevelopers, and for decisions onplanning applications.

This commitment can be built byinvolving these people in preparing the guidance, and by the councilorganising seminars for councillors and officers on particular guidance and on the use of guidance in general.

URBAN DESIGNFRAMEWORKS

An urban design framework is adocument describing and illustratinghow planning and design policies andprinciples should be implemented in an area where there is a need to control, guide and promote change.

Such areas include urban quarters,transport interchanges and corridors,regeneration areas, town centres, urbanedges, housing estates, conservationareas, villages, new settlements, urbanareas of special landscape value, andsuburban areas identified as beingsuitable for more intense development.

The area may be one that is likely to be developed in several phases and byseveral developers. It is likely to be inmultiple ownerships.

An urban design framework often coversan area only part of which is likely to bedeveloped in the near future.

Urban design frameworks are used toco-ordinate more detailed developmentbriefs and masterplan.

The framework includes a vision offuture infrastructure requirements.

CREATING SUCCESSFULPLACES THROUGHMASTERPLANNINGTo be published early 2004

This forthcoming guide adopts thedefinition of a masterplan provided in Towards an Urban Renaissancewhich states ‘the spatial masterplanestablishes a three-dimensional

framework of buildings and publicspaces’. It is a sophisticated ‘model’ that:

• allows us to understand the publicspaces between buildings

• shows how the streets, squares andopen spaces of a neighbourhood are to be connected

• defines the heights, massing and bulkof buildings

• controls the relationship betweenbuildings and public spaces

• determines the distribution of uses

• controls the network of movementpatterns for people moving by foot,cycle, car or public transport

• allows us to understand how well a new urban neighbourhood isintegrated with the surrounding urbancontext and natural environment

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DESIGN STATEMENTS

A planning application and its relateddesign statements should take thecouncil through the thought processesthat have gone into the design.

Design statements are a means of helping developers explain theirproposals to the local authority.

A developer makes a pre-applicationdesign statement to explain the designprinciples on which a developmentproposal in progress is based. Thisenables the local authority to give aninitial response to the main issues raisedby the proposal.

An applicant for planning permissionsubmits a design statement with theplanning application, setting out thedesign principles adopted in relation to the site and its wider context.

DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

Development control is the processthrough which a local authoritydetermines whether (or with whatconditions) a proposal for developmentshould be granted planning permission.

How the development control process is used will determine how far thedesign policies in development plansand supplementary planning guidanceare respected and applied.

Development control should be seen as a positive means of guiding planningapplicants towards fulfilling both theirown objectives and those of publicpolicy.

ENFORCEMENT

Enforcement procedures exist in orderto ensure that schemes which havereceived planning permission are builtaccording to the plans approved by thelocal authority and any conditions whichmay be placed upon the approval; forexample, controlling the type of externalmaterials used. Much enforcement workalso relates to ensuring that the relevantpermissions are sought for certain typesof development.

Local planning authorities need tobecome more confident to pursueenforcement action in cases wherequality of design has been regarded asan important issue in the determinationof the original application.

PLANNING APPEALS

There is widespread evidence ofproposals of low design quality beinggranted planning permission because alocal authority is not confident that it’sdecision can be defended should theapplicant appeal against a refusal.

However, where local authorities are able to back up their decisions with clear local design policies,supplementary planning guidance (SPG)and/or expert advice; there is strongevidence of support from the PlanningInspectorate.

DEVELOPMENT BRIEFS

A development brief is a documentproviding guidance on how a specificsite of significant size or sensitivityshould be developed in line with therelevant planning and design policies.

A development brief usually covers a site most of which is likely to bedeveloped in the near future. The site is likely to be in a single ownership.

The brief will usually contain someindicative, but flexible, vision of futuredevelopment form.

MASTERPLAN

The term ‘masterplan’ is often used to describe all types of urban designguidance, but it is more useful to reserveit for the particular type of guidancedescribed here.

A masterplan (in the more specificsense) is a document that charts themasterplanning process and explainshow a site or a series of sites will bedeveloped.

It will describe how the proposal will be implemented, and set out the costs,phasing and timing of development.

A masterplan will usually be prepared by or on behalf of an organisation thatowns the site or controls thedevelopment process.

As with all design guidance, the purposeof a masterplan is to set out principleson matters of importance, not toprescribe in detail how developmentshould be designed. But a masterplanshould show in some detail how theprinciples are to be implemented.

Urban design guidance can have thestatus of SPG if it is consistent with the development plan, if it has beenprepared in consultation with the public,and if the local planning authority hasformally adopted it.

DESIGN CODES

An urban design guidance documentmay include a design code when adegree of prescription is appropriate.

A design code sets out with someprecision (with detailed drawings ordiagrams) how the guidance’s designand planning principles should beapplied. It provides developers with a template within which to designindividual buildings. The code may cover a group of buildings, a street or a whole area.

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THE PLANNING TOOLKIT IN PRACTICE

This South Yorkshire town was hit bythe industrial decline of its two traditionalindustries – coal mining and rail wagonmanufacture during the 1980s. This ledto the town struggling to find a newidentity and economy. These difficulties,that are widespread through the region,were recognised with Objective Onestatus.

The town is fortunate in that its excellentlocation has allowed it to develop newindustries based on logistics andmanufacturing. It suffers, however, from low education and skills.

In 2002 the Regional DevelopmentAgency began a pilot initiative for therenaissance of six Yorkshire towns as its response to the Urban Task Forcereport. This initiative looked for thedevelopment of a 25-year vision for therenaissance of each town by a team ofurban design consultants that was firmly based on the partnership andinvolvement of the local community and included capacity building for both the community at large and the local council.

This involved the creation of a ‘TownTeam’ made up from local business,community representatives, faith andeducation organisations and the localcouncil. The Town Team participated in several months of seminars andworkshops on the principles of urban design and why a quality environmentwas important economically, socially andvisually. The culmination of this was aweekend of workshops and events withthe general public exploring andagreeing a 25-year vision. The weekendactivities included context appraisals of the town to enable a betterunderstanding of the built environment.This information was then examined inworkshops and a series of guidingprinciples developed to address a rangeof contentious and complex issues. A specific workshop for young peoplewas also held. A film that recorded thisprocess has since been used to furthercommunicate the Renaissance processto the wider public.

The agreed vision was set out in a Town Charter and distributed throughlibraries, schools and council offices forwidespread public consultation. Thevision has now been refined into amasterplan which was again developedin partnership with the Town Team and

is now out for public consultation. Tocommunicate the proposals to the widerpublic a model was constructed of theproposed masterplan and this was thecentrepiece of a public exhibition held inthe town centre. This model was verypopular and allowed in-depth discussionover the range of issues and choices tobe made. After the public consultation,the Council propose that the masterplanwill become Supplementary PlanningGuidance.

Arising from this masterplan document, a development brief and design guidehave been commissioned. These willexamine and provide in-depth guidanceto developers on a specific developmentsite with complex issues, which has beenidentified for an urban village. The designguide has provided more detail on thedevelopment of the public realm alongthe waterfront.

The Town Team has remained involvedthroughout the renaissance process andwill now act as a ‘Critical Friend’ to theelected Mayor. Their role being todisseminate to the wider publicinformation on the town’s renaissanceprocess, the organisation of designevents and training and to help raise theprofile of the importance of design in the

built environment. They will also have aparticular focus on maintaining the visionbehind the masterplan and seeing it isdelivered. A core group from the TownTeam, supplemented by local planningand design experts would form a DesignPanel which would meet on a regularbasis to provide planning and designadvice to the Council on specificplanning proposals.

A further initiative of the Town Team andCouncil is the creation of a DoncasterArchitecture and Design Centre with themasterplan model as a central exhibit.This will provide resources andinformation on architecture and design as well as providing a one-stop shop forinformation on the renaissance process.

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the context for individual communities toprepare village design statements.

defensible space Public and semi-publicspace that is ‘defensible’ in the sense that it issurveyed, demarcated or maintained bysomebody. Derived form Oscar Newman’s1973 study of the same name, and animportant concept in securing public safetyin urban areas, defensible space is alsodependent upon the existence of escaperoutes and the level of anonymity which canbe anticipated by the users of space.

density The mass or floorspace of a buildingor buildings in relation to an area of land.Density can be expressed in terms of plotratio (for commercial development); homesor habitable rooms per hectare (for residentialdevelopment); site coverage plus the numberof floors or a maximum building height;space standards; or a combination of these.

design advisory panel A group of people(often architects) with specialist knowledge,which meets regularly or occasionally toadvise a local authority on the design meritsof planning applications or other designissues.

design and build An arrangement wherebya single contractor designs and builds adevelopment, rather than a contractorbuilding it to the design of an independentarchitect. Design and build generallyproduces buildings that are relatively cheapand easy to build, using the methods withwhich the builder is most familiar. Standardsof design are often low.

design audit An independent assessment ofa design, carried out for a local authority by consultants, another local authority or some other agency.

design champion A person responsible forensuring that a particular organisation – alocal authority, regional development agency,health authority or government department,for example – promotes high standards ofdesign throughout its work.

design code A document (usually withdetailed drawings or diagrams) setting outwith some precision the design and planningprinciples that will apply to development in a particular place.

design coordinator One who manages thedesign process in a development project,particularly liaising between the developerand the local authority.

design guidance A generic term fordocuments providing guidance on howdevelopment can be carried out inaccordance with the planning and designpolicies of a local authority or otherorganisation.

design guide Design guidance on a specific topic such as shopfronts or houseextensions, or relating to all kinds ofdevelopment in a specific area.

design policy Relates to the form andappearance of development, rather than the land use.

design principle An expression of one of the basic design ideas at the heart of an urban design framework, design guide,development brief or design code. Each

such planning tool should have its own set of design principles.

design quality indicator A method ofassessing the quality of buildings in terms of ‘build quality’, ‘functionality’ and ‘impact’.It was developed by the ConstructionIndustry Council and launched in 2003. See www.dqi.org.uk.

design standards Produced by districts and unitary authorities, usually to quantifymeasures of health and safety in residentialareas.

design statement A developer can make a pre-application design statement to explain the design principles on which adevelopment proposal in progress is based.It enables the local authority to give an initialresponse to the main issues raised by the proposal. An applicant for planningpermission can submit a planning applicationdesign statement with the application, settingout the design principles adopted in relationto the site and its wider context. Governmentadvice (Planning Policy Guidance Note 1)encourages an applicant for planningpermission to submit such a writtenstatement to the local authority.

design workshop A participative event,ranging in length from a couple of hours to several days, which brings together arange of people (often local people andprofessional advisors) to discuss designissues. A workshop may or may not usetechniques of collaborative design. Alsoknown as a charrette.

design-led development (or regeneration)Development whose form is largely shapedby strong design ideas.

desire line An imaginary line linking facilitiesor places which people would find itconvenient to travel between easily.

development appraisal A structuredassessment of the characteristics of a siteand an explanation of how they have beentaken into account in drawing updevelopment principles.

development brief A document providingguidance on how a specific site of significantsize or sensitivity should be developed in line with the relevant planning and designpolicies. It will usually contain someindicative, but flexible, vision of futuredevelopment form. A development briefusually covers a site most of which is likely to be developed in the near future. The terms‘planning brief’ and ‘design brief’ are alsosometimes used. These came into use at a time when government policy was thatplanning and design should be kept separatein design guidance. The term ‘developmentbrief’ avoids that unworkable distinction.

development control The process throughwhich a local authority determines whether(and with what conditions) a proposal fordevelopment should be granted planningpermission.

development form See form.

development plan Prepared by a localauthority to describe the intended use ofland in an area and provide a basis forconsidering planning applications. Every

area is covered either by a unitarydevelopment plan or by a development plan comprising more than one document (a structure plan and a local plan, andsometimes also other plans relating tominerals and waste). The development plansets out the policies and proposals againstwhich planning applications will be assessed.Its context is set by national and regionalplanning policy guidance.

development Statutorily defined under theTown and Country Planning Act 1990 as ‘thecarrying out of building, engineering, miningor other operation in, on, over or under land,or the making of any material change in theuse of any building or other land’. Mostforms of development require planningpermission.

development team (i) The people workingtogether to bring about a particulardevelopment. (ii) Local authority officersworking collaboratively in dealing withdevelopment proposals rather than each carrying out their own section’sresponsibilities individually.

elevation (i) An external face of a building.(ii) A diagrammatic drawing of this. (iii) The height of a site above sea level.

enabling development (i) Commercialdevelopment whose profitability makespossible a related development or restorationof social, historic or environmental value.(ii) Development (such as building an accessroad) that is necessary for carrying outanother development.

enclosure The use of buildings to create a sense of defined space.

energy efficiency The result of minimisingthe use of energy through the way in whichbuildings are constructed and arranged on site.

enquiry by design A form of urban designand planning charrette or workshop in whichstakeholders in a proposed development,including local authorities, residents,developers, landowners, voluntary groups,employers and retailers, collaborate inproducing a masterplan through a workshopthat can last up to a week.

eyes on the street People whose presencein adjacent buildings or on the street make itfeel safer.

facade The principal face of a building.

feasibility The appropriateness ofdevelopment in relation to economic andmarket conditions.

fenestration The arrangement of windowson a facade.

figure/ground (or figure and grounddiagram) A plan showing the relationshipbetween built form and publicly accessiblespace (including streets and the interiors ofpublic buildings such as churches) bypresenting the former in black and the latteras a white background, or the other wayround.

fine grain The quality of an area’s layout ofbuilding blocks and plots having small andfrequent subdivisions.

Shortened extracts from By Design(ODPM/CABE, 2000) and The Dictionary of Urbanism (Streetwise Press, 2003)

accessibility The ease with which a building,place or facility can be reached by peopleand/or goods and services. Accessibility canbe shown on a plan or described in terms of pedestrian and vehicle movements,walking distance from public transport, travel time or population distribution.

adaptability The capacity of a building or space to respond to changing social,technological, economic and marketconditions.

amenity Something that contributes to anarea’s environmental, social, economic orcultural needs. The term’s meaning is amatter for the exercise of planners’discretion, rather than being defined in law.

appearance combination of the aspects of a place or building that determine the visualimpression it makes.

architecture and built environment centreA building or organisation that provides a focus for a range of activities and services(such as discussions, information,exhibitions, training, collaboration andprofessional services) relating to design andplanning. See www.architecturecentre.net.

area appraisal An assessment of an area’sland uses, built and natural environment, and social and physical characteristics.

authenticity The quality of a place wherethings are what they seem: where buildingsthat look old are old, and where the social and cultural values that the place seems toreflect did actually shape it.

background building A building that is not a distinctive landmark.

backland development The development of sites at the back of existing development,such as back gardens.

barrier An obstacle to movement.

best value The process through which localauthorities work for continuous improvementin the services they provide. Local authoritiesare required to challenge why a particularservice is needed; compare performanceacross a range of indicators; consult on thesetting of new performance targets; andshow that services have been procuredthrough a competitive process. Councils aresubject to independent best value audits bythe Best Value Inspectorate, an offshoot of the Audit Commission.

block The area bounded by a set of streetsand undivided by any other significantstreets.

brief This guide refers to site-specific briefsas development briefs. Site-specific briefs are also called a variety of other names,including design briefs, planning briefs and development frameworks.

building element A feature (such as a door,window or cornice) that contributes to theoverall design of a building.

building envelope guidelines Diagram(s)with dimensions showing the possible siteand massing of a building.

building line The line formed by thefrontages of buildings along a street. Thebuilding line can be shown on a plan orsection.

building shoulder height The top of abuilding’s main facade.

built environment The entire ensemble ofbuildings, neighbourhoods and cities withtheir infrastructure.

built form Buildings and structures.

bulk The combined effect of thearrangement, volume and shape of a buildingor group of buildings. Also called massing.

character appraisal Techniques (particularlyas developed by English Heritage) forassessing the qualities of conservation areas.

character area An area with a distinctcharacter, identified as such so that it can beprotected or enhanced by planning policy.The degree of protection is less strong thanin a conservation area.

character assessment An area appraisalemphasising historical and culturalassociations.

charrette See design workshop

collaboration Any arrangement of peopleworking together, such as betweendepartments, between councillors andofficials, within partnerships, between localauthorities, between local authorities anddevelopers, and with the public.

conservation area advisory group A groupof people with specialist knowledge, whichmeets regularly or occasionally to advise alocal authority on the merits of planningapplications, or other planning and designissues in a conservation area.

conservation area character appraisalA published document defining the specialarchitectural or historic interest thatwarranted the area being designated.

conservation area One designated by alocal authority under the Town and CountryPlanning (Listed Buildings and ConservationAreas) Act 1990 as possessing specialarchitectural or historical interest. The councilwill seek to preserve or enhance thecharacter and appearance of such areas.

context (or site and area) appraisalA detailed analysis of the features of a site or area (including land uses, built and naturalenvironment, and social and physicalcharacteristics) which serves as the basis for an urban design framework, developmentbrief, design guide, or other policy orguidance.

context The setting of a site or area.

countryside design summary A descriptiveanalysis explaining the essential designrelationship between the landscape,settlement patterns and buildings. From thisanalysis the document draws principles thatcan be applied to development in the areaand sets out the implications of the choicesopen to designers. As supplementaryplanning guidance prepared by a localauthority, the summary can encourage amore regionally and locally based approachto design and planning. It can also provide0

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ESSENTIAL READINGCABE (2002) Better Civic Buildings and Spaces

CABE (2002) The Value of Good Design

DETR and CABE (2000) By Design: urban design in the planning system,towards better practice, Thomas TelfordPublishing.

DTLR and CABE (2001) Better Places to Live: a companion guide to PPG3,Thomas Telford Publishing.

Llewelyn-Davies (2000) Urban DesignCompendium, English Partnerships and theHousing Corporation, London.

FURTHER READINGBentley, I. Et al (1985) ResponsiveEnvironments: a manual for designers,London, Architectural Press.

CABE (2000) Better Public Buildings.

CABE (2000) Guidance on Tall Buildings.

CABE (2002) Improving Standards of Design in the Procurement of Public Building.

CABE (2002) The Value of Housing Designand Layout, Thomas Telford.

CABE and English Heritage (2001) Building in Context New Development in Historic Areas.

Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T. and Tiesdell,S. (2003) Public Space – Urban Spaces: the dimensions of urban design,Architectural Press, Oxford.

Context: (1998) New Buildings in HistoricSettings, Architectural Press.

Cowan, R. Urban Design Guidance: urbandesign frameworks, development briefsand masterplans, Thomas Telford Publishing.

Cullen, G (1961) Townscape, London,Architectural Press.

Cullingworth, B. and Nadin, V. (1997) Townand Country Planning in the UK (twelfthedition), Routledge, London.

DETR (1998) Places, Streets andMovement: a companion guide to Design,Bulletin 32.

DTLR and CABE (2001) The Value of UrbanDesign, Thomas Telford Publishing.

English Partnerships, Urban DesignCompendium.

Kostof, Spiro (1991) The City Shaped: urbanpatterns and meaning throughout history,London, Bullfinch.

Kostof, Spiro (1992) The City Assembled:the elements of urban form through history,Boston, Bullfinch.

ODPM PPG1 General Policy and Principles.

ODPM PPG3 Housing.

ODPM PPG6 Town Centres and Retail Development.

ODPM PPG13 Transport.

ODPM PPG 15 Planning and the Historic Environment.

ODPM (1998) Training in Planning for Councillors.

Punter, J. and Carmona, M. (1997) TheDesign Dimension of Planning: theory,content and best practice for designpolicies, E. and F.N. Spon, London.

Urban Design Group (2002) Masterplansand Design Framework.

Urban Task Force (1999) Towards an UrbanRenaissance, Executive Summary DETR.

Wates, N. (2000) The Community PlanningHandbook, Earthscan.

WEBSITESCABE www.cabe.org.uk(For copies of all of CABE’s publications)

ODPM www.odpm.gov.uk

The Urban Design Alliance www.udal.org.uk

The Urban Design Group www.udg.org.uk

English Heritage www.english-heritage.org.uk

Design Quality Indicatorswww.dqi.org.uk

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Images courtesy of Urban Initiatives and Mark Ellis. Design: DUFFY November 2003

24

flagship project One intended to have thehighest profile of all the elements of aregeneration scheme.

floorplate The area of a single floor of abuilding.

form The layout (structure and urban grain),density, scale (height and massing),appearance (materials and details) and landscape of development.

grain See urban grain.

in-curtilage parking Parking within abuilding’s site boundary, rather than on a public street or space.

indicative sketch A drawing of buildingforms and spaces which is intended to guidewhomever will later prepare the actualdesign.

landmark A building or structure that stands out from the background buildings.

landscape The appearance of land,including its shape, form, colours andelements, the way these (including those ofstreets) components combine in a way thatis distinctive to particular localities, the waythey are perceived, and an area’s cultural and historical associations.

layout The way buildings, routes and openspaces are placed in relation to each other.

legibility The degree to which a place canbe easily understood by its users and theclarity of the image it presents to the widerworld.

lifetime homes With an emphasis onaccessibility, Lifetime Homes have a numberof design features which make the homeflexible enough to cope with whatever comes along in life. Part M of the BuildingRegulations require all new homes to include Lifetime Home features.

live edge Provided by a building or otherfeature whose use is directly accessible from the street or space which it faces; the opposite effect to a blank wall.

local distinctiveness The positive featuresof a place and its communities whichcontribute to its special character and senseof place.

massing The combined effect of thearrangement, volume and shape of a buildingor group of buildings. This is also called bulk.

mixed uses A mix of complementary useswithin a building, on a site or within aparticular area. ‘Horizontal’ mixed uses areside by side, usually in different buildings.‘Vertical’ mixed uses are on different floors of the same building.

mobility The ability of people to move roundan area, including carers of young children,older people, people with mobility or sensoryimpairments, or those encumbered withluggage or shopping.

movement People and vehicles going to and passing through buildings, places andspaces.

natural surveillance (or supervision) The discouragement to wrong-doing by the presence of passers-by or the ability

of people to see out of windows. Also knownas passive surveillance (or supervision).

node A place where activity and routes areconcentrated.

performance criterion/criteria A means ofassessing the extent to which a developmentachieves a particular functional requirement(such as maintaining privacy). This compareswith a standard, which specifies moreprecisely how a development is to bedesigned (by setting out minimum distancesbetween buildings, for example).

permeability The degree to which a placehas a variety of pleasant, convenient and saferoutes through it.

permitted development Small scale, oftendomestic, development which does notrequire formal planning permission provided itcomplies with criteria set out in Governmentlegislation.

perspective A drawing showing the viewfrom a particular point as it would be seen by the human eye.

placecheck A type of urban design auditadvocated by the Urban Design Alliance. A local collaborative alliance or partnershipuses checklists to investigate how a placecan be improved.

planning for real A participation technique(pioneered by the Neighbourhood InitiativesFoundation) that involves residents and otherstakeholders making a model of their areaand using it to help them determine prioritiesfor the future.

planning inspectorate Government agencywhich administers the Planning Appealssystem.

plot ratio A measurement of densityexpressed as gross floor area divided by the net site area.

proactive development control Anyprocess by which a local authority works withplanning applicants to improve the quality ofdevelopment proposals as early as possiblein period before a planning application issubmitted.

public realm The parts of a village, town orcity (whether publicly or privately owned) thatare available, without charge, for everyone touse or see, including streets, squares andparks. Also called public domain.

scale The size of a building in relation to its surroundings, or the size of parts of abuilding or its details, particularly in relation to the size of a person.

section A drawing showing a slice through a building or site.

settlement pattern The distinctive way thatthe roads, paths and buildings are laid out in a particular place.

sight line The direct line from a viewer to an object.

strategic view The line of sight from aparticular point to an important landmark orskyline.

street furniture Structures in and adjacent tothe highway which contribute to the street

scene, such as bus shelters, litter bins,seating, lighting and signs.

topography A description or representationof artificial or natural features on or of theground.

urban design The art of making places.Urban design involves the design ofbuildings, groups of buildings, spaces andlandscapes, in villages, towns and cities, and the establishment of frameworks andprocesses that facilitate successfuldevelopment.

urban design framework A documentsetting out how development plan policiesshould be implemented in a particular areawhere there is a need to control, guide andpromote change. Such areas includetransport interchanges and corridors,regeneration areas, town centres, urbanedges, housing estates, conservation areas,villages, new settlements, urban areas ofspecial landscape value, and suburban areasidentified as being suitable for more intensedevelopment.

urban grain The pattern of the arrangementand size of buildings and their plots in asettlement; and the degree to which anarea’s pattern of street-blocks and streetjunctions is respectively small and frequent,or large and infrequent.

urban structure The framework of routesand spaces that connect locally and morewidely, and the way developments, routesand open spaces relate to one another.

vernacular The way in which ordinarybuildings were built in a particular placebefore local styles, techniques and materialswere superseded by imports.

village appraisal A study identifying a localcommunity’s needs and priorities.

village design statement An advisorydocument, usually produced by a villagecommunity, showing how development canbe carried out in harmony with the villageand its setting.

visual clutter The uncoordinatedarrangement of street furniture, signs andother features.

walk band A line on a map or plan showingthe furthest distance that can be walked from a particular point at an average pace in acertain time (usually five or ten minutes).

T 020 7960 2400F 020 7960 2444E enquiries@cabe.org.ukW www.cabe.org.uk

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