Quality and Density Task Group Home Page

21-May-10

The Quality and Density Task Group was formed in April 2007 with the following aims:

To explore the issues between meeting housing supply targets while maintaining a high standard of design quality

Working through principles to help planners and urban designers achieve genuinely sustainable development

The Building for Life agenda and beyond

Current Activity

Urban Design Network Regional Events: In 2010 we will be hosting workshops around the UK on quality and density, to both share and gather information on the topic. Events have now been held in Liverpool and Cardiff but more are in planning. However, we will welcome more member input either as a speaker, as an event organiser or facilitator. So if you're able to assist, please let us know. Send your emails to urban.design@rtpi.org.uk.

Quality and Density – seeking Suburban and new settlements and Rural examples: The Network is in the process of developing a series of case studies outlining good practice in a range of scenarios: super density, infill, suburban and new settlements and rural. Having been sent a number of proposed case studies from Network members - see this Case Studies page (thanks to those members who have contributed) - we are now concentrating on selecting the best examples and ‘filling the gaps’ – particularly in terms of suburban and new settlements and rural where we need more examples, and location across the UK. Can you help? Please send an outline of the project and photos to urban.design@rtpi.org.uk.

Background to the group

One of the first activities that the group was been involved with is the development of the RTPI Planning Convention 2008 Workshop: “Making places, not numbers - the housing growth quality challenge”.

The central issue of the workshop was “Delivering Sustainable Design” - creating long term sustainability by promoting urban design principles in housing growth areas. This will be underpinned by other issues central to the housing growth quality challenge, including:

Place-making: Ensuring that the most sustainable sites are used for development and that the design process, layout structure and form provide a development that is appropriate to the local context and supports a sustainable community.
Development without compromise: Maximising development opportunities without compromising design both in new development and in the conversion of existing buildings.

The group is seeking to pursue these concepts in collaboration with CABE. See the workshop slides