Urban Design

We are always pleased to welcome new members and we are happy through the member network to address issues that might bring greater clarity to urban design in practice. Join via the application linked in the column to the left.

Design Review

On February 14 the RTPI alongside Cabe at the Design Council, the Landscape Institute and the RIBA launched a fully revised edition of the publication Design Review: Principles & Practice. Design review is a well established way of improving the quality of design outcomes in the built environment and this document provides practical advice to people who are running or looking to set up design review panels.

Network Events

Our Network event in March looked at new research from UCL's Bartlett School of Planning that has evaluated the diffusion of design coding as a tool in the planning and development process.The research comes at a time when the recently released National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) explicitly endorses their use by local planning authorities to help deliver higher quality design outcomes. The Network event explored the benefits that the use and dissemination of design codes might have and the presentations are now available to view in the members' area of the website.

In 2012: Under the auspices of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) a practical guide to testing the resilience of urban design against a range of future scenarios was published: Designing Resilient Cities. The Urban Futures Project has been developing this guidance and their findings with some typical examples of its application were outlined and discussed at several Network meetings across England and also on the Isle of Man. The presentations were led by Dr Rachel Lombardi, Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and/or Silvio Caputo, Research Assistant for the 'Urban Futures' Research Programme, Coventry University.

Would you be willing to offer an inspiring, instructive and/or thought-provoking couple of hours for members? Ideas and offers please to the Network Manager: andrew.matheson@rtpi.org.uk

Standing Up for Design Quality

Urban Design Network members recognise that there is a need to demonstrate and promote the economic value of good urban design - to clients, developers, local authorities and other community decision makers - and to maintain the ground secured in recent years in terms of the policy basis for high quality design and the whole philosophy of design review and place-making.

In support of a North West members' initiative, a Network article in Planning 'Standing up for Urban Design Quality' urged further endeavours across the UK with a look at engagement issues within the ambit of Localism, for which there was suggested further reading:

• Participation in Placemaking: this Scottish Government paper argues that conventional ways of making places have, generally, not created places of the quality that the public demands. Change is needed.
• Participation in Place-Making: Enhancing the Wellbeing of Marginalised Communities in Aotearoa/New Zealand: this research examines the relationship between community participation in public space decisions and the wellbeing of marginalised communities.
• Good Design in a Changing World: CABE notes that well-designed and maintained places have a positive impact on every person every day.

Urban Design and Climate Change

Climate change is probably single largest global challenge faced by us all. The RTPI Networks have established a cross-network Climate Change Advisory Group to help achieve the aims of the the RTPI's Seven Commitments on Climate Change initiative.

Read more and contribute to the UDN's consideration of Climate Change issues.

Interested in joining the Urban Design Network?

Please see the link to the left to a brief application form. For more general enquiries please email Andrew Matheson the Urban Design Network Manager.