design quality

Is it eco? IKEA plans 26 acre suburb next to London’s Olympic Park

November 7, 2011 - Inter Ikea Systems, owner of the popular furniture chain, has announced plans to build an enormous 26-acre, environmentally friendly suburb next to London’s Olympic Park. Strand East, located in East London, will include 1,200 homes, a 350-room hotel, 480,000 square feet of offices, as well as shops and restaurants. more >

Government's new planning framework will add to congestion and car-based development, says campaign group

October 28, 2011 - Campaign for Better Transport has warned that the Government's new planning framework will add to congestion and car-based development later, as part of oral evidence to the Communities Select Committee examining the Government's draft National Planning Policy Framework. more >

Bishop Review: should developers pay for design review, and why communities are the new clients

October 19, 2011 - England needs a networked system of design support, providing local people with access to built environment expertise and advice, according to the newly published Bishop Review. more >

Change of use proposals could 'remove the responsibility of developers to ensure the needs of local residents are met'

August 16, 2011 - The Government's change of use proposals, made in April 2011, to allow developers to change offices into homes without applying for planning permission have sounded warning bells in many areas in need of housing. ... more >

100 years of planning and urban design: east London exhibition celebrates 'life-enhancing' urban living

April 15, 2011 - The 1910 General Town Planning Exhibition in Berlin helped establish town planning as a profession with its own visions, principles and methods. In August 2010, sections of the exhibition were presented at the International Town Planning Conference in London, organised by the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA). more >

A world class waterfront: design quality in public space

By Rosey Paul

In 2008, Liverpool celebrated its year as European Capital of Culture. Public waterfronts, squares and streets transformed by quality design have helped to attract £1.6 billion of visitor spend to a now thriving city with international appeal

Delivering a carbon neutral community, with amenities managed by a Community Development Trust

By Marcus Adams, Urban Initiatives

Graylingwell Park will be the UK’s largest carbon neutral development, located on the site of a former hospital near Chichester. Set within 85 acres of parkland grounds, it will provide around 750 new and converted homes along with a range of new community amenities, managed by a Community Development Trust.

Localism Bill could enhance stakeholder engagement: Princes's Foundation defends its attempt to claim a key role in the process

November 29, 2010 - The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment has hit out at criticism of its proposals to take on a greater role in community planning. Allegations of a 'style bias' prompted the organisation's Hank Dittmar to re-iterate its underlying principles. more >

New guidance from CABE: urban supermarkets and community asset transfers

November 24, 2010 - A new report by CABE warns that supermarket-led developments in town centres will be a liability rather than an asset to the community if they are not well designed. more >

Common set of metrics helps to evaluate the sustainability performance of buildings in practice

October 25, 2010 - The Green Property Alliance (GPA) has identified the need for greater consistency and clarity in the way in which the sustainability performance of buildings and wider property portfolios is measured and reported upon. UK-GBC is a member of the Green Property Alliance. The full report, Establishing the Ground Rules for Property, is available online... more >
123456789…next ›last »