Design quality in an age of localism

Stephen Hodder, President Elect, RIBA

Good design

Good design – functionality, use of resources and meeting the needs of clients. It translates needs into cost effective solutions

Good design creates better outcomes: •Increased civic pride and community development•Higher property values•Catalyst for wider regeneration and investment•Reduced vandalism•Reduced whole-life costs•A sustainable environment

Design and the NPPF

“Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning”

“Economic growth can secure higher social and environmental standards, and well-designed buildings and places can improve the lives of people and communities.” 

“sustainable development involves seeking positive improvements in the quality of the built, natural and historic environment” and that this involves “replacing poor design with good design”

“Permission should be refused for development of poor design that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions.”

Design Review

“Local planning authorities should have local design review arrangements in place to provide assessment and support to ensure high standards of design.”

“In assessing applications, local planning authorities should have regard to the recommendations from the design review panel.”

Key role in assessing quality of schemes and bolstering LPA design capacity

RIBA, RTPI, Design Council, Landscape Institute – new guidance due out in autumn

“

Delivering design quality – who’s role?Delivering design quality across the board won’t be easy. It requires:

Councils to show leadership – not just regulators, but promoting high quality development

Clients who see the long-term value in investing in investing in design

Architects – working to deliver what the client wants and buildings which meet the needs of users

Local people – properly supported – engaging more positively with the design/planning process

“

Who’s design is it anyway?

Involving local people in design/planning nothing new – but need to rekindle lost arts

Localism needs professionals to succeed

Shift in working – Partnership approach with local people

Designing ‘with’ rather than ‘for’ communities

Might need to adapt the design process – but professional skills more vital than ever

Sherry Arnstein‘A ladder of citizen participation’Journal of the American Planning Association, 25: 4, 216-224(1969)

The role for architects?

Enabling - Add value, not just as designers, but as facilitators of good design principles

Responding - Reconciling multiple, complexissues/concerns into an appropriatedesign response

Inspiring - advocating good design and encouraging ambition

Designing - adding value through good design

Will localism deliver good design?

Localism will have mixed results and could go either way – promote or prevent good design

But localism is about empowering people and good design should be too

New landscape provides opportunities to demonstrate how good design offers value

By involving people perhaps there’s an opportunity to change attitudes about development and design?

ConclusionsDifficult environment within which to talk about design quality

Achieving design quality requires establishing a demand for it. Requires clients to see value, architects to communicate it, communities to demand it and local authorities to insist upon it.

Unclear whether localism will deliver better design outcomes. Communities need the right support to deliver this

The prize in localism is a more informed public, who understand the challenges of design, planning and development. Also professionals that are re-connected and can learn from communities