The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has launched a set of practical guides to help local authorities and developers create high quality places that will stand the test of time.
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the TCPA said: “In producing these guides the TCPA believes it is important to be upfront about the dilemma we now face in England. Garden Cities are founded on the highest sustainability standards, and we know these standards are deliverable as demonstrated by communities across Europe.
“However, as the guides highlight, national planning policy and guidance on a range of place-making issues has been greatly reduced and with our current developer-led model of delivery, viability often trumps quality and sustainability. We can, and should do much better than this, and the Garden City development model is an alternative and proven way of creating successful places.
“The TCPA firmly believes that we cannot afford to build places that fail – and we should aspire to create great places, for everyone.”
The guides emphasise the need to think beyond the consideration of housing numbers, and towards the kind of places people want to live in.
The first three guides (out of a series of six) are:
Planning for energy and climate change: How new communities can and should be zero-carbon and energy positive
Homes for all: How to deliver vibrant, inclusive and sustainable housing in new communities
Planning for arts and culture: How to integrate art and culture in new development to create the kind of places people will be proud to call home.
Another three guides will be launched after Easter on:
Locating and consenting new garden cities: Approaches to identifying need, finding locations and getting planning consent.
Finance and delivery: The principles that should underpin the finance of new garden cities and how this links to the type of organisation delivering development.
Design and masterplanning: How to create beautiful, resilient, high quality places.
The guides are available here.
