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Designing Places

Collaboration

The planning process will support good design only if the issues are made comprehensible to a range of people with little or no design training. That includes many of the councillors and council officers who operate the planning system locally, the people they deal with, such as developers and their agents, people who make their living drawing plans, community organisations, interest groups and many more.

Planners and urban designers have developed a specialised language for discussing their subject. They talk about nodes, permeability, imageability, natural surveillance and hierarchies of spaces. This language excludes many of the people who should be involved in the process of planning for design.

Local authorities, partnerships and developers too often provide an opportunity for the public to become involved at too late a stage, in a way that makes little sense in relation to the timing and substance of the development process. The result is likely to be unnecessary frustration and delay for everyone.

The process of preparing planning and design guidance can provide an effective means of involving people earlier and in a meaningful way. A programme of public participation and collaboration needs to be carefully planned, ensuring that the timing is right and that the necessary skills and resources are made available.

support
The planning process will support good design

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