Urban design policy

Bo 01 Malmo, Sweden

To raise design standards it is necessary to have effective design policies. These should be based on a clear analysis of the environmental, social and economic issues and the local authorities view as to what qualities development should achieve and how it can support regional and national policies.

In order to develop good urban design policies there should be co-ordination and collaborative working between departments within local authorities. This can be achieved by promoting closer working between departments, on a formal or informal basis.

Urban design policies will be more effective if there is clear support for delivering quality places. This can be delivered in a number of ways:

• Provision of training in the principles of urban design can help ensure there is a wider understanding of the benefits of good design and how these can be achieved
• Design champions can raise the profile of design in an organisation
• Design panels can raise the quality of design on specific projects and act as a signal that poor urban design will not be permitted
• Initiatives and awards can demonstrate that design quality does matter. Winning schemes should be used as a benchmark of what can be achieved