Future directions in urban design as public policy: reassessing best practice principles for design review and development management

White, J. T. (2015) Future directions in urban design as public policy: reassessing best practice principles for design review and development management. Journal of Urban Design, 20(3), pp. 325-348. (doi: 10.1080/13574809.2015.1031212)

Abstract

his paper reassesses John Punter's ‘Best Practice Principles for Design Review and Development Management’ that were published in this journal in 2007. Placing a focused lens on British and North American practice, the paper argues that design control and review has been profoundly reshaped since 2007 by three contributing factors: the challenges associated with climate change, the growing role that communities can play in local decision making, and the impacts of the global economic crisis upon public sector finances and property development. In light of these trends, the paper uses a review of recent literature and design practices to argue for a series of amendments to the best practice principles. These focus on: (1) the potential for design control and review to be more fully informed by ecological design theory and practice; (2) the need for more rigorous multi-stakeholder collaboration in the design decision-making process; and (3) the opportunity for urban designers to become more competent ‘market actors’ with the necessary abilities to confidently shape property development decisions.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: White, Professor James
• Authors: White, J. T.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Journal of Urban Design
• Publisher: Routledge
• ISSN: 1357-4809
• ISSN (Online): 1469-9664
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 Taylor and Francis
• First Published: First published in Journal of Urban Design 20(3):325-348
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher