Richardson, R. (2023) Creating Well-Designed Places in Scotland: What Does It Take? National Urban Design Conference 2023: Rethinking Place, Sheffield, UK, 12-13 Oct 2023.
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Abstract
This presentation will convey findings from research conducted through a collaborative PhD studentship with West Dunbartonshire Council, which serves a small post-industrial local authority area neighbouring the Glasgow city-region. Despite a historically challenging local development context in which the Council's fear of driving investment away had prevailed over prioritising urban design outcomes, since 2017, West Dunbartonshire Council has invested in its urban design capacity. It has subsequently implemented a series of innovations to more proactively engage with the local development market, in response to a supportive 'placemaking' planning policy agenda set nationally by the Scottish Government. West Dunbartonshire Council's interventions include: a new design review panel comprising a pool of volunteer expert reviewers; the introduction of informal briefings for elected councillors on major planning proposals; and a collaborative place-based local policy agenda and organisational culture which combines the authority's economic regeneration and urban design aims. This presentation therefore highlights the realities of delivering high quality urban design in the difficult context of a weak local development market and constrained public sector resources. It demonstrates the successes and challenges West Dunbartonshire Council has experienced in executing its interventions to 'raise the bar' on local design quality, and uses case studies to demonstrate impact. The presentation concludes with recommendations for how local authorities can support the delivery of well-designed places more widely.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | No |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Richardson, Dr Robert |
| Authors: | Richardson, R. |
| College/School: | College of Social Sciences |
| Related URLs: |
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