Redesigning the future

  • 26 May 2009 |

High-quality design is an investment, not an extravagance.

This is the message at the heart of ‘World Class Places’, a cross-Government strategy aimed at improving design standards.

Despite the squeeze on finances in today’s difficult economic climate, the Government has emphasised the importance of investing in high-quality design when planning new developments. As Communities Secretary Hazel Blears explained, poorly designed homes and neighbourhoods tend to foster crime and harm the environment. “We can’t let the economic challenges we are facing now provide an excuse for bad planning, careless maintenance and poor-quality buildings,” she warned. “It is vital we continue to build new houses, schools and hospitals to the very highest standards.”

The recently published strategy offers guidance for all the key elements of our built environment, including public buildings, heritage and conservation, regeneration and public services. Central to the strategy is a Government pledge to ensure that all publicly funded programmes, such as social housing, schools and health centres, are built to the highest design standards. These standards will be maintained by a team of design experts from CABE.

Specific Government commitments include: an extension of the Green Flag scheme for parks and open spaces to cover built localities; a new planning policy on heritage as well as on green space and infrastructure; new guidance on high street design; the promotion of public involvement in building design; and greater regional support for local authorities.

Culture Secretary and Government Design Champion Andy Burnham commented: “Achieving excellent quality of place and sustainable buildings should be at the heart of our thinking, and this new strategy will help us redouble our efforts to ensure that good design improves the quality of life for everyone.”

CABE commissioned Ian McMillan to write Welcome to a world class place, a poem to mark the launch of the strategy. To hear the poem, visit the CABE website.

 

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