💬Planning Discussion!

💻Earlier this month @oneplanet.life and @urbanistonamission hosted an online workshop around “Joining up the Planning Process”.

🎤This included a series of presentations and participation from a range of stakeholders. The breakout sessions provided an opportunity for group discussion, exploring the following questions:

– What are the issues we need planning to address?
– Where does the system need the most support and who should lead?
– Are there conflicts in the planning process between different scales of development?
– What are the main barriers to integrated development?

💭You can check out some of the responses expressed by the group in the slides! What would your answers be?

🏪Planning for High Streets!

🛍️Last week I was joined by fellow women in planning to explore “Overcoming Challenges Facing the High Street”. Uniquely the event was located right at the heart of the topic, within Covent Garden’s commercial area and the beautiful Kate Spade retail space.

➡️My three top takeaways from the conversation includes:

– 🏬The planning system must be flexible to adapt with dynamic commercial contexts, e.g. through the introduction of new/creative Use Classes and affordable pop-up spaces.

– 💷Councils must work collaboratively with private developers to incentivise investment into vibrant and sustainable High Streets.

– 🚲The public realm and transport infrastructure around commercial sites play a vital role in creating inclusive, accessible and attractive commercial spaces.

💭With so much focus in the news currently around residential development, how could planners also champion the social and economic role of High Streets?

🎤Thank you again to the organisers @wiplanningldn @katespadeny and engaging panellists!
– Jessica Wilson from @newsteerrealestate
– Joanna Turner from @citywestminster
– Rebecca Young from @geraldevellp
– Penny Moss from @avison_young_uk and the Government’s High Streets Task Force

🗺️Global Planners Unite!

🏗️I was so pleased to join today’s Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) webinar organised through UN-Habitat, the Royal Town Planning Institute, Planners for Climate Action (P4CA) and the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP).

🏘️Planners were dialling in from all over the world to tune into this session on “Co-creating Solutions for the Global Housing Crisis”, with inspiring panel discussions around obstacles and ideas using real life case studies. This included addressing core themes around delivering affordable housing, balancing occupancy and planetary health, inclusive design, persistent historic inequity, stewardship of land, the importance of consistent planning vision and much more.

💡I was particularly proud of our RTPI president Lindsey Richards, who put the need to retrofit existing housing stock at her session forefront and emphasised the critical role of planning in tackling the climate emergency.

💭What ideas do you have and how could you participate in future sessions?

🎤Tree Law Conference!

🌳A massive thank you to the powerhouse behind @treelawltd, Sarah Dodd, for inviting me to the 2024 conference.

👩🏽‍⚖️This highly engaging and unique event brought together professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds to cover everything from legislation, planning, insurance and more in the world of trees and invasive species. We were even lucky enough to watch a mock mediation between neighbours play out, providing valuable insight into dispute resolution.

🏘️Planners can often be sheltered from potential costs of development, whether financial, emotional or relational. Although policies and statutory requirements are there for a reason, stepping into the shoes of others within the system can help us more sensitively and realistically deliver the housing, ecological and climate targets we aspire to.

👏🏽Thank you again to the expert speakers for their contributions, and the brilliant @kirstybowks_bespokes for the live portrait drawings!

💭Where could you learn more from others operating within your industry?

🇵🇹Cascais, Portugal!

🖼️This storybook town in Portugal showcases all the ingredients of a European postcard.

🌊Narrow streets, brightly coloured buildings and terracotta roofs playfully hug the Portuguese Riviera for a calming yet vibrant mix of urban and natural environments in Cascais. Of course, Portuguese tiles (azulejos) can also be spotted proudly across the architecture, celebrating historically significant design within the modern context.

🏝️Coastal towns like this become hotspot tourist locations, particularly because of the good weather, sandy beaches and turquoise waters. The history however is far richer, with the area having an agricultural and fishing legacy spanning over generations.

💭Does learning more about the past influence how we value our popular environmental and cultural settings?

📍Christ the King Monument!

⛵️Christo Rei can be seen across Lisbon, overlooking the River Tagus.

👁️Erected in the 50s, it was inspired by the iconic statue in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Of course the structure has clear religious connotations, but landmarks like this can excite and mean a lot to people of all backgrounds.

🌉The scale and materials used in prominent built structures like this have a funny way of defining our urban spaces, forming their personality in distinct ways. It allows us to recognise them with an “oh look, I know what this is!”. Whether it’s impressive bridges, unique buildings or works of art, being able to see built form from a considerable distance helps remind us of what humans are capable of.

💭What landmarks make your city special? How could the ingenuity and design principles help us tackle other urban challenges?

🏰Palácio do Grilo!

📍As a capital city, Lisbon hosts a diverse range of entertainment and culture to enjoy.

🍴This palace is no exception, transformed into a theatrical dining experience. With regularly changing performances, imagination is free to run wild as part of an immersive artistic show and carefully curated meals.

🎨The building itself is over three hundred years old, requiring a longstanding history of architectural and design expertise to help develop the bones of this atmosphere. Bringing this exclusive royal space into public use is an example of how we can repurpose weird and wonderful places creatively.

💡Fostering new relationships with existing buildings is essential for making best use of land and inspiring the protection of assets across generations. How do you think people could be more supported to experiment with this in your area?

🍷Wine Tourism!

🍇So much more than just a drink, wine tourism can be all about celebrating a sensory experience rooted in connection to nature.

🇵🇹 @enopoint did a fantastic job telling this story, explaining the unique flavours from different regions across Portugal and how they are influenced by soil and climate. We even got to learn how to harvest grapes from the Quinta do Boição and grape-stomp using traditional methods!

👃🏽The wine tasting itself was about having fun, but still paying attention to scents and notes in different wines that revealed their differences. Understanding the methodology and reasons behind processing like this can help us connect to our resources and consume more consciously.

💭What everyday product could you learn more about through an activity?

🏘️New Homes Accelerator!

📈This new programme from the government was put forward over the summer with the aim of speeding up large-scale housing development across the country. The government have stated the New Homes Accelerator will be a collaborative effort with the following four key actions:

– 📑“identify and address specific thematic issues causing delays, such as coordination failures, regulatory obstacles, and local authority capacity constraints
– 🏗️deploy expert teams to provide on-the-ground support to local authorities, offering planning and enabling assistance to expedite the development process
– ⏳utilise its resources to unblock and accelerate delivery on sites that are facing delays or not progressing as quickly as they could be
– 🔍inform future reforms to housing and planning policy, where policy barriers to rapid housing delivery are identified”

💭What do you think are the biggest barriers to quality housing delivery in your area? How could they be addressed?

🌸Roof Gardens!

🌱A pop or green always has the potential to surprise and delight.

🌆From sky scrapers right down to bin stores, there are elevated flat surfaces all around our urban jungles with potential. Beyond the aesthetic value of having plants to look at, even one pot could support local wildlife or enhance design.

👩🏽‍🌾Not having enough space, time, money or experience can often feel like a deterrent. That’s why I especially love a community roof garden, where residents/staff in a building can share skills, responsibilities and have a fun excuse to get to know each other.

🪴Of course, if you are thinking of introducing heavy plant pots, don’t forget to make sure you have permission and the structure can take the load.

💭How could more roof gardens improve your urban environment?

🏘️Joining up the Planning Process!

🗓️Two weeks to go! Join us at 2pm on Wednesday the 11th of September for a free webinar about joining up the planning process.

🏗️Planning impacts every interaction we have with the built environment – Want to see what a connected planning proccess could look like? With @urbanistonamission Mahsa Ige, Mark Dobson, Lecturer in Planning & Development at @uniofreading, and our own Pooran Desai, we’re going to be discussing how to create a more impactful and efficient planning system using systems mapping. We will also have insights from the planning team at @haringeycouncil and an Applicant’s perspective.

➡️You can register for free at www.oneplanet.com/events – see you then!

🏞️Hengistbury Head!

🏖️This natural wonderland in Dorset is home to a rich variety of wildlife and beautiful beaches.

🌳From the visitor centre and cafe to the walking trails and beach huts, there’s a lot to explore across this land going back to the stone and iron ages! It’s an archeologically significant site with habitats like woodland, heathland and coastland to enjoy, offering a hit of blue/green everywhere you look.

🖼️Places like this can help provide a mental escape and (literal) perspective as you look across scenic panoramic views. For those experiencing overstimulation, when the senses are overloaded and the brain can feel overwhelmed, natural beauty and its sounds can be very powerful to help reset.

💭How far away is your closest natural wonderland?

🏬Town Centre Buildings!

🛍️Walking around a shopping area it can be easy to miss the buildings themselves. Bright shop fronts working hard to attract attention or even empty spaces with potential for new life might catch your eye instead.

🏢Pausing for a moment (even on a rainy day), some of the most interesting properties can be found in these commercial hubs. Whether you’re a fan of the design or not, the historic value and diversity of buildings often revel themselves to you when you look up. Old Christchurch Road here in a Bournemouth is a designated Conservation Area, with the summary from the Council website explaining:

📜“From about 1880 onwards, the houses were replaced with terraces of shops, many of neo-Georgian, but with Victorian, Edwardian and end even Art Deco buildings at later dates. These terraces with upper floors, originally intended as residences but often converted to offices, and the shops, banks, restaurants etc below them, give a proper sense of urban scale to the Town Centre.”

💭What is the history behind the upper floors on your High Street?

🚴🏽‍♀️Cycling in London!

📊The Mayor’s Transport Strategy 2018 set the target “for 80% of all trips in London to be made on foot, by cycle or using public transport by 2041.”

📑This aim is supported by the Cycling Action Plan 2, which breaks down the data around barriers to cycling in the city and the delivery plan to address these for increased uptake.

🚲The Plan identifies potential cycle journeys in London that are currently being made by car, emphasising the importance of investing in quality cycleways. The ambition is that “40% of Londoners live within 400m of a Cycleway by 2030.”

💭Have you noticed more cycleways in your area, or checked out the Action Plan to learn more about the goals for cycling in London?

🎤Planning Webinar!

🗓️OnePlanet are looking forward to presenting on creating a joined-up planning system led by
Mahsa Ige from @urbanistonamission and @oneplanet.life founder Pooran Desai. You can register to take part and join us at 2pm on September 11th.

🏘️ We know that our goals around health, climate, housing and equity are interlinked, influenced by our planning system and those within it. With town planning being a focal point across news headlines, now more than ever it’s time to spotlight the exciting potential for change.

🧩The workshop will uniquely bring together case studies and perspectives from consultant, applicant, Council officer and other views. By opening up discussion around the barriers and opportunities within the planning process, we hope to champion a more collaborative and efficient approach.

💡What points and experiences could you add to the conversation?

🌳Diversity, Health and Green Spaces!

🏥Natural England’s recent report on “Joining up nature recovery and health priorities” was published earlier this year. It emphasises “We know that nature, human health and well-being are intrinsically linked”. At a time where many may be fearful of leaving their homes, it’s important to remember the value of spending time in nature.

📍Natural England created an interactive map which not only shows green and blue spaces, but layers this data with socio-economic factors to really shine a light on the inequality of access to these critical assets.

📊I applaud @naturalengland for also spotlighting the following in their 2022 report entitled “Included outside: Engaging people from ethnic minority backgrounds in nature”: “the ongoing burden for many of needing to avoid racial harassment means that judging whether a place feels ‘safe’ is a key reason in deciding where to spend time. These ‘out of place’ experiences can mean it is easier to spend time and energies elsewhere”.

💡How can those working in the built and natural environments help promote authentically inclusive spaces?

🏭Battersea Power Station!

👀For me, the most exciting thing about this shopping centre is the way the history is honoured.

💡Walking through and around the building you are exposed to so much about its previous use as a Power Station, producing a significant amount of London’s electricity supply across the last century.

🏗️Reimagining how this Listed Building could be used after being decommissioned and left empty was quite the process. Now a vibrant commercial space offering food, entertainment, shopping, homes and more; the site is also a place where you can learn all about the masterplanning that went into the redevelopment.

💭How could we include the planning stories behind our buildings more?

📑Draft National Planning Policy Framework (again)!

🏗️The Labour Government have wasted no time in reframing the planning system as a tool for economic growth and urgent housing delivery. Yesterday the revised draft of the National Planning Policy Framework was published, open for consultation responses until the 24th of September. Lots in here – but five things to start chewing over…

– 🏘️A new Standard Method for assessing housing needs was introduced with an overall target of 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. The uplift is designed to “provide stability and certainty for all stakeholders, seek to address the issues with the current approach, and support a more ambitious house building strategy.”

– 📍To achieve this, the default answer to brownfield development should be “yes”, Local Authorities who aren’t able to deliver on their targets should undertake a Green Belt review and a new definition of “Grey Belt” for a strategic approach to unlocking land was put forward.

– 🎨Although some references to “building beautiful” have been removed, there’s still an emphasis on high-quality design and local-led design codes.

– 🚨The draft also recognises that “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, and the planning system can play a powerful role in helping to mitigate and adapt to its effects. The steps that we have taken to unblock onshore wind development, and the proposals in this consultation to do more to support renewable energy more generally, are just one part of the change required to fulfil planning’s potential.”

– 🏥Also, there’s particular space for input as the government “are seeking views on whether and how national policy could provide greater direction and clarity on the promotion of health through local plans and planning decisions.”

💡What experiences and ideas could you share with the government during the consultation to shape the NPPF at this critical time?

🎤RTPI CPD Day!

📍Thank you for having me SE @rtpiplanners to talk about Planning, Sustainability and Climate Action.

👏🏽I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and all the other talks throughout the day. Susan Nongsiej, Laura Archer and Mark Dobson did a fantastic job of organising and chairing a diverse and relevant agenda for us all.

🏗️Despite the current national emphasis on planning for growth, my session looked at the purpose of planning as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): “to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”. This is broken down into economic objectives, but also social and environmental ones too.

💡We reflected on the opportunities for co-benefits across all three objectives, including climate mitigation and adaptation. Using the @oneplanet.life mind-map tool, with only 5 actions we were already connecting the dots across health, green spaces, local jobs, active travel and resilient historic buildings!

💭How could joining up strategies help us achieve our desired planning outcomes in a more sustainable, resource-effective and engaging way?

Mahsa Ige from @urbanistonamission has joined us at OnePlanet for a guest article.

She recently gained planning approval for a greenhouse and workspace in the Memorial Garden at the Museum of Brands, also using the OnePlanet tool to support the application.

The Greenhouse Project has been led by a group of dedicated volunteers who have worked very hard to protect the precious biodiversity at this site. Through the new greenhouse and workspace, they intend to not only improve the resilience of the plants but also add much more value. You can support or learn more about the project on their JustGiving Page – find the link in our blog!

Mahsa shares “concisely summarising how interconnected the possible co-benefits around design enhancement, physical and mental health improvement, local skills building and community enrichment for a range of age-groups and backgrounds was brought to life using the OnePlanet tool.”

☕️Mai Shayi Coffee Roasters!

📍The highly knowledgeable and passionate staff at @maishayicoffee take the time to explain the process behind their different speciality coffees.

⛰️This includes championing coffee beans grown, processed and roasted in Nigeria; as well as explaining the delicate climate and brewing conditions that impact flavour.

🌱A video plays in the background to showcase the coffee journey from farm to cup, visually connecting us to the plants they come from and the people behind the value chain.

💭Could sharing the environmental, economic and social stories behind the things we consume inspire us to use our resources more responsibly?

🌆Nigerian Major Cities!

🌍Abuja is a planned city that became Nigeria’s capital in 1991. Prior to this the capital was Lagos, which is still the country’s financial centre and one of the fastest growing cities in Africa.

📍Changing the capital was a strategic decision, using Abuja as a purpose-built political hub closer to the centre of the country, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It was designed with land use and infrastructure in mind through the Abuja Masterplan.

🏗️Contrarily, Lagos is situated on the south-west coast and has historically had more economic opportunities, with organic and rapid urban development in the area as a result.

💭Are there any examples of master planning in your country, and if so what is the goal of the town/city?

🎤RTPI Session!

📆I’m really looking forward to presenting on “Planning, Sustainability & Climate Action” for the RTPI on July 17th at the Guildford Pavilion.

🏗️I’ll be joined by a range of experts across the industry, which couldn’t be more timely given Labour’s Planning Reform announcements. Whilst recognising the power of planning is most welcome, we can’t lose sight of the system’s responsibility to deliver sustainable places for healthy people, resilient businesses and a liveable environment.

🏚️In the face of an ecological and climate crisis, it’s so important to spotlight the work needed for the improved efficiency and adaptation of our existing sites, building stock and circular construction systems.

➡️Let’s talk about it! You can register for the event via the RTPI Events Calendar and I hope to see you there.

🏗️Land Reclamation in Nigeria!

📈UN-Habitat estimates that Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world in 2050. Naturally, this inspires creative engineering, architecture and town planning to accommodate for the rapid growth.

🏙️The Eko Atlantic scheme is an example of this, developing a coastal “city within a city” built via land reclamation – the process of re/creating land on water. The Great Wall of Lagos sea revetment has also been designed to protect the area from its ongoing vulnerability to flood risk, e.g. due to the coastal erosion that caused land loss in the first place, ocean surges and the impacts of climate change.

🌊However, the project has faced criticism for causing displacement and worsening flood risk to lives and properties across other parts of the coastline.

💭Are there large scale developments in your country, and if so how are they addressing their social and environmental responsibility?

🇳🇬Lagos Nike Art Centre!

📍This treasure trove of art can be found across multiple Nike Art Centre sites in Nigeria, including this one in Lagos.

🖼️Hosting thousands of pieces across several floors, this gallery platforms the work of exceptionally talented local Nigerian artists. The technical detail and volume of creativity in this space proudly showcases the country’s stories and imagination for all to enjoy and purchase.

🎨The centre was founded in the 80s by prestigious African female artist, Nike Monica Okundaye, to both teach and present art in the context of indigenous African culture and tradition. This double-sided approach is an example of cultural sustainability, preserving heritage for the benefit of future generations to come.

💡How could you support your local art centres? To learn more about the space and artists here check out @nikeartgallery!

🗳️Election Day!

🏗️Just voted this morning with the RTPI Planifesto 2024 in mind! Earlier this year the Institute used this to highlight what the planning system needs from the next government, summarising:

📍“Planners will be paying close attention to the next General Election because the homes, infrastructure and services communities need depend on politicians who understand the power of proactive planning and can use it to lead.”

🔓“The RTPI are calling on political parties across the UK to support planners and realise the economic, social and environmental potential of planning.
The next UK Government should:
1. Fund councils to deliver high quality planning services
2. Explain where manifesto promises will be delivered
3. Strengthen local plans to empower communities
4. Work with local leaders to avoid piecemeal development
5. Plan for net zero”

💡Do these commitments align with what you hope to see for the country, and if so how could this inform your vote today?

#planifesto