VISION: Nottingham City Council has embraced Placemaking as the ethos for design and planning processes in the city, and has set an ambitious target: to be carbon neutral by 2028. A sustainable future can only be achieved by working together and by taking every opportunity to make places that are environmentally and socially positive. Many development proposals show opportunities to create more balanced urban systems but often, designs underachieve due to costs or maintenance issues. However, good design does not have to be costly, and more can be achieved by working in broader partnership with local agencies.
NOTE: “Planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places and beautiful buildings which: a) promote social interaction, including opportunities for meetings between people who might not otherwise come into contact with each other – for example through mixed-use developments, strong neighbourhood centres, street layouts that allow for easy pedestrian and cycle connections within and between neighbourhoods, and active street frontages; b) are safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion – for example through the use of beautiful, well-designed, clear and legible pedestrian and cycle routes, and high quality public space, which encourage the active and continual use of public areas; and c) enable and support healthy lifestyles, especially where this would address identified local health and well-being needs – for example through the provision of safe and accessible green infrastructure, sports facilities, local shops, access to healthier food, allotments and layouts that encourage walking and cycling.” (NPPF 8.96)
Design Criteria
W.1. Nature first design
W.1.1 Identify and retain existing natural assets, making them an integral part of the design.
W.1.2 Apply climate-led design principles to both masterplanning and buildings.
W.1.3 Apply the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide (2019) to the design of both buildings and places.
W.1.4 Apply natural water management principles throughout the design.
W.2. Productive green spaces
W.2.1 Identify and retain existing edible landscapes, making them an integral part of the design. Produce a management plan to protect these during construction.
W.2.2 Design-in planting schemes that encourage public harvest.
W.2.3 Raise end users/public awareness regarding the type, use and purpose of landscape features, explaining what people can do to increase their contact with green spaces.
W.2.4 Landscape proposals must ensure every plant is in healthy soil and in an adequate location for optimum growth (light/shade, water/drainage, air/wind, etc.).
W.3. Food growing spaces
W.3.1 Provide spaces for communal/social growing, including raised beds to cater for every age and ability.
W.3.2 Demonstrate how the inclusion of edible perennials and bee/pollination-friendly species was a key consideration in the landscape proposal.
W.3.3 Provide vehicular and waste collection access to a highway-adoptable standard to every communal/social growing space.
W.3.4 Provide water supply, adequate drainage points, electricity points, lighting, storage and seating to every communal/social growing space.
W.4. Closing the food loop
W.4.1 When providing composting facilities, demonstrate that composting provision is adequate for the type and scale of development, that facilities for composting are accessible, easy to use, and with a waste collection access designed to a highway-adoptable standard.
W.4.2 When composting facilities cannot be provided, create a platform or scheme to raise end users/public awareness regarding existing food networks in the area, for example indicating places or organisations that can use their surplus produce and/or their composting waste.
W.5. Things to do together
W.5.1 Create a platform or scheme to raise awareness regarding activities people could engage with, socially or individually, to use and maintain their urban edible landscapes. For example jam making, baking competition, soap making, tree planting, den building, living playhouse, etc.
W.5.2 Design-in planting schemes that encourage communal/social foraging and edible play.
W.5.3 Provide urban orchards with trees that have multiple purposes (nuts, fruits, flowers, etc.) and consider providing access and facilities for people to harvest the produce (e.g. cherry picker storage/access).
W.6. Places to eat together
W.6.1 Provide spaces to eat that are comfortable, considering sun and shade, wind and cover. For example, including pergolas and outdoor dining tables with internet access.
W.6.2 Design-in community infrastructure like pizza or tandoor ovens, barbecues, outdoor fires, etc. These assets offer a great opportunity to engage new and existing communities in co-design and co-build, processes that help raise emotional investment in place, increasing outdoor space use and contact with nature.
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Wellbeing Design Appraisal Form - A PDF can be downloaded after completing the form.
Links
Definitions
Wellbeing:
“Wellbeing is about people, and creating the conditions for us all to thrive. It’s quality of life and prosperity, positive physical and mental health, sustainable thriving communities”. whatworkswellbeing.org
“Tackling preventable disease by shaping the built environment so that healthy activities and experiences are integral to people’s everyday lives”. Design Council
“Placemaking that takes into consideration neighbourhood design (such as increasing walking and cycling), improved quality of housing, access to healthier food, conservation of, and access to natural and sustainable environments, and improved transport and connectivity.” Public Health England