Engaging places: Localizing urban design and development planning

The value of well-designed and people-friendly places is well recognized and there are many exemplars. However, often the qualities of quite ordinary but pleasant places are being gradually diminished, not as a result of deliberate intent but from a progressive erosion or degradation arising from many small acts or omissions. This does not seem to be because there is no shared perception of what qualities are desirable, but more from the difficulty of integrating actions in practice. In this paper the challenges of integration between the diverse interests at work at different spatial and temporal scales are discussed and these are related to the quite different instruments and approaches that are used in practice. It is concluded that more effective processes of analysis and appraisal, through public engagement and multi-disciplinary work, could provide a knowledge base which would foster more integrated strategic development planning and place-making inherently. The renewed focus upon Localism, not just in the UK, presents an opportunity for further innovation and initiative in urban design and the paper reflects upon key opportunities that are emerging for this. © 2011 Taylor & Francis