Esther Kurland’s Post

33 out of 33. What an achievement London! All local authorities now have their own #designreview panel - with the inception meeting of @LBBarnet’s panel yesterday. It is fantastic to see how this important planning and design service has blossomed in the city. And not forgetting the @LLDC @OPDC @GLA panels and UDL’s environmental panel which reviews non planning application public realm transport and green and blue infrastructure schemes. About 10 years ago UDL was working with the #goodgrowth team at the #GLA to support the growth of borough panels. The quality review charter was born, UDL set up an on line directory of London panels (must update this now!) and we also started running regular training and networking sessions for those involved / how to chair a review, how to write a review note etc. I never thought all boroughs would end up with their own panels - fantastic achievement London! So there must be hundreds of reviews taking place across the city every year. Say each panel sees 20 schemes )expect most see a lot more). With the non borough panels included that would mean around 700 scheme a year are seen. What an amazing library of schemes and comments - the trends and stories it would tell if we could see it all together. Maybe it is time to set up a proper system for reviewing the reviews? (UCL ) And I can’t finish this post without a call out to Deborah Denner and the great Frame team. They run 12 or is it 13? London panels as well as spearheading the use of community panels. Their efficient and professional service has helped so many boroughs get into the design review (sorry quality review) swing. Maybe it is time for a big london design review get together? Can anyone offer a venue? Sarah Considine

Urban Design Learning have launched 'design advocates' courses aimed at preparing key local authority staff to become familiar with the policies, principles and terminology relating to key design and planning issues. I'm pleased to say that I will be leading the course on #greeninfrastructure, covering #BNG, #UrbanGreening, #NatureBasedSolutions and related matters. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ezh9aRrF #UrbanDesign #Planning #LocalAuthorities

👀 Looking for some interesting lunchtime reading? 📖 Look at our new publication, Scale! 📔 It's a collection of articles written by UDA members. This is our first edition and showcases diverse views on housing in NSW 🏘 Read about ways to improve housing affordability, better understand transport oriented design (TOD), or see our housing with fresh eyes, as you read about the experience of a recent arrival to NSW. Hear about housing approvals, or consider the way housing contributes to the social fabric of NSW. We found these articles fascinating and are sure you will too 🤩 🙌 A huge thank you to all our contributors for our first edition: Alexandra McRobert, Roderick Simpson, Johanna Schacht, Russell Olsson and Marco Geretto 🙌 Massive thank you also to Krista McMaster who helped us pull it all together! 🙌 Scale aims to showcase our members opinions. Each publication will be based on a theme. So if you want to contribute an article, or have ideas about themes, comment below, DM us or email us! https://lnkd.in/gJ75ttmu

Many thanks to Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service Design Review Panel chair Maggie Baddeley, Simon Carne, vanessa ross, Angela Koch, Nicholas Anderson, Anne Cooper and Paul Bourgeois for contributing your expertise in architecture, landscape design, community development, urban design, transport, planning and sustainability towards a proposal at a village college in the Greater Cambridge region, supporting educational opportunities and economic growth. Planning colleagues and members of both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council value input by our Design Review Panel Members who have extensive knowledge and experience of the Greater Cambridge local context and planning policies. The Design Review took place on Thursday 14th March 2024 and consisted of three components: a site visit, a design discussion and an initial feedback session, based on the 4 ‘C’s set out in the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter of Growth Framework: Character, Connectivity, Climate and Community. Thank you to panel manager Tom Davies MRTPI FRSA and panel support officer Katie Roberts for organising the successful review. Visit our website for further information about our popular design review service: https://lnkd.in/gvzX-Fp3 #designreview  #communityengagement  #placemaking #sustainabledesign Dr. Bonnie Kwok FRSA, Jane Green, Heather Jones FCIOB FCABE FInstLM AIFireE, Dr. Tumi Hawkins Karen Pell-Coggins Emma Lilley