BOOK READING REVIEW 3

This book titled ‘WORLD CLASS PLACES’ compiled by HM Government is a must read for everybody because it highlights the Government’s strategy for improving quality of place.

This book elaborates more on the way places and buildings are planned, designed and looked after. In addressing the issue of quality of place: the following are the reasons why quality of place matters: Bad planning, design and careless maintenance encourage crime, contributes to poor health, undermine community cohesion, spoil the environment and over the long term incur significant costs.

Understanding the quality of place is the physical characteristics of a community, the way it is planned, designed, developed and maintained affects the quality of life of people living and working in it and those visiting it, both now and into the future.

The factors that shape quality of place can be organised with four broad elements which are:

·          The range and mix of homes, services and amenities.

·         Design and upkeep of buildings and spaces

·         Provision of green spaces and green infrastructures.

·         Treatment of historical buildings and place.

The following are the outcomes of good quality of place:

·         Low crime

·         Better public services

·         Environmental sustainability

·         Inward investment and job opportunities

·         Social inclusion.

·         Social capital and community cohesion.

The implication of this text on my Broad mash project is that it has enabled me to understand the client’s vision in a detailed format and to address the issues of Broad mash with a different perspective, taking the existing urban fabric and making it a place for quality living.

The ideas are:

·         Providing well designed and maintained buildings.

·         Creating good supply and mix of affordable low energy decent homes and neighbourhoods with older, disabled and younger people in mind.

·         Well designed and maintained streets and public spaces.

·         Good transport infrastructure.

·         Good mix of local shops, pubs and restaurants.

·         Built heritage treated as an asset.

A very good case study is Hammarby Sjostedtad, Stockholm.  Hammarby and Broad mash have similar environmental heritage, it is a large, ambitious urban extension rooted in environmental sustainability which incorporated old industrial land and docklands. The city invested in sustainable transport and providing green infrastructure such as trams, ferry service and extensive cycle routes and green spaces- including semi-public communal gardens. The development which is built from eco- friendly materials features green roofs, underground waste and collection system which links waste to the local district heating plant, where it generates energy etc. Stockholm has been planned and designed with older people, disabled people and younger people in mind, with wide streets and plenty of green spaces, local amenities and public transport.