The towns and cities we build must start with a simple, often neglected principle: decisions about housing and infrastructure should improve our quality of life.
We need homes, services and infrastructure that meet people’s needs. But the answer cannot simply be to just build with little regard for the places people already call home.
To create communities that endure, we must ensure new development is well-designed, locally supported, environmentally responsible, and rooted in the context of the local area.
This is one of the reasons why RIBA is campaigning to bring back city architects.
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Investing in the quality of our built environment will pay dividends to both current and future communities across the country. This means delivering homes that genuinely meet local need, accompanied by well-designed public and green spaces. It means proactive approaches to building our towns and cities, with city architects working to engage and bring to life the aspirations of the local community.
Successful places are not here by chance, but are designed through an understanding of local history, landscapes, needs and aspirations. City architects have the skills and expertise needed to build on this, bringing innovative solutions to an often complex planning and development process.
The work a city architect could undertake may vary in different areas, but the principle is clear. Every place and every community should have access to the design expertise needed to enhance what already exists while planning carefully for the future.
RIBA’s recent report, Making the case for city architects, outlines the positives of taking a strategic, holistic approach to development.
In Nottingham, architect involvement in the planning process has consistently increased housing capacity in addition to uplifting the size of green spaces by 17%. This clearly shows that quality does not need to be sacrificed for delivery, with design bringing better results for communities.
And we know that green space is crucial. Parks, trees, gardens, wetlands, allotments, commons and public squares are vital civic and environmental assets. They support health, provide urban cooling and reduce flood risk, improve air quality, provide habitats, and offer places to meet, rest, play and belong.
So too can well-designed public space generate positive outcomes. The redesigned public realm in RIBA Stirling Prize-shortlisted Kings Cross masterplan, by architecture practice Allies and Morrison, has been praised for its inclusive feel. Co-founder Bob Allies has now been appointed Architect in Residence for Bath, allowing a whole city to benefit from the skills and expertise an experienced architect can bring.
As well as working with communities to shape the places we live, city architects can also provide a tangible boost to regional economies. Using the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) as an example, RIBA demonstrated how a city architect could deliver measurable economic benefits.
It showed that improvements across four key housing quality factors could generate an additional £47.6 million in value over three years. These factors – mixed-use design, proximity to commercial areas, strong connectivity and walkability, and access to public green space – not only enhance the quality of places but also increase the value of homes.
City architects are not a call for more bureaucracy or a hindrance to growth. They offer a practical way to support cohesive, community-centred development, ensuring the right skills and knowledge to not only protect but celebrate our green spaces and local assets, and to create a sense of place.
Working with existing communities is not about resisting change, it’s about the opposite. City architects could ensure that the way we develop our built environment is economical, democratic, and worthy of the towns, villages, and cities we love.
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