City of Sydney from article in GovNews Tactile street signs for City of Sydney Publication date: 2015 Ranking: useful The City of Sydney have introduced tactile signs to lamp columns and pedestrian crossing points at street corners which use both…
Blog Archives
Kerb, what kerb?
Accessibility Research Group, University College London. Effective Kerb Heights for Blind and Partially Sighted People Publication date: 2009 Ranking: essential Commissioned by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs), this research report looks at the effect of removing kerb heights in…
Shared space – DPTAC summary
Disabled Person’s Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) DPTAC position on shared space Publication date: June 2018 Ranking: essential This page on the Government’s website provides a summary of key reports and sets out DPTAC’s position. It provides some general observations and…
Tagged with: disability, public realm, shared space, Transport
Posted in Highways, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Highways, Planning, Urban Design
Scared spaces
Guide Dogs – Rachel Kitchen Scared Spaces Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful This report of a survey into shared space in the UK looked at the experiences of all road users comparing their views on shared space versus traditional streets.…
Building for Everyone
National Disability Authority Building for Everyone – a universal design approach Publication date: 2012 Ranking: useful In their words: “… provides comprehensive best practice guidance on how to design, build and manage buildings and spaces so that they can be readily…
Tagged with: design, disability, inclusive access, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Designing with downsizers
University of Sheffield. DWELL – Designing for well-being in environments for later life. Authors: Adam Park, Friederike Ziegler and Sarah Wigglesworth. Designing with downsizers Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful In their words: “Downsizing – rather like much else to do…
Tagged with: age, design, down-sizing, housing, Independent living
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Designing for well-being in later life
DWELL research project, University of Sheffield DWELL (Designing for Well-being in Environments for Later Life) project Publication date: Ranking: useful DWELL was a multi-disciplinary design research project at the University of Sheffield. EPSRC-funded , the three year project investigated how the design…
Tagged with: age, Co-design, consultation, inclusive access, Independent living, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Housing, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Housing, Planning, Urban Design
Making cities better for women?
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Making cities better for women Publication date: 8th March 2018 Ranking: useful Originally produced for International Women’s Day, this blog highlights work by a number of organisations and in particular: the work in Vienna…
Creating better streets
Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Creating better streets: Inclusive and accessible places Reviewing shared space Publication date: 2018 Ranking: useful A review of the concept of shared space. It addresses the statutory requirements on local authorities, Reviews existing schemes…
A Guide Dog’s LIfe
BBC Scotland Publication date: February 2018 Ranking: essential Crossing the road: a Guide Dog’s life Video highlights the lack of understanding by many drivers of the needs of visually impaired people. This video has a spoken commentary and English subtitles. To…
Cities Aren’t Designed For Women
Kate Abbey-Lambertz, Huffington Post. Cities Aren’t Designed For Women. Here’s Why They Should Be. Publication date: April 2016 Ranking: useful The article highlights the grassroots networking that is going on to improve the collective experience of women in cities. The…
More designing cities for women 3
Lucy Turnbull, TEDx MacQuarrie University Designing cities for women Publication date: 2014 Ranking: useful The video describes how women use cities differently and that designing for their needs is actually in everyone’s interests. A live English transcript is available alongside…
Mobility. Mood. Place.
Mobility, Mood and Place (MMP) is a multidisciplinary collaboration between: The University of Edinburgh Heriot-Watt University King’s College London Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York Publication date: June 2017 Ranking: useful Mobility.Mood.Place. The Mobility, Mood and Place research project has been…
Tagged with: age, Co-design, Dementia, Independent living
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Working for age friendly communities
Centre for Aging Publication date: various Ranking: useful Age friendly community In their own words: “In age-friendly communities, people of all ages actively participate, it is easy for people to stay connected, active and healthy in later life, and appropriate…
Tagged with: age, Dementia, health, Independent living, planning
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Service Provision, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Service Provision, Urban Design
Design for dementia
Bill Halsall, Halsall Lloyd Partnership and Dr. Rob MacDonald, Liverpool Moores University. Design for Dementia, Volume 1 – A Guide Design for Dementia, Volume 2 – Research Projects Publication date: 2015 Ranking: useful In their words: ‘Design for Dementia’ is a…
Tagged with: Dementia, design, housing, Independent living
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment
House of Commons Select Committee: Women and Equalities Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential Download a copy here from the Parliament website The report sets out the Select Committee’s findings and recommendations on…
Tagged with: access, disability, inclusive access, Independent living, legislation
Posted in Building Regulations, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Highways, Paving, Urban Design
Posted in Building Regulations, Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Highways, Paving, Urban Design
Retirement in the city or the sun?
Mimi Kirk, CityLab Ageing in place Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful Download a copy here from the CityLab website This report looks at a US survey of older people, younger Millennials and Boomers to find out where they would want…
Accessible Street Charter
Equality and Diversity Team, North Somerset Council Publication date: 2017 Ranking: essential The charter is based on work undertaken by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), to promote the concept of charters which set out the key principles…
Tagged with: Dementia, disability, inclusive access, public realm, visual impairment, women
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Great public spaces need more than good design
Linda Poon, The Atlantic CityLab. To Build a Great Public Space, You Need More Than Good Design Publication date: 2017 Ranking: useful The article highlights the work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative who work with grassroots organisation to create public spaces…
Successful places and spaces
Project for Public Places What makes a place successful? Publication date: various Ranking: useful In their words: “Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that…
Tagged with: inclusive access, places, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Poverty, place and inequality
Victoria Pinoncely, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Poverty, place and inequality – a policy paper Publication date: May 2016 Ranking: useful The paper puts forward the idea that place-based approaches are the best way tackle poverty and inequality. In their…
Tagged with: inequality, poverty, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
An environment for all ages
Kt-equal A built environment for all ages Publication date: March 2010 Ranking: useful Notes of a workshop held in 2010 looking at evidence that well-designed outdoor spaces can enhance long term health and well-being for people who use them regularly.…
Tagged with: age, Dementia, health, inclusive access, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Health, Landscaping, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Health, Landscaping, Urban Design
How good is our place?
Architecture and Design Scotland, NHS – Health Scotland and The Scottish Government The Place Standard Guide Published: 2015 Ranking: useful In their words: “The Place Standard tool provides a simple framework to structure conversations about place. It allows you to…
Tagged with: audits, design, health, public realm, sense of place
Posted in Auditing, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Auditing, Planning, Urban Design
Dementia and Town Planning
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Dementia and Town Planning – RTPI Practice Advice Publication date: January 2017 Ranking: useful In their own words… “This practice note gives advice on how good planning can create better environments for people living with dementia. It…
Tagged with: Dementia, disability, friendly communities, planning, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Public transportation is a “women’s issue.”
Laura Bliss, The Atlantic; CityLab Mass transit mobilises women. Why don’t women mobilise for transit? Publication date: January 2017 Ranking: useful In their words: “Like the economy, climate change, immigration, and health care, public transportation is a women’s issue.” the author…
Quality of place matters
Richard Florida and Andrew Small, The Atlantic; CityLab Why quality of place matters Publication date: December 2016 Ranking: useful The article highlights two research studies. First a recent study that assessed 23 variables of the quality of place from cultural…
Urban design for mental health
Mimi Kirk , The Atlantic; CityLab Publication date: December 2016 Ranking: useful How to support mental health through urban planning The article describes the work of the Center for Urban Urban Design and Mental Health and highlights four key themes…
Pedestrian crossing design
Department for Transport (DfT) The design of pedestrian crossings Local Transport Note 2/95 Publication date: 1995 Ranking: essential Government guidance describing the design and installation of at grade pedestrian crossings. Download a copy here from the Gov.uk website To obtain…
Shared space assessment
Paper by: Bart J.M. Melis-Dankers, Else M. Havik and Aart C. Kooijman (Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for Blind and Visually Impaired People) Frank J.J.M. Steyvers, (University of Groningen, Department of Psychology, Groningen) Helen Petrie, (University of York, Department…
Tagged with: inclusive access, public realm, visual impairment
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Core disability design documents
Compiled by North Somerset Council Equality and Diversity Team. Publication date: December 2016 Ranking: essential These documents are the key ones which we feel underpin most design work from service delivery to transport, interior design or the public realm. Disability…
Tagged with: core design guides, design, disability
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Tactile paving consultation 2015
Department for Transport (DfT) Interim changes to the Guidance on the use of Tactile Paving Surfaces Publication date: 2015 Ranking: essential This document sets out the proposed changes that the DfT consulted on in 2015. It proposed changes to the way…
Tagged with: public realm, tactile paving, visual impairment
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Creating age-friendly cities
Houses of Parliament Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Creating age-friendly cities Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful This POSTnote from the examines how housing, outdoor spaces and transport can be made more age-friendly. As the number of older people living…
Tagged with: age, housing, inclusive access, Independent living, planning, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Planning, Urban Design
Review of shared space and other highway schemes
Allan Quimby and James Castle for Transport for London (TfL)Street Management. A Review of Simplified Streetscape Schemes (PPR292) Date published: 2006 Ranking: useful This report looks at the impact of de-cluttering, share space and other improvements to the highway environment to…
Historic buildings and places
National Disability Authority and Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Improving the accessibility of historic buildings and places Publication date: 2011 Ranking: useful Produced by the Irish National Disability Authority, this document provides detailed advice on making historic and…
Tagged with: arts, historic buildings, planning
Posted in Historic Buildings & Landscapes, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Historic Buildings & Landscapes, Planning, Urban Design
Urban streets
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) The Urban Street Design Guide Publication date: 2013 Ranking: useful This US guide sets out key principles and practices used by engineers, planners, and designers working across America. Described as “a blueprint for designing…
Tagged with: public realm, streets, Transport
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Designing cities for women 2: transportation
Clare Foran, CityLab from The Atlantic media group. How to design a city for women Publication date: 2013 Ranking: useful The article focuses on a transportation study in Vienna which highlighted the gender differences in the way different modes transportation…
So how good is tactile paving?
Rodney A. Hunter, Hannah Consulting. Slip resistance of tactile surface indicators Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful This Australian piece of research assesses the slip resistance of tactile paving when wet and in varying conditions from brand new to very worn.…
Tagged with: disability, public realm, tactile paving
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Highways, Urban Design
Designing cities for women 1: public realm
CityLab, AtlanticMedia. How to Design a City for Women Publication date: 2016 Ranking: useful This article looks at how urban planners have been taking the ideas of gender mainstreaming and what can be achieved when the differing needs of men…
Shared space: is it evidence based?
University of the West of England (UWE): Simon Moody and Steve Melia Shared space – research, policy and problems Publication date: 2012 Ranking: essential The authors’ introduction states: “Shared space is an approach to street design which minimises demarcations between vehicles…
Tagged with: access, disability, Independent living, planning, public realm, Transport, visual impairment
Posted in Disability, Highways, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Disability, Highways, Planning, Urban Design
Building dementia friendly communities for everyone
Geraldine Green, Senior Policy Officer and Louise Lakey, Policy Manager, Alzheimer’s Society Building dementia friendly communities: A priority for everyone Publication date: 2013 Ranking: useful This report describes the views of people affected by dementia and their carers. It explores the barriers…
Tagged with: Dementia, Independent living, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Environment), Disability, Urban Design
Streetscape audits
Dept. of Transport and Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/11: Quality Audit Publication date: 2011 Ranking: essential This leaflet explains the Quality Audit process. The Quality Audit process can be applied to highway, traffic management or development…
Crossings and pedestrian walking speeds
Transport Research Laboratory Report prepared by M cRabtree, C Lodge and P Emmerson. A Review of Pedestrian Walking Speeds and Time Needed to Cross the Road Publication date: 2014 Ranking: useful Living Streets commissioned Transport Research Laboratory to bring together…
Shares space experience in Ireland
Tom Grey and Emma Siddall, with contributions from Eoghan O’Shea; TrinityHaus, (Trinity College, Dublin). Shared Space, Shared Surfaces and Home Zones from a Universal Design Approach for the Urban Environment in Ireland Publication date: 2012 Ranking: useful The research was…
Guerrilla Wars in Everyday Public Spaces
Kin Wai Michael Siu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Guerrilla Wars in Everyday Public Spaces: Reflections and Inspirations for Designers. Publication date: 2007 Ranking: useful This research offers designers a new perspective for examining how city users are tactically living in their cities.…
Building for Life
Building for Life Partnership Building for Life 12 (BfL12) is led by three partners: The Design Council, Design for Homes and the Home Builders Federation, supported by Nottingham Trent University. Building for Life 12 Publication date: revised 2012 Ranking: essential…
Tagged with: Co-design, design, housing, National Planning Policy Framework, planning
Posted in Housing, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Housing, Planning, Urban Design
Want to be a dementia friendly community?
Alzheimer’s Society The dementia friendly communities Publication date: various Ranking: essential The Alzheimer’s Society are working nationally to … as a part of their …five year plan. Use these links to find out how to work towards becoming a dementia friendly…
Tagged with: Dementia, inclusive access, Independent living, local councils, public realm
Posted in Disability, Planning, Urban Design
Posted in Disability, Planning, Urban Design
Superdensity
Superdensity – The sequel Written and published by HTA Design LLP, Levitt Bernstein, Pollard Thomas Edwards and PRP Architect in partnership with David Birkbeck of Design for Homes. Publication date: 2015 Ranking: useful Building on Living at Superdensity, this report shows through a series of essays…
An alternative age-friendly handbook
Sophie Handler; UK Urban Ageing Consortium | Age Uk | Royal Institute of British Architects | Age-friendly Manchester | Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing. An alternative age-friendly handbook Publication date: 2014 Ranking: useful This handbook provides practitioners with a series…
Tagged with: age, public realm
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Posted in Design Standards (Buildings), Design Standards (Environment), Urban Design
Play Street Orders
Playing Out – Bristol City Council Playing out – applying for temporary street orders Publication date: current. Due to be reviewed 16/06/2015 Ranking: useful Here is an example of how one council has set up the administrative process to close a street…
Playing out
Playing Out A Dutch view of playing out Publication date: December 2013 Ranking: useful A film made in 1972 documenting the efforts of a group of Dutch children to create a play street. Portrays group of children with quietly supportive…
