A lot of town planning goes on without us noticing. We only really spot it when things go wrong – when construction work overruns or accessibility is difficult. But it’s the role of town planning to ensure any development of urban areas is successful and inclusive for all.
The definition in the Oxford Dictionary states:
“Town planning is the planning and control of construction, growth, and development of a town or other urban area.”
The idea of improving the towns we live in has been around for some time. In the late 1800s, unplanned suburbs began to appear in large cities, which prompted much discussion about how growth could be controlled, and how environments could be improved for the people who lived and spent time in them. The concept of garden cities was created. They mixed features of towns and the countryside – rows of houses were spaced further apart and greenery like trees and gardens were introduced. The Housing and Town Planning Act (1909) also made it illegal for housing to sit back-to-back.
Over time, a lot has been learnt about how we can improve the places in which we live. Town planning officers are responsible for a lot of sectors. These include housing, heritage and conservation, waste, transport, and health, as well as construction, which is where street furniture fits in.
Many other groups are involved, including:
Planning inspectors
Councillors
Developers
Architects
Designers
Building control officers
Investors
Access officers
Highways officers
Fire authorities
They work together to make sure new projects are safe, accessible, and meets the needs of everyone who’ll use them. Communities must have access to the facilities they need, such as homes, offices, shops, hospitals, and schools, and the right infrastructure (like roads, railways, and other public spaces) must be in place to support them.
Different environmental sites will have a range of physical features and requirements which all have to be taken into account. There may also be conflict between the needs of different businesses or private landowners. It’s a balancing act.
Members of the public should be able to go about their lives without encountering any issues. The logical layout of a space helps to instil feelings of familiarity and confidence amongst users. If you can identify where you are, behave in a certain way, and follow particular patterns, you will be relatively safe, feel confident, and be able to complete your journey.
However, poorly thought-out design can cause accessibility problems and stop people from carrying out everyday errands. Your options become very limited if you can’t enter a building, use a public bathroom, or park your car in a suitable space.
Disabled people can be particularly disadvantaged by inaccessible infrastructure, but it also affects their carers, the elderly, and parents with young children.
In the past, solutions to accessibility problems would often have to be added to existing structures and could be separate from the way other users navigate a space. However, in recent years, the approach has become more inclusive and it’s recommended that accessible solutions are included in plans from the beginning.
Parts of the UK and Europe have developed the concept of sharing, which aims to create more pedestrian-friendly public spaces that offer greater safety for users, encouraging motorists and cyclists to be slower and more careful. In order for the concept of sharing to work, the needs of disabled people, children and the elderly must be taken into account. The way a person uses a space will depend on their abilities and interpretations – these will differ depending on their individual circumstances.
That’s not to say improving the accessibility of existing spaces is no longer necessary. In 2017, Chester was awarded first prize in the European Access City Award for going beyond the legal requirements for accessibility, particularly for their historic city walls.
The award is a chance for cities to:
Show how they are making their city easy to live in
See what they need to do to improve
Become better for their citizens
Ramps, level access, tactile paving and additional handrails have all been added to Chester’s walls over the years, and access points are shown on panels around the city. They also provide accessible units where disabled people can wash and change. This allows people with specialist needs to spend more time enjoying the city.
Planning permission is more likely to be accepted if accessible street furniture (and other inclusive aspects of the design) are considered at every stage of development, especially if the building or site is historic and subject to conservation laws.
It’s often too late to overcome accessibility barriers if you don’t take them into consideration until the planning application stage. The government’s planning permission resources highlight the importance of this.
Places, buildings, and spaces should:
Be functional
Support different uses
Encourage ease of movement
Be resilient, and adapt to the needs of future generations
Be attractive, with a distinctive character
Design influences the way we use a space, which means it has an impact on our wellbeing. Good design, therefore, isn’t just about the quality of buildings and spaces – it’s about making sure they address the needs of everyone in society in a thoughtful and efficient way.
It’s more cost-effective to take accessibility into consideration from the start, since you won’t have to make adjustments in future. That said, you can add additional street furniture as demand grows, or if you recognise the needs of the community are changing.
It’s also better for business. More inclusion leads to more footfall and more customers, which means more money will be spent. The impact on the economy is undeniably positive.
In 1999, the Institute for Employment Studies estimated that the spending power of the disabled was £51.3 billion a year. Fifteen years later, the Department for Work and Pensions estimated that the spending power of families with at least one disabled person was over £200 billion a year.
