cabe > the value of urban design

executive summary

Research outcomes: 1
 Good Urban Design Adds Value

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the Department of the Environment,
Transport and the Regions commissioned the Bartlett School of Planning at the University of London to
investigate the economic, social and environmental value added by good urban design. The aim was
to start, by means of an analysis of selected commercial developments, to provide evidence of whether,
and how, good urban design added value in these three areas. It is hoped that by providing evidence
to back up what is already known intuitively about the benefits of well-designed spaces and places,
both private and public sectors will be encouraged to invest adequately in high-quality urban design.

The research found that good urban design

> adds economic, social and environmental value and does not
necessarily cost more or take longer to deliver
> delivers high investment returns for developers and investors by
meeting a clear occupier demand that also helps to attract investors
> enhances workforce performance and satisfaction and increases
occupier prestige
> delivers economic benefits by opening up new investment
opportunities and delivering more successful regeneration
> helps to deliver places accessible to and enjoyed by all
> benefits all stakeholders – investors, developers, designers,
occupiers, public authorities and everyday users of developments

There is still, however, a need to

> promote the value of good urban design to occupier organisations
and extend value concerns beyond prestige markets
> use planning powers and regeneration resources proactively to
promote positive change
> educate key stakeholders about good urban design and address
the urban design skills deficit
> learn and apply the lessons from successful and less successful
urban design practice
 THE RESEARCH > Developers benefit by attracting investors and pre-lets more
The research sought to address the following related questions: easily and hence from enhanced company image. If they retain
a stake in their developments for long enough, they benefit from
> does good urban design add value and if so how?
good returns on their investments
> who benefits?
> Designers benefit because good urban design is crucially
> how can greater value be released? dependent on their input
> Occupiers benefit from the better performance, loyalty, health
KEY FINDINGS and satisfaction of their employees and from the increased
prestige that well-designed developments command with
Does better urban design add value? guests and clients
The research suggested that good urban design adds value > Everyday users and society as a whole benefit from the
by increasing the economic viability of development and by economic advantages of successful regeneration, including
delivering social and environmental benefits. new and retained jobs, and also from access to a better quality
environment and an improved range of amenities and facilities
It also indicated that the existence of these benefits was
increasingly acknowledged across stakeholder groups – by > Public authorities benefit by meeting their clear obligation
investors, developers, designers, occupiers, public authorities to deliver a well-designed, economically and socially viable
and everyday users. environment and often by ripple effects to adjoining areas.

How does good urban design add value? How can greater value be released?
While the research identified economic, social and environmental
Good urban design adds economic value benefits flowing from good urban design, it also identified barriers
> by producing high returns on investments (good rental returns to delivery, particularly those inherent in established patterns of
and enhanced capital values); investment and development.

> by placing developments above the competition in their local The research suggested a number of recommendations that
markets at relatively little cost; may – in time – encourage a greater shared valuing of, and
investment in, good urban design:
> by responding to occupier demand;
> by helping to deliver more lettable area (higher densities); Extending value concerns beyond prestige markets
(promoting value)
> by reducing management, maintenance, energy and
security costs; The message that good urban design does not necessarily
cost more to deliver but nevertheless offers strong competitive
> by contributing to more contented and productive workforces;
advantages needs to be spread to those operating across all
> by supporting the ‘life giving’ mixed-use elements sectors of the market – and not just at the prestige end. This is
in developments; a task for CABE, DETR and local authorities, who might enlist
the support of the Urban Design Alliance.
> by creating an urban regeneration and place marketing dividend;
Occupiers in particular need to be persuaded of the advantages
> by differentiating places and raising their prestige;
of good urban design since their attitudes influence the actions
> by opening up new investment opportunities, raising confidence of developers and investors. This may not be straightforward
in development opportunities and attracting grant monies; given the disparate nature of occupier organisations.
> by reducing the cost to the public purse of rectifying urban
design mistakes. Fulfilling the public sector role
The role of the public sector is crucial to the delivery of value
Good urban design adds social and environmental value through urban design. This role extends far beyond regulatory
> by creating well connected, inclusive and accessible new places; planning processes, notwithstanding their important role in
stopping introspective, exclusive and disconnected
> by delivering mixed environments with a broad range of facilities developments. Local authorities can and should be proactive,
and amenities available to all; positively setting the urban design agenda through
> by delivering development sensitive to its context; > clear development plan policies supported by design briefs,
> by enhancing the sense of safety and security within and frameworks and masterplans
beyond developments; > using their influence to help ensure that funding is conditional
> by returning inaccessible or run down areas and amenities on the delivery of good urban design
to beneficial public use; > using the leverage offered by ownership of brownfield sites.
> by boosting civic pride and enhancing civic image; The research revealed that this can be decisive in ensuring
better quality urban design
> by creating more energy-efficient and less polluting development;
> working with private interests to achieve agreed economic
> by revitalising urban heritage. and urban design objectives
Local authorities must be willing to see high quality urban (and
Who benefits from that value? architectural) design as a component of development strategies,
> Investors benefit through favourable returns on their investments including those which are conservation-led. Achieving this may
and through satisfying occupier demand, although the full require better publicity to be given to contemporary urban design
pay-off may not be immediate success stories – nationally and particularly locally.
 Educating for better urban design FURTHER RESEARCH
The research indicated that poor quality urban design is not The current work is not definitive. It represents a step towards
necessarily a result either of an active decision not to invest clarifying the relationship between urban design and value but
in good urban design or of a lack of time and effort put into further research is needed. This might usefully take the form of
producing a high quality product. In their own way, all the a quantitative study of the economic value added by good
case study developments were carefully designed and urban design, a comparative examination of policy mechanisms
crafted products. In the better ones, though, urban design associated with the delivery of good urban design and research
considerations extended beyond corporate image-making into a possible method for measuring the value added by new
objectives. developments. Further details are included in the full research
report. It may also be valuable to commission research to
Poor delivery, where it occurs, might result from a lack of urban
confirm (as this research suggests) that better urban design
design skills in both the private and public sectors. Efforts are
speeds up the planning process.
already being made by DETR and CABE to address this skills
deficit. Fundamentally, the gap needs to be filled across all The findings presented here are consistent with those of other
professional education concerned with the built environment UK and international research in this area and it is expected
(particularly in the finance/investment related professions) and that they would be substantiated by further work.
through continuing professional development. Initiatives on
this front cannot come too soon. ABOUT THE STUDY
The study was undertaken by a team led by Dr Matthew
Delivering better urban design
Carmona of the Bartlett School of Planning, at the University of
As well as these ‘process’ related recommendations, the London. The researchers reviewed literature and quantitative
research revealed a number of findings that might usefully data on the value of urban design and undertook six case
inform urban design practice. studies of predominantly office developments in Manchester,
the West Midlands and Nottingham. Each of these
> Delivering good urban design seems to some extent to rely on
developments was assessed against a range of urban
delivering the critical mass needed to support it. New public
design criteria and key stakeholders were interviewed.
spaces, infrastructure improvements, mixing uses and so forth
all rely on the realisation of developments large enough to fund The study was funded by CABE and DETR. The conclusions
their delivery. This suggests an important role for the public and recommendations presented here are those of the
sector in assembling larger sites. researchers and not necessarily those of CABE and DETR.
> Smaller developments can also contribute to the delivery of
good urban design if clear strategies are put in place (by public FURTHER INFORMATION
or private parties) to coordinate adjoining sites and help deliver The full report, The Value of Urban Design, is published
a well-considered whole. Proactive planning is the key. by Thomas Telford (ISBN 0 7277 2981 0, price £25.00).
> Lifetime costs should be considered upfront in the development It is available from Thomas Telford Ltd, Units I/K, Paddock
process. This may not be easy to achieve when many of those Wood Distibution Centre, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent,
with a longer-term interest in developments do not come on TN12 6UU. Tel 020 7665 2464, Fax 020 7665 2245.
board until later in the development process. Nevertheless, the e-mail orders@thomastelford.com
capacity of good urban design to reduce management and
maintenance costs should be highlighted.
> Where the strategic dimension of urban design is appreciated
and acted on through positive planning at a larger spatial
scale – particularly the integration of development into
established infrastructure – the value (particularly social value)
added by development is enhanced.
> Mixing uses leads directly to higher user and occupier
satisfaction and was fundamental to the social, economic
and environmental value added by the most successful
Tower Building Eland House
case studies.
11 York Road Bressenden Place
> Public spaces and amenities are far more successful if located London SE1 7NX London SW1E 5DU
at accessible, well-connected points.
Tel 020 7960 2400 Tel 020 7944 3000
> Good urban design can make areas more attractive to www.cabe.org.uk www.detr.gov.uk
higher-income residents and the businesses and services
which supply or employ them. It is important, however, to
sustain social diversity within new developments to help
ensure that the benefits of regeneration are widely shared.

Commission for Architecture The Tower Building T 020 7960 2400

& the Built Environment 11 York Road F 020 7960 2444
London E enquiries@cabe.org.uk
SE1 7NX W www.cabe.org.uk