Thursday, 15 December 2011

Lifetime neighbourhoods

Four years ago I posted a note about an excellent CLG discussion paper on lifetime neighbourhoods prepared by the International Longevity Centre. CLG have now published a new report by Mark Bevan and Karen Croucher from the Centre for Housing Policy in York. It’s an important document which brings together a wide range of material to give this theme some welcome momentum.

Park scene 2The main components of lifetime neighbourhoods are given as

  • supporting residents to develop lifetime neighbourhoods – especially resident empowerment
  • access
  • services and amenities
  • built and natural environments
  • social networks/well-being
  • housing.

There are several valuable strengths in this report. I would highlight the appropriate breadth of research and practice material, the significant number of practice examples, and the emphasis on resident empowerment. It’s also very readable.

Against that, there are two weaknesses that struck me very quickly. The main one is that there is no recognition of the damaging over-emphasis on cars in our local environments, of the way design has too often privileged the driver, and the knock on effect on local social quality of life.

A few years ago the designer Wayne Hemingway told me a story about trying to get residents in a new tower building to accept an underground car park in the design. They wouldn’t, because they wanted to be able to see their cars from their windows – hence using up vastly more land to accommodate them, than was necessary. People treat cars as extensions of their homes, and as a way of marking territory, probing out into the world. It’s hard to see how we can develop lifetime neighbourhoods without confronting this peculiar obsession, but it doesn't help to overlook it. As a society we seem to be in denial.

The other unexpected weakness is a lack of insight into the potential of digital media to strengthen social networks. We can anticipate a future in which residents will expect to be connected and to enjoy and exploit the benefits of their networks, online and face-to-face. And as the Online Neighbourhood Networks study suggested, there are benefits to service providers.

 

15 Dec 2011 10:04:29 | Neighbourhood relations

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Network ennui Today the Guardian community action hub published an article by Rosie Niven on ‘social media in community building and development’, and I added two or three comments explaining some aspects of the Online Neighbourhood Networks research which I carried out with Hugh Flouch. I thought I’d mention here that in passing I refer to the notion of ‘network ennui’, which I have decided will become contagious - a period not too far in the future when swathes of the world’s population just get pissed off with the dreary effort of maintaining our social networks and do other stuff like looking where we’re going on the street, experiencing silence and playing solitaire WITH REAL CARDS… the age of social media will just quietly die with an untweeted whimper. I can’t tell you more cos it’s already started, must go.
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Safe neighbourhoods: the role of design Anyone who thought agencies like CABE were a waste of public money should look away now. In their current status as part of the Design Council, using material generated in their previous independence, CABE have produced a set of clear, directive briefing papers on Creating safe places to live through design. They are well worth spending time on. There are six case studies augmented by a summary of lessons learned. The summary hits four main issues: Parking and problems associated with parking are 'a major source of neighbour disputes, anti-social behaviour and in some cases criminal damage and assault'. Issues discussed include paying attention to where visitors are likely to park. Design quality… Specific elements that need extra design input are: 'Corner properties – they are at greater risk of crime and need careful resolution to ensure they provide overlooking to both streets. Avoiding situations that expose rear access to dwellings – all dwellings should be the right way around with fronts and backs resolved properly for every dwelling. Ensure the movement network passes to the front (or if necessary overlooked sides) [of] dwellings rather than to the rear and is logical, fitting in with wider movement routes.' Management and maintenance strategies – noting problems resulting from the rise of buy-to-let properties owned by absentee landlords. Gating - 'strong perimeter security through gating is not a panacea for good design within a development. The highest crime scheme in the research was the only one that was gated.' The image below comes from the case study of the gated estate. Never mind the fencing and gating, the door appears to have been designed so that we can all keep prison life firmly in mind. (And what is that slit at the bottom of the door? Designed to make anyone delivering post bend down unnecessarily? Or is it a squat cat flap? Time to leave I think).

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