Summary of Geddes Institute for Research Symposium on Masterplanning process under current conditions facilitated by Diarmaid Lawlor

1. Masterplanning process
Conditionmaking and priorities
public life efficiencies
economic resources The story
leverage What are we trying to do?
Getting there
What works and why?
collaboration
• Value [Prof Evans]
• Place [Prof Murray]
Impact • Positioning [Cowan]

2. Geddes Institute: Masterplanning process
Key questions
Value
What is the key benefit of the masterplanning
process?

3. Geddes Institute: Masterplanning process
Key questions
Value
What is the key benefit of the masterplanning
process?
Practice
What is the key problem achieving these
benefits?

4. Presentations:
• Outcomes: value for
local people
• Purpose: medium term
placemaking
• Adapting: learning from
failure

5. Masterplanning process
Audience feedback
Value
CLARITY/PURPOSE IMPROVEMENT
• Not sure what the term is • To improve and understand Social Life
• Very vague process – let be specific • Make things better
• No benefits – too many masterplans fail • Preparing Landscaped Communities
• Conflict of interest
FUTURES
A shared vision of where we are going
Holistic approach
A vision, accurate, clear and detailed
representations of proposal
DELIVERY
More far reaching than an individual building
• Justification of public expenditure
Clear idea of the future
• Bringing different economic values together;
stakeholders
ANALYSIS • Identifying strengths and weakness – minimising
Integration of connection risk
Analysing the problem

6. Masterplanning process
Audience feedback
Practice
CONFLICTS AND COMPLEXITY RESOURCES, FINANCE AND ECONOMY
• Conflict of interest • Economic Constraints
• The number of variables to consider • Resources eg. economic, human
• Different opinions and public interaction to helping
understand the problems
• Ensuring everyone and every user is satisfied with
the outcome
• Different interests of groups
• Too many factors
CONFIDENCE AND COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP
• Lack of confidence to participate in process • Whose idea of the future accounts?
• All stakeholders collaboration early enough in • Who’s responsibility?
the process
• Communication between different generations
of designers

7. • Historical pampliset
• People and ambition
• Derive principles, use this to measure promises met
• Methods to engage
• Skills and necessary conditions
brief…

8. Masterplanning process
Practice: clarity or confusion-language
sustainable:
• capable of enduring. De coupling economic growth from materials use
masterplan:
• Concept: framework through to a plan, vision through to a process, a consensual direction of
travel
•
value
• hard value measured in terms of money, soft value measured in terms of benefit
local people
• people who live and work there…care about a place…self interest…not a neutral proposition

9. Masterplanning process
Practice: clarity or confusion-language
CRUX: we are dealing with change
Meaning: 10 central concepts of urbanism…at least one in fashion at any one time
Terminologies and time. Terminologies and politics
Language and association: master-plan and past ideologies
Scope and adaptability: Had a good masterplan….but…market conditions change, other
change happened: CHANGE happens.
Clarity: Do all variables change all the time….every masterplan starting from scratch? 27
masterplans, Royal Docks
Control: driving change of behaviour:housebuilders, political objectives or inclusive procss

10. Masterplanning process
Methods and approaches
Masterplanning is a means
Making places is an end
Purpose:
• What are we doing and why are we doing it, and how does it get communicated and
delivered
Timeframe
Medium and long view
Output:
• A process not a product: medium term view. A vision, a spatial diagram, a tool for
mediation, a way to deliver outcomes
Approaches:
• Spatial masterplanning: the space frame/scale
• Master programming: time/phasing
• Institutional co-ordination: collaboration

11. Masterplanning process
Methods and approaches
More design than the design of buildings: process design and product design over time
SCALES AND TYPES…..
• Spatial strategy: broad brush [blob-o-gram]
• Development framework: [uses, parcels, infrastructure]
• Detailed masterplan: heights, massing, materials, public space
• Design briefs/design codes: deals
DECISIONS
• Components: plots, lots, blocks……land/forms….
• control/relax….consistency [links to statutory and political processes]
OWNERSHIP
• Who is responsible: leadership
• Engagement

12. How do good places come about?
Responses to factors of change and process

13. Geddes Institute: Masterplanning process
Key questions
Change
What one change would you make to
overcome the problems in the masterplanning
process?