This document discusses using design-led approaches like charrettes to improve the planning process. It suggests that charrettes, which are intensive collaborative workshops, can make the planning process faster, better, cheaper, and more convenient. Charrettes bring together community members, professionals, and stakeholders to generate consensus-driven master plans. The document also discusses how charrettes have been tested and shown to streamline development planning and management in Scotland. It argues that design-led, collaborative approaches allow deeper exploration of issues and create more certainty, helping to maximize value while minimizing resources used.

1. University of Dundee
26th October 2012
David Thompson
Place Frameworks:
Learning From Charrettes

2. Hang on…
…..why do anything different?

5. Is there an opportunity?

6. “Speed of decisions is
the central factor but it
also includes other
issues such as quality
of development,
customer service and
level of resource”
Planning 5th Oct 2012
Planning
Derek Mackay
Minister for Local
Government & Planning

7. “The real trick is to be
faster, better, cheaper
and more convenient
than any of your
competitors”
James Caan
Business

8. Faster
Better
Cheaper
Convenient
Speed
Quality
Resources
Customer service
Planning
Measures
Business
Start up

9. Successful operation of the planning system
will only be achieved if those involved: planning
authorities, agencies and consultees, applicants,
communities, representative organisations, public
bodies, the Government and the general public,
commit themselves to engaging as constructively
as possible in the process.
PAN 3/2010 Community Engagement

10. Successful operation of the planning system
will only be achieved if those involved: planning
authorities, agencies and consultees, applicants,
communities, representative organisations, public
bodies, the Government and the general public,
commit themselves to engaging as constructively
as possible in the process.
PAN 3/2010 Community Engagement
So how do we do it faster, better, cheaper
and more convenient ?

11. Are design-led approaches the answer?

12. Understanding requirements & plan
Has to happen
Has to matter
3 areas to focus on?

13. Collaboration
Delivery
Outcomes

14. A charrette is an interactive design workshop, in
which the public, local, professionals and
stakeholders work directly with a specialised design
team to generate a specific community masterplan.
Charrette Series Report, Scottish Government

15. A charrette is an interactive design workshop, in
which the public, local, professionals and
stakeholders work directly with a specialised design
team to generate a specific community masterplan.
Charrette Series Report, Scottish Government
Understanding requirements & plan

16. ...engaging in planning?

17. SP=EED, Planning Aid Scotland
Level 4 – Co Production?
Harry Burns

18. Dialogue by Design

19. ...what about the design process?

20. Design Snapshot, Scottish Government

21. Distinctive
Safe
Movement
Welcoming
Adaptable
Efficient

22. ...what about the design process? Its a Process
Design Snapshot, Scottish Government

23. A design-led team to create and test
a ‘place brief’ ….
…through a tailored programme of
stakeholder engagement…
…to create a place specific,
consenus driven masterplan?
Emerging Charrette definition?

24. “..to encourage the creation of places,
designed and built to last, where a high
quality of life can be achieved”

25. 68 Submissions
11 Exemplars
3 Charrettes

26. “The SSCI Charrette Series will provide a unique
and innovative opportunity for Scotland to develop
new approaches to sustainable planning while
enabling a new level of public engagement in the
place-making process”
The Aim
LOCATION + FORM + PEOPLE

28. Public Design
Studio
Public Presentations
Workshop venue

29. Awareness Raising: The Local Community
Councillors Residents
Community
Groups
Schools

30. Community
Council
Community
Newsletter
Awareness Raising: The Local Community
Councillors
Project
meetings
Committees
Residents
Community
Groups
Pre-Charrette
Paper
Schools
postcar
d
Schools
Briefings

31. Existing

32. 2026

33. 2060
“Each growth period does not relate to the future”
Place-based vision

34. 5 Min
Walk

35. Connect

36. Blockages?

38. “The Charrettes are a truly innovative and exciting
approach to empowering communities that the
Scottish Government is pioneering on a national
scale. They allow people to positively shape the
decision-making process in their communities in a
dynamic and effective way, improving the quality,
attractiveness and success of places across
Scotland”
Stewart Stevenson, Transport & Infrastructure
Minister (01/09/2010)

39. Are Charrette techniques scaleable and replicable?

40. ...what specialist skills are required to engage?
Mediation……through design
Communicate ….…through design
Inspire ……through design

41. ...Scalable?:
Development Planning Test
Design Studio

42. Prepare: Understand the place
Propose: Intense collaborative design
Reflect: review proposals individually
Refine: re-engage and agree
Process

43. Workshop Outputs

44. Final Spatial Diagram

45. Faster?
Better?
Cheaper?
Convenient?
Yes: 3 weeks
Yes: Quality driven
Yes: £2000
Yes: Time saving

46. ...Scalable:
Development Management Test

47. 4 x 2 hour workshops: design led
Reflect: exchange between discussions
Process

49. Fronts & Backs
Movement

50. B-Plan

51. Final submission

52. Faster?
Better?
Cheaper?
Convenient?
Yes: approved not refused
Yes: Quality driven
Yes: £0 Council Facilitation
Yes: Focused effort

53. create a place-specific delivery model for Lochgelly
Delivery

54. Delivery

57. Outcomes
Education
Health
Employment

60. A focus on services
A focus on assets
A focus on place

63. Faster: Design-led, form based approaches enable
collaborative processes
Better: Enables deeper & simultaneous exploration of
complex issues
Cheaper: More accurate planning creates more certainty
and more value from sparse resource (public and private)
Convenient: More certainty creates realistic and SHARED
expectations on delivery
Finally

64. Thank you