Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE)

By Rebecca Windemer Last week (7th April) the UK Government published the much awaited British energy security strategy. The strategy sets out plans for the future of energy generation in Great Britain. In this blog post I discuss the changes that are expected to occur for the planning system. Before doing so I will firstly … Continue reading "What planners need to know about the British energy security strategy"

By Katie McClymont and Danni Sinnett….. Cemeteries in many cities provide functions beyond that of bodily disposal and remembrance. Thinking about our own city of Bristol, Arnos Vale Cemetery provides a historic setting for numerous events and activities, a space for nature, and opportunities for community involvement, alongside its natural burial and crematoria services. Cemeteries … Continue reading "New research suggests that cemeteries provide many of the same benefits as green spaces"

By Helen Hoyle….. The UN COP 26 2021 Climate Conference heightened public awareness of the need to act now to mitigate the climate crisis. This in turn precipitates a call to ‘futureproof’ cities by introducing resilient urban green infrastructure compatible with future climates. Yet how do the public respond to ‘climate-ready’ planting in public places, … Continue reading "Climate-adapted, traditional or cottage-garden planting? How acceptable is ‘climate ready’ planting to the public, and what drives these reactions?"

by Danni Sinnett and Max Walters…. Trees provide many benefits to people and wildlife in urban environments. Seen as an opportunity to address climate and ecological emergencies, many cities are developing targets for increasing tree canopy cover and Bristol is no exception. Bristol’s One City Plan includes a target to double tree canopy cover by … Continue reading "Are Bristol’s plans to double tree canopy cover by 2045 feasible?"

by Hannah Hickman…. The ambition to achieve high quality design outcomes in the delivery of new homes is undisputed and currently prominent on the political agenda. Most recently, we have seen amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework to strengthen its design focus, a new National Model Design Code, the creation of a new Office … Continue reading "Tricks of the trade: why design quality diminishes post-planning permission"

By Laurence Carmichael….. Tower Hamlets (TH) Health Impact Assessment (HIA) policy was adopted as part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) Local Plan in January 2020. The policy aimed to be part of a set of local planning policies addressing major health challenges in the borough, including poor housing quality, overcrowding, social isolation, … Continue reading "Learning from Tower Hamlets Health Impact Assessment (HIA) policy implementation programme 2019-2021"

By Danni Sinnett and Issy Bray Across Europe there is a vast legacy of contaminated sites from past industrial, commercial and military activity, waste disposal, mineral extraction and other uses. WHO Europe published a report examining the Urban redevelopment of contaminated sites, which summarises the findings from an expert discussion which considered a review of … Continue reading "New report by WHO Europe examines the urban redevelopment of contaminated sites"

by Hannah Hickman…. The news can feel unremittingly challenging and I oscillate between trying to engage with the detail and wanting to ignore it all in the vague hope that next time I look, a future more Covid free reality might be closer on the horizon. Anecdotally, colleagues, friends and family feel similarly. In a … Continue reading "How future planners’ views on Covid-19 provide grounds for optimism"