Focus on design
quality throughout
the planning
process
Promote understanding of the proposal with all stakeholders
Demonstrate design quality through a clear and simple method
Appraise design quality through a clear and simple method
Qualityreviewer is a guide to thinking about design quality. It is a practical method for appraising the design quality of development proposals, based on ten steps:
We can design a successful scheme or appraise a planning proposal only if we have a good understanding
of the place: not just the development site but also the wider area.
Establish what legislation, policy and guidance apply to the area and site, and whether the site is in a designated area or near significant features. Understand the local authority’s aspirations for the place and how it works to achieve them.
Identify what the development proposal is intended to achieve, and how. Understand the project’s aspirations and precedents.
Consider how significant the impact of this development proposal is likely to be, and the influence of this on how the development should be handled.
Consider what the proposed development’s strengths and weaknesses are in relation to the six sets of design qualities:
- Movement and legibility
- Space and enclosure
- Mixed uses and tenure
- Adaptability and resilience
- Resources and efficiency
- Architecture and townscape
Find out if the proposal has been designed by a person or team with design training and with a track record of good design.
Consider whether the design is likely to be well executed.
Consider whether the development is likely to be well managed and maintained after construction.
Determine if you have the right information to make a balanced appraisal decision. If not, ask for additional relevant and necessary information.
Decide whether the development proposal should be accepted; accepted with conditions; negotiated; or rejected.
“Qualityreviewer is an excellent teaching tool at every level. I will be using it for undergraduate planning and postgraduate urban design classes and project work. I will also be recommending it to my colleagues on design review panels where it will greatly assist systematic analysis.”
“The Qualityreviewer method will provide a very useful tool for all development management planners.”
“Qualityreviewer provides a simple framework for thinking and a logical structure for approaching pre-application discussions. Perhaps its greatest strength lies in the drawings, which provide immediate visual evidence, demonstrating the key issues. Each simple case study could probably save a week’s worth of fruitless meetings and complex language.”
“Qualityreviewer allows an objective appraisal of all the aspects of scheme design and actively seeks the views of all interested parties.”
