London YIMBY’s John Myers explains how localism can be harnessed to deliver more homes. The current planning system is not popular. Residents who would be happy to support improvement of their area are often frustrated when their wishes are overridden. Councils feel that they lack powers and resources to do the best for their communities. […]
Create Streets deputy director David Milner explains how policies that enable a gentle intensification of our towns and cities is the best way to reduce the carbon emissions of transport. Transport is the UK’s worst emissions offender (27% of CO2 emissions) and an enormous consumer of energy produced in this country. It was a surprise […]
Create Streets head of research Ben Southwood explains how agglomeration is the key to economic success, and why this means that more gentle density in the UK can help us Most value in the world today is created by people working together. Natural resources like oil, or agricultural land, are still responsible for a substantial […]
Create Streets head of research Ben Southwood explains why low traffic neighbourhoods seem to be popular. Road use is a paradigm example of the famous ‘tragedy of the commons’. Most goods have prices, so consumers think twice before using them. When goods are free at the point of use, like roads, people tend to consume […]
Create Streets director Nicholas Boys Smith explains why long term sustainability depends on time honoured solutions not gimmicks. The bad news is that there is no single answer to developing sustainably. Anyone who says there is, is selling you snake oil. Passivhaus in the middle of the countryside anyone? A ‘sustainable’ building made out of […]
The architect, Robert Adam, reflects on a recent new housing planning application and why we need to ‘move the democracy forward’ I firmly believe that if we were to make more use of popular visual design codes within local plans for the ‘the type of development we like round here’ it would both make it […]
Create Streets’ research team asks the most important question in British transport policy There may be as many as 500 million e-scooter users annually now, happily gliding along streets across the world. Some have switched from larger vehicles trailing petrol or diesel fumes, and are now causing less congestion. E-scooters are one of the biggest […]
Lessons learned from studying customer behaviour patterns in convenience and proximity It is a well-known fact to the food industry that consumer convenience relates very strongly to the time consumers have available to make a purchase and then get on to do the next thing in their day. What is striking are the parallels between […]
Nicholas Boys Smith argues for beautiful ‘gentle density.’ For too long a fixation on urban high-rises has taken priority over more popular houses with gardens Over 20 years ago, Lord Rogers proposed an urban renaissance. His task force argued that Britain’s towns should be better places. The argument was strong. It has led to many […]
Over many years during my long housebuilding career, planners and local residents have often screamed for a mixed use content within new housing developments. Not a real surprise as we all recognise its contribution in society and its convenience particularly if its a general store and after all new purchasers of our beautiful houses for […]