The Value of Good Design – Blog Post

By Philip Singleton, Consultant and Project Manager at Colmore BID

Colmore BID, as a member of the Centre for the New Midlands, the independent think tank for the region, was invited to a recent roundtable discussion – with the topic of ‘The Value of Good Design’. The session was sponsored by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the West Midlands Combined Authority and Colmore BID Board Director Sandeep Shingadia. 

At the event, we explored the following themes:

• How can TFWM and local authorities effectively integrate design governance (embedding leadership and expertise at a senior, commanding level) into their existing planning processes.
• The procurement challenges faced in implementing design governance, how can they be overcome, and should it be mandated.
• What examples of successful design governance can be evidence in projects in the West Midlands that have had a significant impact on the community.
• How can TFWM and local authorities collaborate with private sector partners to enhance design governance and achieve better outcomes.
• What role does public engagement play in design governance, and how can local authorities ensure meaningful participation from residents.
• What initiatives and good practices can be implementing in the design review process to ensure better outcomes.

I attended on behalf Colmore BID and had the following observations:

Projects at scale really are place-making opportunities; developments and infrastructure projects have impacts on places and people.  At a larger scale, such as new stations, whole new pieces of a city are impacted.  If thought through from the beginning with care and attention, then such interventions can be a positive experience. 

I discussed where the ‘levers’ are that need to be pulled to make good things happen; for example, the public sector disposal of land and assets has as much control over future development as the Planning system.  Teams who oversee budgets, briefs and a project’s gestation need to have the guts to say no to bad thinking and bad design.  

Creating a ‘journey plan’ would be a helpful way to plot who has what responsibility, at what stage, for implementing intelligent thinking and where design charters, guidance and review can be incisively placed.