Lessons Learnt - Design for London

6.2 summary of recommendations
The recommend tions focus on pl nning policy
rr ngements nd processes th t re needed
for the successful delivery of sust in le, high
qu lity, town centre intensific tion schemes. They
re intended to gener te nd inform discussion
on future policy development r ther th n s
propos ls for immedi te policy ch nge.
recommendations on the key themes for town
centres (chapter 3)
The study identifies nine themes th t re centr l
to the ch llenges for town centre intensific tion
in south London nd simil r re s. The str tegic
recommend tions for e ch theme re re
summ rised elow, whilst more det iled design
spects c n e found in Ch pter :
• Include the edges of town centres in transformation
efforts – Design studies should
not just ddress the tr dition l ‘he rt of the
town centre’ ut lso their edges, ne r y
corridors nd industri l re s, s well s
dj cent su ur n residenti l zones. Edges of
town centres would enefit from more proposition
l pl nning so th t existing qu lities
re m int ined nd new qu lities cre ted.
This would include development oriented
fr mework pl nning s well s pro ctive
design str tegies. We need to move eyond
the utom tic ssumption th t ‘residenti l
over ret il’ is lw ys ppropri te to gu r ntee
good ur nism nd soci l s fety through
n tur l overlooking. Other opportunities
include less limiting ppro ch to overlooking
dist nces nd the cre tion of new pu lic
sp ces to chieve residenti l environments
th t re ttr ctive to ll, including f milies nd
the elderly.
• Align social infrastructure planning and
housing development – It is critic l to ppr ise
88 HOUSING INTENSIfICATION IN SEVEN SOUTH LONDON TOWN CENTRES AND THEIR EDGES
where housing developments c n strengthen
soci l infr structure provision nd vice
vers . Housing development c n support
investments in soci l infr structure nd the
pu lic re lm eyond the existing Section 106
fr mework. Integr tion of soci l infr structure
requires long-term pl nning, ringing
together loc l p rtners nd thinking cre tively
out joined up investment. This c n en le
town centres to fulfil the full r nge of town
centre uses, including pl ces for leisure, loc l
services, meeting nd soci lising.
• Make clear choices for struggling retail centres
– Str tegies th t would cre te n ttr ctive
ltern tive for ex-ret il sp ces c n e fe si le
nd ttr ctive. We recommend est lishing
more proposition l policies nd tr nsform tion
str tegies for struggling ret il centres. Options
m y include the retrofitting of ret il p r des for
fford le employment sp ces, new provision
of educ tion, leisure nd he lth services, or
more wholes le tr nsform tion into housing,
mixed use or flexi le ‘c sco’- uildings.
• A-road corridors: linear investment – The
A-ro d corridors domin te the structure nd
im ge of south London, ut too often present
n un ttr ctive environment oth in terms
of the pu lic re lm nd the qu lity of recent
development. Str tegic investment in these
routes is needed to cre te conditions th t
encour ge high qu lity, sust in le housing
nd other uses. Pu lic re lm interventions nd
uilding typologies c n respond to pro lem tic
environment l conditions such s noise nd
pollution. The key is to cknowledge th t extr
pu lic s well s priv te efforts re needed
to m ke development long these corridors
h ppen in sust in le m nner. London nd
other metropolit n re s should recognise th t