Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas

Chapter 4 Planning for sustainable
neighbourhoods
Introduction
4.0 As set out in the first chapter, the principles of sustainable
development need to be defined and applied at different
geographical levels. This chapter focuses on planning at the district
or neighbourhood scale within larger towns and cities, whether on
brown-field or green-field sites. Chapters 6 and 7 respectively relate
to development at the level of smaller settlements and the immediate
environs of individual dwellings.
4.1 National policy makes it clear that sustainability is not confined to the
physical environment. Sustainability also includes the concept of
stable, integrated communities, and planning for such communities
must embrace both tangible issues – such as the timely provision of
school places – and the intangible, such as people’s perception of
what constitutes an attractive, secure environment in which to rear
children. Planning objectives at the district / neighbourhood scale
can thus be grouped under four main themes:
(a) Provision of community facilities;
(b) Efficient use of resources;
(c) Amenity / quality of life issues; and
(d) Conservation of the built and natural environment.
Provision of community facilities
Sustainable neighbourhoods require a range of community facilities,
and each district/neighbourhood will need to be considered within
its own wider locality, as some facilities may be available in the wider
area while others will need to be provided locally. In this context,
planning authorities should seek to ensure that facilities for social and
cultural use, such as community centres, and personal and
community development, such as resource centres, are available
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Planning Guidelines