Design by example?

Everybody loves this picture of Borneo-Sporenburg in Amsterdam (particularly people writing masterplans and guidelines). Not least because its ideal to have access to a boat for climate change.

West8's masterplan achieved something unique in the rules and challenges placed on the architects for the individual units. Theres good and bad things about this.
1)Good: The masterplan provided a strict code within which architects could express their design skils. The design model was based on the grain of traditional row housing.
2)Good: It shows how architects obsession with form to provide visual variety, looses site of the importance of elevational detail. Whether the detail is traditional or modern, it is this level of thought and design that is profoundly human, and one which we can relate to.
3)Bad: This development is from 1993-1996. Despite being included in just about every guideline and urban design book since, I haven't seen anybody else copy the idea.
4)Bad: Most of us don't live facing water (for now)- getting the street facade right while less dramatic, is more important.

Theres something in the water......

The DoEHLG issued a new circular PSSP 1/10 on 5th January advising Local Authorities and An Bord Pleanala to implement the new EPA Code on septic tanks (Code of Practice
Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses (p.e. ≤ 10)). This has been undertaken in response to the European Court of Justice Ruling against Ireland C-188/08 on the implementation of Articles 4 and 8 of Council Directive 75/442/EEC.

This highlights that the planning system's abject failure to redress sporadic housing in rural areas, is potentially to be brought under control by alternative legal mechanisms. European environmental legislation is slowly but progressively adding a bit of bite to the issue. The Water Framework Directive and Environmental Liability Regulations provide a new dimension to rural development equation. However, County Councillors don't appear to care about the impact of bungalow blitz on ourcountryside and communities, so bit of extra nitrogen in the drinking water is hardly going to worry them.

Dick Roche's legacy as Minister for the Environment is nowhere better incapsulated than in the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines. The above map from the 2008 EPA Annual Report highlights the impact of this policy, with 96,000 units granted permission between 2005 to 2007. This Guideline needs to be reviewed by Minister Gormley, and subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment.

NAMA Board

The announcement of the Board for NAMA on 22nd of December gave a clear indication of the tone of the new superpower of Irish Development. Its composition is made up of civil servants, financiers and accountants. Any Planning input will only come in an advisory capacity. If not unexpected, it is highly disappointing. While all the Board members are no doubt highly capable and successful in their own fields of expertise, they are not qualified or experienced as a group or individually to manager or develop what will be one of Europe's largest property portfolios.

Frank Daly, is a former head of the Revenue Commissioners,, Eilish Finan is a former CFO of AIG Global Investments. Michael Connolly is a former member of Bank of Ireland senior management team. Peter Stewart is Managing Director of O’Donovan Stewart & Company – firm of chartered accountants, and Brian McEnery is senior partner in Horwath Bastow Charleton specialising in corporate finance and Corporate Recovery. And finally, Willie Soffe is Chairman of the Dublin Transportation Office and former County Manager of Fingal County Council.

Hopes that NAMA may represent an opportunity for a proactive pubic sector body to take a proactive role in development have not got off to a good start. We await with interest to see how planning advisors will be brought into the loop, and if they'll be from outside the DoEHLG/DTO.

Where's Swords!?

Life After Roundabouts

This blog has been set up as a forum for the discussion of town planning, urbanism and urban design issues in Ireland and further afield. Theres plenty of room in Ireland for an open forum for the discussion of urban development and the plethora of people and interests that this draws in. Fortunately, planning's track record in Ireland is not exactly perfect and so there is a lot to talk about. However, its one thing to sit back and point fingers, and its another to offer alternative solutions. And hopefully thats what this is about. Everything from the impact of climate change and environmental legislation, to urban regeneration, retail development and modernist architecture to the detailed design of streets is on the agenda.