• Home
• News
• Training
  • Programmes
    • Planning
    • Management
    • Arboriculture
    • Urban Design
  • Venues
  • Booking Forms
  • Provisional Bookings
• Consultancy Support
  • Planning
    • DC/DM Reviews & Procedure Guides
    • Focused reviews of planning
  • Management & organisational
    • Team development
  • Building control
    • Building Control Procedure Guides
• Conference Organisation
• Best Practice
  • TRA/POS Development Management Practice
• Publicity
  • Downloads
    • Training
    • Consultancy support
  • Mailing list
  • Newsletter subscriptions
    • TRA Enews
    • Management e-bulletin
  • Newsletter archives
    • TRA Enews
• Personnel
  • Staff
  • Associates & Presenters
• Planning Admin Network
• Jobs
  • Staff vacancies
  • Freelance opportunities

Urban Design

There is an increasing need for urban design related training for those who are involved in planning, regeneration and housing. Local authorities are being encouraged by government to focus on, and take greater responsibility for, urban regeneration and housing developments in their areas. However, not all local authority practitioners have the design related skills and experience that would enable them to input fully to the initiatives and development projects their councils are involved with.

TRA has been designing and delivering urban design training for planning officers and Committee Members in local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales for more than 10 years. In order to meet the growing demand, we have recently begun expanding our portfolio of training in urban design to make is suitable for a wider audience.

Urban design cuts across several local authority disciplines (including planning, architecture and landscape architecture, highways and transport, property, urban regeneration, tourism and town centre management) and engagement between officers in the various council departments is critical. Where participants come to training from different backgrounds we find that the cross-disciplinary discussions and exchange of ideas are of particular benefit. We therefore hope that this expansion of our urban design training will help to promote cross-disciplinary working within authorities.

Our training portfolio includes:

• inter-authority workshops - run at venues throughout the UK as part of our mainstream programmes for planning and development staff and advertised well in advance
• in-house workshops - run at the request of individual authorities (or groups of neighbouring authorities), usually on their own premises, at a time to suit them, and for the benefit of members of staff from one or more departments - where appropriate this can include bespoke training specifically developed for individual clients
• an annual conference - a larger event, including contributions from a panel of experienced practitioners covering a range of themes, and open to anyone with an interest in urban design.

Training workshops available

TRA is able to deliver the following workshops. Each one lasts a full-day and is offered on an inter-authority and/or in-house basis as indicated. 

Basic principles of urban design (inter-authority and in-house)

It is now widely accepted that urban design is an important aspect of the planning process and that basic urban design skills should be far more widely disseminated throughout the planning system.  This popular workshop is therefore a must for anyone looking to develop these basic skills. It is suitable for participants at any level and no previous design experience is needed. Concepts are first discussed in principle and then their practical implications are illustrated through real-world examples. Participants are then able to work on a number of hands-on, three dimensional exercises, to put these basic concepts into practice. Specific aspects covered include: what is the point of urban design?; qualities of public space; permeability; vitality; variety; and feasibility. Thoroughly down to earth, there is a close link throughout to the commercial and political realities of current planning practice. Inter-authority date in Scotland

Design in development control/management (inter-authority and in-house)

All planners are familiar with applications which are "acceptable" but which they feel somehow miss out on the opportunity to make a real, positive difference. However, it is not always easy to come up with practical suggestions for improvements to put to applicants. This extremely popular workshop, which has been part of TRA's portfolio for several years, is designed to help participants with this problem. It is uniquely related to design issues at the scale of everyday development control. The workshop aims to: demystify the design process; equip participants with an understanding of some basic elements of "good" urban design; explore what is meant by "sense of place" and how this can be translated into contemporary design; consider some of the techniques that can be used when assessing the design merits of a proposal; and exchange ideas on how planners can work positively with designers towards an improved end product. Inter-authority dates in England   Inter-authority date in Scotland

Housing design and layout  (inter-authority and in-house)

Despite the raft of guidance, policy and legislation that has been brought to bear on residential development in recent years, the results on the ground are often disappointing. This brand new workshop aims to round-up the various means by which planners and design officers can influence housing design and layout, helping to achieve distinctive, sustainable and life enhancing places for people to live. There will be an opportunity to explore the market and cultural aspects and their effect upon design; look at well-known examples of best practice and consider there positive and negative aspects; and to share experience and issues. The workshop also involves a case study and exercises to reinforce the day's learning. Although aimed primarily at planning officers, there is also the potential to involve officers from other disciplines, where the course is run on an in-house basis, in order to promote the exchange of ideas and best practice. Inter-authority dates in England.

Design policy  (inter-authority and in-house)

Although there is high level support for design quality in new development, local and national policy can sometimes be inadequate or poorly applied. This workshop begins by reviewing the policies that can be applied now, and looks at the guidance available to help influence design in new development. Participants have the opportunity to share their experiences of working with their local policy and guidance (where this exists) and to consider the way forward in the context of emerging Local Development Frameworks. The role of Design SPDs is explored, with guidance on integrating these within the LDF, and examples of good Design SPDs are studied and evaluated. Finally, an interactive session helps to identify the stages in creating a workable Design SPD and scope the areas that can be covered in a contemporary planning context. Inter-authority dates in England    Inter-authority date in Scotland

Character and Appearance as a Material Consideration (inter-authority and in-house)

The most common "main issue" identified by Planning Inspectors is the effect of a proposal on the character and appearance of the area.  Despite this, many planners only regard the issue as of importance in Conservation Areas and do not properly understand its use in both urban and rural surroundings with no special protection. This workshop looks closely at the use of character and appearance as a material consideration, and provides practical advice on how to successfully consider it as an issue, when and how to use it as a reason for refusal, and how to defend it if necessary. It also helps participants to better advise Councillors on the most common reason given by Committees for overturning an officer recommendation for permission. The workshop will benefit anyone involved in development control and should also be of interest to more specialist conservation/urban design staff whose role it is to advise DC officers on the subject. Inter-authority dates in England.

Place identity (in-house)

Reinforcing local distinctiveness is a high priority in national Planning Policy. However, defining what this is can prove problematic for both developers and planners. In this new workshop, the qualities of place that define local distinctiveness are identified. Participants learn how to develop the critical awareness and analytical skills to assist in making good design decisions and inform negotiations based on a robust methodolody. The immediate townscape around the workshop venue forms the basis for the development of the skills and methods. Interactive sessions offer the opportunity to work together and learn how to communicate the complex and subtle elements that define place and local distinctiveness. By the end of the session, participants will have formulated a methodology that will assist in the analysis of a locality and gained skills that can be transferred to any context. Although aimed primarliy at local authority planners, this workshop will also be of benefit to project managers, highways designers and others involved in urban regeneration and housing development.

The principles of urban design in the historic environment (in-house)

To a greater or lesser extent, the historic environment provides the immediate context for new developments. Although often there may not be Listed Buildings or a Conservation Area affected by new development, change in the historic or inherited environment nonetheless has an incremental effect that needs to be understood and appreciated. This workshop explores the concept of pastiche, defining the real meaning, and helps participants to understand the critical components that constitute a "good fit" in the historic environment. Context, analysis, the appropriate re-use of buildings and economic vitality are also explored. Through a range of practical exercises, participants will develop an understanding of the priorities that should be included when advising on or developing new schemes.

Urban design awareness for Members (in-house)

It is now widely accepted that urban design is an important aspect of the planning process and that basic urban design skills should be far more widely disseminated throughout the planning system. This workshop is designed specifically for Members who are required to assess the merits of planning applications which involve elements of urban design. The workshop begins the process of developing the basic skills needed to assist them in their planning role. It involves a series of presentations on basic design concepts.  Each concept is first discussed in principle and then its practical implications are illustrated through a number of real-world examples.  Participants then look at local examples where they can put their newly acquired basic concepts into practice in assessing the qualities and appropriateness of design. 

Bespoke training

Where any of our urban design workshops are being run on an in-house basis we will, where possible, tailor the training to suit the needs of the individual client authority. In addition, we are happy to consider developing entirely new and bespoke workshops for individual clients (please note that there is usually an additional charge for this).

Annual Urban Design Forum

Beginning in 2009, we will be organising an annual one-day Forum (conference) on urban design. The Forum will be aimed specifically at local authority practitioners across the UK who have an interest in urban design and regeneration.

The event will focus on the role of local authorities in place shaping and will include examples of best practice in public realm design, housing layout and development schemes. There will be a number of speakers from local government and from private practice and a series of seminars to examine specific issues and case studies from around the country. The first event will take place on 3 June 2009 in Sheffield - further details.

Further information

If you are interested in training on an inter-authority basis, including the annual conference, please follow the individual links above for dates, venues, booking forms etc.

If you are interested in training on an in-house basis, please contact Suzanne Waldram for outline programmes, prices, availability etc.