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Podcast episode 179: Why do places look the way they do?


Episode 179 of the podcast is available now via this link or from the usual podcast platforms.

Friend of the podcast Andrew Taylor and I were at a symposium organised by Create Streets at Hatfield House in June last year called ‘Building for generations’. It was an interesting day and all the of presentations and the conversations there upon led me back to the fundamental question as to why places look the way they do. That, it seemed to me on the train back that evening, would make for a good episode of a town planning-based podcast because of, course, sometimes lost perhaps amongst the noisier topics of conversation like housing numbers or Green Belt or strategic planning, is that a fundamental function of town and country planning is to improve existing places and create high-quality new ones.

So, I sought to convene some experts in the field of design and placemaking to answer that question.

Those experts are old friends of the podcast Hana Loftus (who steers the conversation), the afore-mentioned Andrew Taylor and Katie Wray. They are joined by new friends of the podcast Eleanor Fawcett and Peter Maxwell.

Hana is a Director at HAT Projects; Andrew is Group Planning and Sustainability Director at Vistry; Katie is a Director at Deloitte; Eleanor is the Built Environment Fellow for the 1851 Royal Commission; and Peter is an Assistant Director at the Cambridge Growth Company.

In a conversation recorded online back in January of this year they talk about what it is that makes the places that we like (what makes them ‘sticky’, asks Katie); they talk about culture, are places the way they are because ultimately that is the way we want them to be; they talk about the role of planning, does it make places better or worse; they talk about highways adoption standards, obviously, and they finish by talking about the changes that they would want to see to help deliver better places.

If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering my fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listen to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let me know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.

If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag me, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.

50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.

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