Holding the line on quality

Richard Simmons, Regeneration & Renewal, 29 June 2009

We know that design standards might fall as austerity begins to prevail. A recent study for the North-West Development Agency and Placesmatter!, part of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's Quality of Place Network, "found evidence that the recession is threatening specification and design quality".

This matters, because successful people and firms have many choices about where in the world to locate. They look at quality of place when deciding whose economy will benefit from their spending power. Once it was acceptable to associate muck with brass. Not any more.

We can learn a great deal about maintaining quality standards in tough times from people with experience of working to regenerate the country's most deprived areas. After all, these people have spent much of their careers in the equivalent of a permanent localised recession. I believe they have ten key lessons for us.

1. Promote unique assets

The built environment is a fundamental economic asset. Often, the value of physical capital - landscape, built heritage, local character, parks, new buildings - is devalued by lack of investment and neglect. It does not have to be that way.

For example, the East Lancashire housing market renewal pathfinder decided to evaluate its assets, rather than focusing on problems. The result was the rediscovery of "Pennine Lancashire" through a strategy to create value from "a breathtakingly beautiful region of industrial modern people; a natural adventure playground".

2. Find your talent

Places that have lost their economic raison d'etre need a new one. But it needs to be one that belongs to its people and its place, not one borrowed from someone else or sold to it by an investor who will not put down local roots.

For example, Leicester wanted to grow its creative economy. Rather than targeting a national museum or theatre company, it began by converting an old bus garage into the Leicester Creative Business Depot. Fostering the talents of local artists and creative firms led to investment in restaurants, new homes and firms. It has been followed by new arts spaces, shops and a cinema. Leicester's approach was smart and sustainable because it was grounded in local talent.

3. Invest for the long term

Good investment lasts and should grow if nurtured. In the built environment, we need to invest for the long term. It is more sustainable, creates assets that people grow to love and avoids the costs of bad design.

4. Cut out blockages

We can no longer afford slow, costly planning before getting productive development started. We need new ways to clear the blockages that slow down investment and add to costs that eat into quality.

5. Keep local wealth local

We often underestimate the wealth that can be found locally. Local investment means interested and committed investors. Wealth created locally for local investors is more likely to stay invested locally in things that add to people's quality of life.

6. Challenge the status quo

How often have estate agents told us that we cannot buck the market? About as often as we have had to do so to make renewal happen. This links to quality because we are often told that only the lowest common denominator will work, or that only something that will destroy the places we love will succeed. Successful regeneration redefines the market.

7. Let the community in

It is surprising to find that some politicians still do not appreciate the value of bringing the community into the governance of regeneration. My own experience is that local business and community board members stand up for quality because they do not want second best for their customers and families.

8. Make a statement

To persuade developers and investors to believe that you mean it when you demand quality, put your mouth where your mind is. It may be through policies, masterplans, design competitions, partnership deals or by a physical stake in the ground. Being willing to say "Yes" only has an impact if you have also explained when you will say "No".

9. Get creative

Quality comes from creativity. Creativity thrives when times are tough and new ways of doing things have to emerge.

For example, Urban Splash's Chimney Pot Park in Salford is a brilliant example of creativity. People do not want to live in houses with streets as their front doormat. No-one wants to knock down perfectly good property. The solution was to turn the houses round so the front became the back. The problem was solved by adding some design flair.

10. Think bigger and bolder

Places that set ambitious goals and doggedly pursue them without settling for less end up gaining the respect of investors, getting themselves on the map and rebuilding community confidence.

If we learn these lessons, we can avoid the dumbing down that the Placesmatter! study spotted on the horizon. The good news is that the same survey found that quality does not necessarily cost more and that property agents recognise that it adds value. If the agents believe in it, so should we all.

- Richard Simmons is chief executive of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. This is an edited version of an article that appears in Regeneration in a Downturn, a collection of essays published this week by think-tank the Smith Institute.

To obtain a copy, visit www.smith-institute.org.uk