Placemaking guide for Perth and Kinross

 

Placemaking guide for Perth and Kinross

Town and village centres, residential streets and country roads, parks and playgrounds, paths and pavements, countryside, buildings and car parks, together with the backdrop of landscape are vital to creating the quality of place in Perth and Kinross.   They are part of our everyday lives, supporting transport, tourism, and business.

This online guide gathers together the latest best practice on managing and improving places from Scotland, the UK and Europe.  It aims to help residents, businesses, politicians and professionals work together to find out more about public spaces, the design of new development and the creation of place.

Placemaking in Perth and Kinross is not a "painting by numbers" exercise where standard solutions can be applied and copied. In fact that is one of the problems. The only standard the guide advocates is one of quality.  The goal is to turn spaces into places; places that show that someone, somewhere cares for them, and believes they matter.

What the guide does therefore is provide information to help us make the links, and think how best to make improvements needed through:

• An understanding of what makes Perth and Kinross Special
• A shared vision for improvement
• The tools to do the job.

The guide has been based as much as possible on the traditions of Perth and Kinross.  In particular it picks up the approach of Sir Patrick Geddes, who was a forefather of the modern environmental movement, spent his childhood in Perth and on Kinnoull Hill.

Contents of the placemaking guide

Understanding the character of Perth and Kinross

• The understanding the character of Perth and Kinross section provides vital reading and reference to help stop Perth and Kinross turning into an anywhere place no different from any other part of Scotland, or the UK.

Vision for quality places and new development 

• The vision for quality places and new development section describes the overall objectives and how these link with the Council's corporate plan and other national and local policies including local plans.  It advocates team working to improve existing places and gives a design process to follow for new development and making planning applications.

Vision for roads, streets and civic spaces

• The vision for roads, streets and civic spaces section looks at achieving a better balance between movement and place by creating an environment to improve safety and enable communities and businesses to flourish.  Main routes in and out of settlements are like a shop window through which we gain our impression of the area.  

Vision for greenspaces

• The vision for greenspaces looks at all types of greenspace public parks, private gardens, countryside, and the potential to increase both biodiversity and use by people.

Vision for lochs, rivers and burns

• The vision for lochs, rivers and burns section looks at ensuring they act as wildlife corridors, are protected from pollution, increase the attractiveness of settlements

Vision for my space

• The vision for my space section lists the different settlements and links on to specific advice and information.  It provides advice for people wanting to play an active part in improving their own areas.

Problems and answers

• The problems or answers section deals with special  that may crop up such as from litter, untidy land and buildings, fences, and so on; plus advice on small scale problems such as front garden car parking.