This is an edited version of an article written for RTPI Scotland on 26 January 2021. Creating places for people, supporting communities to shape where they live, and planning for the green economy: aspirations of the Scottish Government, but also of planners. Turning these lofty aspirations into reality is what gets me, as a planner, […]
Author Archive | Nick Wright
community-led planning: success stories
Communities sometimes ask: what’s the point of a community-led plan? Why sit around talking about a plan? Why not just get on with what needs to be done? There are two answers to this. The first answer is: how do you know what needs to be done if you haven’t done a Community Action Plan? That’s […]
making the most of digital engagement
There’s been a lot of talk about online engagement in planning since lockdown started in March, much of it focussing on the use of web platforms for public Pre-Application Consultation on planning applications and Local Development Plan consultations. The Scottish Government’s flexibility in allowing online consultation in these statutory contexts has been widely welcomed to […]
If early engagement is such a great thing, why isn’t everyone doing it?
The original version of this article, jointly authored with Kathie Pollard of the Scottish Land Commission, was published on the Land Commission website on 15 June 2020. This version has been slightly updated. Research aims The principle of early public engagement is enshrined in recent major reforms to Scottish planning and land reform policy. The […]
redesigning George Square | a fresh start
Towards the end of last year, Glasgow City Council decided to ask its citizens a simple question about George Square: is it time for a change? Many will remember the international design competition for George Square held in 2012-13. It promised a radical redesign of the most celebrated public space at the heart of Scotland’s […]
Local Place Plans | what are they?
Local Place Plans – one of the provisions of the new Scottish planning system – are the subject of much uncertainty in the world of Scottish planning. Have they started yet? What will they look like? How will they relate to Local Development Plans and other plans? Who will prepare them? Who will pay for them? […]
the value of early engagement: where’s the evidence?
My colleague Steven Tolson and I are delighted that the Scottish Land Commission has asked us to research the value of early public engagement in the planning system. We see this as really important piece of research by the Commission. Why? Because, despite the principle of early public engagement being enshrined in the two major […]
Foxbar pilot Local Place Plan and ‘how-to’ guide
There’s been lots of interest in the Scottish Government funded pilot Local Place Plan for Foxbar in Paisley and accompanying ‘how-to’ guide for Renfrewshire Council, both published last year thanks to the initiative of Renfrewshire Council. Winning a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning 2019 in the ‘Plans’ category this week may have encouraged more […]
how can planning better support thriving rural communities?
Community Land Scotland‘sPolicy Director Calum MacLeod has just published an excellent brief overview of what Scottish land reform has achieved since the 2003 Land Reform Act (thanks to the Scottish Community Alliance). As Calum succinctly explains, much has been achieved since 2003 – but more needs to be done to spread the benefits of community land […]
creating a buzz: the collaborative city centre
One thing I love about Glasgow city centre is the buzz: people everywhere, events in the street, new places to visit. In my professional life as an urban planner, I’m really interested in how to help make that buzz even better. Planning is often thought of as a legalistic activity, regulating new development. But it […]