December 10, 2015

The quality and design of a place has a significant impact on peoples’ lives. The Scottish Government, are amongst many who are focusing on the importance of maximising the potential of the physical and social structures in our communities to promote good health, wellbeing and a good quality of life.

In late summer we completed another interesting piece of work with Carnegie UK Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government; by piloting the Place Standard Tool which had been developed in collaboration with Architecture and Design Scotland and NHS Health Scotland. The piloting, with members of the community in Auchencairn, Belville in Greenock and Kirkcaldy helped us to assess the content and usability of the tool, and how well it was able to reflect diverse spaces.

The tool is designed to help structure discussions about place by considering questions around key themes such as the physical environment and social aspects of a place.

Today we joined a wide range of experts, community representatives and local authorities in celebrating the launch of the tool. Introductions from Sir Harry Burns and Alex Neil MSP reflected the importance of such an innovation – currently the first of its kind in the UK – and marked the start of what is sure to be an interesting period of development in understanding the impact of place.

More info: Place Standard Website