Take care in placing a development

Mar 26 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal

High quality infrastructure – from transport right down to IT in a building – are vital for the North East to develop all its potential, says Rob Charlton.

WHEN designing any sort of development, whether it’s a healthcare centre, a school or a business park, it’s essential to consider the existing and potential infrastructure that will make or break the project.

Truly sustainable development springs from having the right infrastructure in place and while the road network for car drivers is obviously a key part of this, public transport links are even more important. Without good quality, efficient access to a site, who will want to live, work or do business there?

Other, less obvious elements play a key role in a successful infrastructure. With the increasing emphasis on always-on communications, telephony and broadband links are now a vital element in any successful development – whether we are at home or at work, we all expect fast and efficient ICT communications, 24/7.

It’s also important to remember that the sense of quality surrounding the infrastructure is equally important as the quality of place.

Designing a business park to sit in isolation, in a spot where there are no shops, pubs, homes, schools or play areas simply creates a business ghetto, and is not the right approach to creating sustainable developments that will see our region prosper.

Take South Durham as an example. We were in discussions with One NorthEast recently over how best to build a sustainable community in a rural and semi-rural region with a widespread population and poor public transport links, which is complex.

So which should come first, the infrastructure or the community? That’s a tricky question, and one that is the source of much debate in the architecture and management community.

In general terms my view is that the answer depends on the individual project. In regeneration areas, I believe the infrastructure should come first, in order to make access easier and the overall environment more pleasing. This will encourage investment into the area, along with businesses and residents who will form the cornerstone of the community.

In our region, cities such as Middlesbrough face particular challenges. The area has a good general transport infrastructure but lacks the quality and range of housing that would transform it into a place where people really want to live and work.

A good mix of affordable, community and executive housing would create an environment where people and businesses can flourish. And that would be good news for all of us.

Rob Charlton is the chief executive of _space architecture and management.

PAGE TWO: Magnet for large-scale investment