See more information on the use of the Place Standard tool in site-specific or project-specific engagement, most commonly to inform design briefs for new development – be it of housing or infrastructure.

It features:  

Internal use of the tool by developer Scotia Homes to guide design briefs for all its new housing sites

Use by North Ayrshire Council in targeted consultations with local people as part of an early stage planning assessments of eight new housing sites  

Use by design partners of a housing association to inform masterplanning for a new housing site in Staneyhill, Lerwick  

The Place Standard tool being embedded in a Sustrans funding delivery model for large active travel infrastructure projects in Scotland.

Key learning points identified by A&DS:

These cases studies demonstrate diverse methods of application of the Place Standard tool, and the range of impacts it has had. Most notably:  

The Place Standard tool has been embedded in project management at Scotia Homes, replacing a similar internal evaluation tool previously used  

In North Ayrshire, use of the Place Standard helped increase capacity for local residents to have material input at a strategic stage in development planning. Residents’ input provided detail on planning considerations going beyond in-principle objections to development. Place Standard outputs were combined with technical site information to create development briefs for each of the new housing sites  

For new housing at North Staneyhill, Lerwick, two-step use of the tool with neighbouring residents saw the tool being applied to the greenfield site ‘as existing’ and again to outline design proposals, with a direct influence on layout design and masterplanning  

The design partners for North Staneyhill point out that managing public expectation – in terms of what can feasibly be delivered – is a key part of the conversation  Sustrans Scotland has embedded the Place Standard tool as part of the selection process for its Community LINKS funding programme to ensure that meaningful community engagement influences both investment decisions and post-occupancy evaluation.