About our services

Office for Place support, train, celebrate and advise best practice in the design of the built environment.

To achieve our vision, we undertake 5 main activities.

We are particularly focused on neighbourhoods, areas and regions where more support is required, either because those areas are more deprived or because they face other challenges.

Researching

  • We will work with people to measure what they value, like and need; where they prosper; and what they dislike and find challenging.
  • We will promote and share the growing understanding of these issues so that it can be effectively applied to enhance wellbeing and sustainability, particularly in more deprived neighbourhoods.
  • We map the skills and capabilities of councils, industry and communities and raise aspirations to deliver popular codes and places.

Supporting

  • We will support the delivery of a new generation of design codes to help demonstrate good practice.
  • We will share best practice widely to provide good examples from which others can learn.
  • We will advise on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the role of place-makers, strategic planners, highways officials and others.
  • We will produce and share digital tools, processes and templates, to help in the production of local design codes.
  • We will monitor, test and accredit quality and co-creation with public KPIs.

Training

  • We will work in partnership with others to support training on the production of local design codes and the creation of beautiful and sustainable places for parishes, neighbourhood forums, local authorities and, where appropriate, the wider sector.

Celebrating

  • We will celebrate popular and sustainable placemaking, effective use of digital engagement in setting and applying design standards and local influence on plans and outcomes.

Advising

  • We will use our expertise to advise ministers, government, local government and other public bodies on ensuring broader delivery of popular, sustainable, healthy and beautiful places and on empowering neighbourhoods and communities. We co-ordinate with other public bodies as necessary.
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