Scottish International Design Summit

7/31/2019 Scottish International Design Summit

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The purpose of the International Design Summitwas to ofcially launch the consultation on APolicy on Architecture and Place for Scotland,to explore some of the good work happening inScotland and elsewhere, and allow delegatesto ask questions, share experiences andoffer practical ideas to deal with some of thechallenges arising.

Chair’s Opening StatementKaren Anderson, Conference ChairChair, Architecture and Design Scotland.

Welcoming the delegates to the Summit Karenhighlighted her experience of the introduction of theprevious architecture policy and how this was nowa good time to reect on where we are, where thekey challenges lie and how we reect this in the newpolicy on architecture.

Karen introduced the key themes of the conference;

• Supporting sustainable economic growth• Shaping Scotland’s future

• Embedding built environment design into a widerpolicy agenda and ensuring public and privatesector buy-in

• Recognising the cultural value of architecture,urbanism and heritage.

A new architecture policy for ScotlandFiona HyslopCabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs

Fiona Hyslop ofcially launched the publicconsultation on the new Policy on Architecture andPlace for Scotland. She outlined the four themesof the consultation to instigate discussion on thepolicy. She commented that the purpose of theScottish Government is to create sustainableeconomic growth to allow all of Scotland to ourish

and reiterated the importance of architecture in theScottish economy which is estimated at contributing£1.3billion to the Scottish economy each year.

The Cabinet Secretary outlined a number of visitsshe had made to projects where she met witharchitects, clients and the users of the buildings.Those projects underlined the importance of highquality design - to create a sense of identity, tocreate sustainable buildings without increasing thecosts and to create sensitive, caring spaces.

The Cabinet Secretary said architecture was one

of her six priorities and that Scotland has a historyof creativity and innovation and we play our partinternationally. Architecture helps shape Scotland’sfuture as an open and outward looking nation.She invited contributions and input into the policy,which is due to be published at the end of the year.

Pictured at the INPUT+IDEAS exhibition marking

the launch of the public consultation on A Policy onArchitecture and Placemaking for Scotland wereconference chair Karen Anderson, Chair of A+DS, andFiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and ExternalAffairs on Day 1 of the International Design Summit,May 29, 2012.Image: Dougie Barnett Photography



The role of policy in architectureDavid Page, Page + Park Architects

David Page noted that, today, there is a strong policy

framework that includes Designing Streets and a rangeof design related policy; there is strong architectural anddesign talent, evidenced by recent RIBA awards; andthere are active and engaged communities with an interestin achieving the best for their places.

However, two examples demonstrated a reluctance toaccept and adopt policies:In Dumbarton, developers challenged a design frameworkand the process went to inquiry where Reporters attachedsignicant weight to design policy;

In Milngavie town centre the local community funded achallenge to the public and development sectors in order

to promote ideas for the future of their place.

Scotland has a strong policy foundation and the majorchallenge for the new Architecture Policy is to focus onhow to embed good design into wider policy agendas,and to get wider buy-in from public and developmentsectors.

Learning from CopenhagenTina Saaby, Chief Architect, City of Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s chief architect described the City’sapproach to development, which seeks to maintain theirposition as one of the world’s best places to live and workas they continue to grow.A strong vision for a city on a human scale is supported bystrategies for improving quality of city life. The approachconsiders urban life before urban space and urban spacebefore buildings – prioritising pedestrians and cyclists.

Goals to get people walking and lingering in places havegenerated results such as new workplaces with parkingsituated remotely, planning policies focussing on edgezones and requiring active frontages and entrances every6 metres, greenways for bikes, and the establishment ofa cross-administration task force charged with making

things happen in the city. Nine examples of specicprojects further illustrated connection between policy andsmall scale activity.

Lessons for Scottish Policy:

• Ensure leaders have ambition• Enshrine ambition in policy• Ensure you have good professionals to see it through• Be open to small projects (bottom up)

Culture, Economy and PlaceAndrew Dixon, Creative Scotland

Andrew Dixon spoke about the importance of cultural

initiatives in redening place. The Angel of the Northsignalled a new ambition and put Newcastle Gatesheadon the world map, bringing tourism and economicbenets. The commitment to back individuals and talentedartists with strong vision was demonstrated across a rangeof transformative projects that included SAGE Gateshead,the Millennium Bridge, and the Baltic Art Gallery. Thesecultural projects have helped to engage locals, animatethe city, and put right 100 years of underinvestment tobring people back to the river.

In his work with Creative Scotland, Andrew sensed thatScotland nation hasn’t celebrated its cultural strengths.Each part of the country has unique characteristics that

contribute culturally, and bring a sense of pride; e.g. theWigtown book festival, and Huntly’s artistic programme.Creative industries make a signicant economic impact,and there is a need to support and facilitate localchampions with a vision to transform their place.

Creative Dublin AllianceDick Gleeson, Dublin City Council

Dick Gleeon’s talk explored Dublin’s developmentthough recent times and outlined the work of Dublin’s

Creative Alliance.Dublin has focussed its development on a policy thatintegrates with the national architecture policy, andfocuses on inner-city character areas. To assist indelivering this, the city put together the Dublin CreativeAlliance, a group of senior representatives from localgovernment, commerce, industry, education, stateand third sector agencies. The group identify city-widechallenges to be addressed through cross-sectoralworking. Work has been undertaken with internationalpartners, with innovative resulting outcomes including‘Designing Dublin’, Dublinked, and PIVOT Dublin.

Lessons:

• The value of marshalling collective intelligence• The need for institutional agility• The value of being a trialling/prototyping city• Sometimes cities need to subvert established ways of

doing things to make things happen.



Panel Discussion:What should a policy on Architecture do?

Panel members: Gareth Hoskins of Gareth Hoskins

Architects, Dick Gleeson of Dublin City Council, TinaSaaby of City of Copenhagen and Alf Young, Journalist.

Gareth Hoskins said that it was the unique characterof Scotland that had brought him back to work here 12years ago. He said that the language is all about identityand places, but this is the third architecture policy andhe questioned how effectively it will be implemented.He noted that many of the examples of success werecharacterised by a strong client, often an individual driver.

Tina Saaby said that with a policy you could either focuson a method or on results. If you focus on method youcan develop a policy that is general enough to motivate

and inspire all the actors. By focussing on results you lookat the character, the uniqueness of a place and what theproduct is. Often we discuss ‘do we like it or not’. It’s thewrong focus - it should ask ‘what does it do to you as ahuman being.’ The language needs to be inclusive so thatall involved can connect with the vision.

Alf Young questioned the possibility of a placemakingpolicy that could be embedded into wider policyhighlighting a lack of coherence between the ministerswith direct involvement in placemaking policy, addingthat the placemaking agenda had not been properlyembedded into several Scottish government agencies.

He suggested that what was really needed, in the samevein as business enterprise zones, are ‘communityplacebuilding zones’, allowing communities the freedom to“chase a vision, get on with it and do it for themselves”.

In the discussion Kevin Murray suggested that we need tochallenge the current education system, putting primacyof place ahead of Architecture and Planning. He alsoproposed the requirement for more architects or designtrained staff on boards and local authorities – envisaging amore effective planning department as one comprised halfof traditional planners and half design professionals.

Keith Gowenlock proposed a policy that encouraged

new alliances with other professions, including thosefrom the private sector. He also emphasised the need forgovernment to take a strong line in the policy enforcement.

Dundee Waterfront – Regeneration byDesignMike Galloway, Dundee City Council

Mike Galloway described the progress with Dundee’swaterfront masterplans, focussing on the central areawhere public sector has full land ownership and wheredesign is being used as a tool to grow the economy andcreate jobs.

Dundee’s waterfront had been blighted by poor pedestrianconnectivity and outdated roads layouts. The masterplanre-imagines the area, reconnecting the existing medievalcore to the water by way of mixed use perimeter blocksand new public space. Urban design guidelines set sitebriefs, allowing for an element of chaos. Independentland valuations will set land values and bids will beassessed on quality and deliverability.

On the strength of this framework, the city has secured an‘iconic’ cultural project in the form of the V+A, has seencommitment from a major hotelier, and is making its owninvestment in redeveloping the train station concourse.Lessons:• Sets out the case for regeneration by design• Shows power of public sector land ownership• Importance of leadership and taking the long view

Developments in Architecture PolicyCilly Jansen, Architectuur Lokaal

Architectuur Lokaal has had a long involvment withScotland and the development of national architecturepolicy. Cilly Jansen noted that the current economic

climate has changed the profession. She also noted a shiftin policy towards thinking about architecture in terms of acreative economy and design going hand in hand with theeconomy.She highlighted that an architecture policy can besuccessful by:• involving the population• hearing the experts and• decision taking by public ofcials

Using Place and Destination Branding toCreate and Promote Better Towns andCity Centres Malcolm Allen, Places Matters

Malcolm Allen spoke of the importance of thinkingcreatively when considering place and destinationbranding and promoting better town and city centres.

Places need to be planned as attractive destinations,with the right conditions for people to congregate. Keyto this is a story which recognises local attributes andguards against ‘cloning’. Considering the story as ‘a dayin the life of …’ can help clarify thinking about services,attractors and other infrastructure that people require.Creating a destination and being clear about purpose andfunction are underpinned by an understanding of whatit offers and is good at. These aspects can be identiedthrough a place audit, and need to be delivered over time

in a sustainable manner. We need to consider how towncentres can become more appealing, and their range andmix of activities. Regulation needs to enable different uses(e.g. pop-up retail) and other use-changes over time.



This summary was produced by Architecture and Design Scotland

Summing up from ChairKaren Anderson, Architecture + Design Scotland

In summing up Karen Anderson suggested that therewas every reason for a refreshment of current policyand the importance of making it deliverable andgathering support at a national level.

She urged a response to the consultation and invitedan approach to Architecture and Design Scotland,and raised the possibility of consultation workshopsto develop responses further.

She noted that the Summit provided great learningfrom the creative thinking from elsewhere and shouldensure that Scotland can position itself alongsidethese exemplars.

In closing Day One she encouraged furtherdiscussion and debate of all the topics raised atDay 2 of the Summit, as well as part of the ongoingconsultation process.

NOTES FROM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. Place and Economy: A world view of policies andpractices in making great places and supporting

growth – Amanda Reynolds, Urban Design Groupand Alf Young, SCDI, Sam Cassels, A+DS

• An infrastructure that delivers rather thanfrustrates

• A local answer for a local need• A long terms perspective Structure - Scale - Time

• Design adding value• The art of the possible• Lingering is good...

Value - Possibilities - Pauses

• Places that work well rst and foremost• Design skills beyong boundaries and

conventions

Functions - Exploration

• Global and Demographic Context• New ways of architects working• The need for champions

Get Real - Get Ambitious

“Design as a game changer”

Design, like the wind on unfurled sails,to new places.

2. Culture: Cultural Masterplanning and the role ofPublic Art - PAR+RS Public Art Research + ResourceScotland, VeloCity + Collective Architecture

How does a city learn more about itself through amajor event hosting? VeloCity is a public art initiativethat enables Glasgow to ‘get creative’ as the cityevolves for the Commonwealth Games 2014 – it hasfacilitated a new way of looking at the city - an eventto map the city.

The emphasis is on re-imagining, repairing, andreconnecting. Public art is linked to this as a vehicle/ catalyst to inuence change by enhancing theeveryday to create something special . For exampleby creating instant strategies for stalled spaces, andmapping heritage distribution and greenspaces. This inuence can be different for differentspaces: assertive in poorer areas/ enhancing andaugmenting in higher quality areas. This provides an

opportunity to move away from (80s/90s) notion of‘regeneration’ to ‘generation’ – in other words – newideas for old places not old ideas for new places.

3. Participation: How can people shape communities?Tony Burton and Danny McKendry

Important to think of this as mutually benecial -‘Creative Social Action” rather than consultation.

Important for experts/participants, whether locals orguests, to put themselves in the other’s shoes, in aspirit of honesty, realism and trust. Learning togetheris essential.

It is essential to sensitively support the future ofcommunity projects ensuring strong place plansmatched with delivery business plans and longerpolitical committment. Three Stages

1) Build Capacity Together2) Let’s Make Plans3) Start to Deliver

Scottish International Design Summit

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Transcript of Scottish International Design Summit