|
New report shows demand for 'Home Zones' to become the norm for new-build residential developments A new survey published today (Monday 9th) reports that private developers, local authorities and housing associations want to deliver Home Zones - people-friendly residential streets. The survey showed that most interest in developing Home Zones came from new-build residential developments. [1] [2] The survey, carried out by the Home Zones for Scotland Network [3], is being launched to coincide with the 'Better Places to Live' being held today (Monday 9th) at the Scottish Executive, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. [4] Keynote speakers at the conference are: * Scottish Executive Transport Minister Nicol Stephen
MSP "Progress in delivering Home Zones in Scotland has been slow with little progress on the ground. Yet our survey shows a latent demand from private developers, local authorities and housing associations in delivering people-friendly residential streets. "Monday's conference will highlight the opportunities for Home Zones to become the norm in all new-build residential developments in Scotland. We look forward to hearing about Wayne Hemingway's work in high-quality Home Zone design in Gateshead and learning continental best practice from our Dutch speaker Hans Monderman. "We will also be interested to hear what Scottish Executive Transport Minister Nicol Stephen intends to do in order to deliver on the Executive's post-election promise to support the development of Home Zones in Scotland." [4] Wayne Hemingway of hemingwaydesign, and speaker at the Home Zones conference, said: "My design philosophy in every area I have worked Ð from Red or Dead through Doctor Martens to housing Ð has been to make good design available to everyone, not just the wealthy. And this is precisely what we are doing with George Wimpey at Staiths South Bank in Gateshead. "The project marries contemporary design with a nostalgic nod to communityÊvalues and community facilities that have all but disappeared from the landscape. It will be a development where everyone can recognise their own home from the way it looks, where children can play safely free from cars and where private gardens open out into communal gardens where residents can get to know each other if they want to. The development has started with the people first Ð the design follows." ENDS Notes to Editors: [1] Home Zones Survey The 'Scottish Home Zones Survey - Summary Findings' is available at http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/info/docs/HomeZoneSurvey.pdf [2] What are 'Home Zones'? Home Zones are people-friendly residential streets. Home Zones have been around in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia for 25 years or more, where they have played a key role in improving the quality of life for people in residential areas. Home Zones are typically based on the following four principles: * changes in priority: pedestrians given priority Home Zones are one manifestation of current interest in the new approaches needed to improve the quality of, and the quality of life in, residential areas in this country. The concept has captured imagination and interest across the board and has become the subject of government policy and research. The original Netherlands 'woonerven', and most of the UK Home Zone pilot schemes, involved changing existing neighbourhoods with residents at the heart of the process. However, the cost and the complexity of such a process - while not ruling out the importance of doing it - was one of the reasons for focusing this conference on opportunities afforded by new residential development. See http://www.homezonenews.org.uk/html/hz_inuk_region.asp?region=Scotland for details of the four Scottish Home Zone projects. As well as four Scottish Executive-monitored pilot schemes there are many other Home Zones in the making in Scotland. [3] Home Zones for Scotland Network The membership of the Home Zone for Scotland Network includes childrens' organisations (Play Scotland, Save the Children), transport groups (TRANSform Scotland) and local authorities (Dundee City Council, Stirling Council).
[4] Background to the conference 'Better Places to Live', the third Scottish Home Zones
conference, was initiated and is supported by the Scottish Executive,
and organised by the Home Zones Scotland Network. The conference follows
on from events held in 1999 and 2002. The conference will report on progress made over the past
four years in delivering Home Zones in Scotland. At the first conference
(November 1999) the then Transport Minister Sarah Boyack committed the
Scottish Executive to monitor progress in delivering Home Zone pilot projects
set up by local authorities. In 2000, the Scottish Executive invited local authorities
to propose pilot home zone schemes. Four were chosen, in Thurso, Dundee,
Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and are in the process of being monitored and
evaluated. In 2001, the Transport (Scotland) Act allowed local authorities
to designate areas as Home Zones, and in 2002, Guidance to the Act was
published, followed by an extended consultation period (still ongoing).
Following the 2003 elections, the Scottish Executive Partnership
Agreement made commitment to "Support the development of Home Zones to
improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in residential areas". [5] Wayne Hemingway "Wayne Hemingway is the highly successful co-founder of
Red or Dead which won the British Fashion Council's "Street Style
Designer of the Year" award three times in a row in the late 90's."
http://www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk/wayne_hemingway_biog.htmÊ
He is Designer for Staiths South Bank, George Wimpey City
Development, Gateshead - see http://www.gwcity.co.uk/staiths/
[6] Conference speakers The complete list of speakers is as follows: END OF PRESS RELEASE
|