Too many projects are being planned in a non-integrated way – and a step change in masterplanning is the answer, says infrastructure expert.
“Despite the endeavours of development teams, many masterplans still suffer from a lack of joined-up thinking, a failure to unlock the full potential of long-term development for the benefit of all and do not stitch projects back into the communities that they should serve,” said Andrew Comer, Buro Happold’s Infrastructure Discipline Director.
“This partly relates to teams’ quest for expediency and demonstrable early actions, sometimes a desire for form over substance, and often there is mistrust between the private and public sector.
“We need a step change to deliver creative, functional, sustainable and flexible planning blueprints – and increased collaboration, at all levels in the development process, is key to delivering truly sustainable and embedded development on a macro scale,” said Comer at the launch of Buro Happold’s ‘Masterplanning Engineering: Past > Present > Future’ event on 13th May.
“With a new Planning Bill and associated Community Infrastructure Levy on the cards, a massive house-building programme underway and widespread concerns about the impact of ‘eco-towns’ on existing infrastructure, now is the time for smarter teamwork – therefore the exclusion of engineers from the Government’s new eco-towns panel is highly disappointing.”
Comer called for increased:
• Collaboration – between clients, planners, architects, engineers, specialists and end-users to enable the building of a shared knowledge base, reinvigorate best practice and deliver truly integrated masterplans.
• Contextualisation – in addition to government policies, regulatory requirements and physical site issues, local socio-economic factors, existing land uses and infrastructure must be considered more fully.
• Commitment – the current and future generations of practitioners must face up to the challenges ahead, integrate to enable the formation of rounded teams and innovate with passion and sensitivity to deliver places that people want to live in.
Comer said: “Based on our experience of strategic masterplans globally, we believe that blueprints that address the so-called ‘deep green’ agenda for large-scale change can only be delivered by fully integrated engineering and design teams.”
“Masterplans should be creative and inspirational but also functional, deliverable and sustainable – as well as flexible to accommodate new and future market opportunities. They need to meet planning requirements and clients' objectives but also ultimately the needs of the people that will live in and use the places created.”
“The role of the engineer has never been so critical in the delivery of urban development and regeneration. As a profession we must collaborate, demonstrate creative and visionary thinking – inspired by open thought and wider influences, balanced with rational and robust engineering,” Comer concluded.
On a series of strategic plans Buro Happold is currently assessing ways that it can limit the use of natural resources and deliver embedded development – by adopting more efficient approaches to moving people, products and waste and encouraging new and alternative technologies to meet existing needs and address clients’ demands.
Ends
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Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976. We now employ over 1,800 staff in 21 offices worldwide, and our aim is to produce high quality engineering design in concept, in detail and in execution, on time, to programme and delivering excellent value for money. Our distinctive culture and ethos is still based on the same principles of care, value and elegance that were established when the practice was founded.
We offer structural, building services, civil, infrastructure and façade engineering, as well as a broad range of specialist consultancy services including sustainability, ground and environmental engineering, fire and security design, health and safety management, inclusive and urban design, project management, and specialist CAD and computer simulation provision.
