
The RTPI Awards are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry. Running for 40 years, they celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.
http://www.lookstalbans.org/1/post/2016/07/look-st-albans-to-hold-a-design-charrette-for-the-civic-centre-opportunity-site.html
In June 2016 Look! St Albans ‘Our Community Voice on Design’ was delighted to have been asked by ‘The Partnership’ consisting of St Albans City and District Council, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and Boultbee LDN (owners of The Maltings shopping centre) to host an externally independently facilitated design charrette.
The small, but highly motivated Team Look! volunteers gave hundreds of hours of their time to organise, arrange and host each of the four elements of the design charrette. Look! sent out in excess of 300 letters of invitation, our invitation was delivered to over 36,500 home and businesses inviting them take part in this very important design charrette that will help shape the heart of our city centre for generations to come. Parish Councils were invited to publicise the event through placing our posters on their notice boards to ensure Look! invited as many people throughout the district as possible.
This Civic Centre Opportunity Sites Charrette effectively jumpstarted a detailed masterplanning process for three hectares of land located in busy city centre of St Albans. The sites involve an ensemble of vacated mid-20th century civic buildings as well as the council offices, the locally listed Alban Arena, a large car park, a public garden (Municipal Gardens) and large swathes of underperforming public realm.
Chair of Look! St Albans Vanessa Gregory said: “I am over the Moon for all involved. To be shortlisted for such a prestigious award is in no small measure down to the over 166 Albanians who gave a combined 1,000 hours plus of their time to the charrette. Many gave up their entire weekend, demonstrating this was indeed a labour of love and tremendous commitment to their city, St Albans. I wish I could have bottled the atmosphere and spirit of the shared endeavour at the design charrette. It is something I will never forget. We do need to keep grounded and focused though, we are at the masterplan stage Look! St Albans stands ready to assist as the project goes forward.”
For more information about Team Look! please see here http://www.lookstalbans.org/team-look.html
Stephen Wilkinson, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute said:
“The finalists represent some outstanding contributions to planning which are making a positive impact for the community and environment. The judges will find it difficult choosing the winners given the high calibre of entries this year.”
This year saw a nearly 40% increase in entrants and the judges have shortlisted 90 finalists across 14 categories with an overall winner awarded the Silver Jubilee Cup. The winners will be announced during a ceremony held at Milton Court at The Barbican, London on 15 June 2017.
Look! St Albans was also recently featured in ‘The Planner’ the official magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute http://www.lookstalbans.org/1/post/2017/01/-look-st-albans-design-charrette-for-the-civic-centre-opportunity-site-features-in-the-january-edition-of-the-planner-written-by-local-resident-and-journalist-chris-jenkins.html
Notes
‘Look! St Albans Our Community Voice on Design’ is a unique inclusive community group that actively promotes community engagement on significant developments in central St Albans. We aim to take a collaborative approach to leave a legacy for the future that residents and developers can all be proud of. Look! St Albans remains impartial, expressing no design opinions of its own, but facilitates a design charrette process to incorporate all opinions. http://www.lookstalbans.org/ email Chair Vanessa Gregory at lookstalbans@gmail.com
For more information on RTPI please contact Josh Rule: Royal Town Planning Institute: Tel: 020 7 929 8182 / Joshua.Rule@rtpi.org.uk
The RTPI champions the power of planning in creating prosperous places and vibrant communities. It is the only body in the UK that confers Chartered status to planners, the highest professional qualification sought after by employers. We support our members – 23,000 worldwide - throughout their careers, offering them a wide of range of opportunities to learn and share ideas and skills.