The report identifies the nature, scale and extent of the ‘design for sustainable transport’ issue, and assesses a range of approaches aimed at improving skills and knowledge needed for good design in the planning and design of transport in sustainable communities.  It establishes the current education provision for professionals involved in the design of transport and communications for sustainable communities. An indicative action plan is developed and recommendations made to the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

The ASC, in liaison with CABE, commissioned the research to help improve design skills for sustainable transport in order to help deliver the eight components of a sustainable community:

The research follows on from the recommendations of Latham, Egan’s Review of Skills for Sustainable Communities, the Sustainable Communities Plan, CABE Space’s championing of high quality design, and the Urban Design Group’s ideas on urban design.

The report reviews research carried out looking at previous reports and studies into skills and training available for transport professionals, skills gaps and shortages, skills barriers, and ‘soft’ skills training. It examines the current availability of urban design training opportunities for transport and highways professionals using various sources including a survey of Transport Planning Society members. It also lists university courses and CPD urban design training available for transport professionals, and looks at whether these courses include urban design modules/skills. The report identifies training needs and provision and barriers to delivery of training needs, and ongoing initiatives to develop skills in the sustainability/transport/urban design sector. It also includes examples of best practice in design for sustainable transport in Europe and the UK.

Various actions are needed to deliver skills for design for sustainable transport, involving educational providers, professional institutions and other organisations. The research outlines a role for the ASC and other partners in action plans for the short/medium/long term, taking forward mechanisms in general, educational (schools, universities, CPDs, leadership development), cultural, case studies, and dissemination programmes.

Academy for Sustainable Communities
Phone: +44 (0)113 394 4630
enquiries@ascskills.org.uk

06/05/2006

McLean Hazel

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Education