A partnership approach is required to deliver on the government’s sustainable community goals, writes George Ferguson

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is one of the most influential architectural institutions in the world, and has been promoting architecture and architects since being awarded its Royal Charter in 1837. The 30,000 strong professional institute represents 85 per cent of registered architects in the UK through its regional structure as well as a significant number of international members.

Our mission statement is simple – to advance architecture by demonstrating benefit to society and promoting excellence in the profession. The architectural profession is critical to ensure that the government’s sustainable communities plan is delivered successfully. But is the government’s plan the right plan? Is the government providing the necessary leadership? And how can we avoid the planning mistakes of the past?

The government has rightly recognised that it needs to work with a wide range of professions if its ambitious 30-year sustainable communities plan is to be delivered successfully. So as well as architects, that list includes planners, surveyors, education authorities, police forces and retailers. And of course it includes government at central, regional and local levels.

But what is a sustainable community? Sir John Egan was recently commissioned by the government to undertake a review of the skills necessary to deliver sustainable communities. His definition reads: “Sustainable communities meet the diverse needs to existing and future residents, their children and other users, contribute to a high quality of life and provide opportunity and choice. They achieve this in ways that make effective use of natural resources, enhance the environment, promote social cohesion and inclusion and strengthen economic prosperity.”

The RIBA fully supports that definition. Sustainable communities need to deliver on many fronts. They need to provide quality of life and social equity, and be planned for the long term benefit of their own as well as other communities and generations.

All development needs to achieve a major reduction in the use of resources and energy in construction, occupation and use, and move towards zero carbon consumption. Building outside existing communities and on green field sites cannot be the best way to achieve this goal. The priority must be to increase the density of development in areas already occupied and served by established infrastructure.

Many members of the RIBA will be required to play a significant role in masterplanning and delivering sustainable communities. We are delighted to be participating in the drive to develop the skills necessary to achieve the communities plan as part of our aim to become a centre for urbanism as well as architecture. We have much to offer in training and skills for all those involved in the place making process and are fully aware of the skills gap that needs to be closed among our own members to complement our existing strengths. We propose a range of actions and we will:

• Continue to work with the government to establish a National Centre for Sustainable Community Skills to provide skills development among all occupations engaged in delivering sustainable communities.

• Work in partnership with others to establish the proposed Code for Sustainable Buildings, as recommended by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Sustainable buildings task group, together with an equivalent Code for Sustainable Communities.

• Together with other bodies, develop and make training on architectural and urban design issues widely available to members of all disciplines involved in planning, delivering and maintaining sustainable communities.

• Maintain and expand programmes of education for our own members in sustainability skills through advice and guidance, provision of training courses and development of the core curriculum and continued professional development.

• Work with co-professionals and other members of the construction and property industries to establish common ground and joint sustainable community work programmes.

• Work with public and private sector organisations to encourage and facilitate the sustainable communities programme through appropriate approaches to procurement.

• Provide and disseminate information on best practice in the design and delivery of sustainable communities.

• Work to ensure that the planning and tax systems operate to encourage increased mixed-use and intensification of existing communities as well as development of new, high-quality, sustainable communities.

• Establish an inter-professional accord on urbanism.

Our children deserve something better. We have an obligation to them not squander this great opportunity or to further squander precious land and resources. I believe the message from the government is right – the RIBA is ready and willing to respond to the challenge.

George Ferguson is president of the Royal Institute of British Architects

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