Cooper announces eco-towns competition
Thursday, 01 Nov 2007 09:57
Cooper announces eco-towns competition
An ideas competition will be held to assist the government in designing and setting the standards for ten eco-towns, housing minister, Yvette Cooper, has confirmed.
The process will invite leading creative thinkers – from the fields of architecture, urban design and transport – to make proposals for the design of up to 20,000 new homes.
"We need to deliver the best eco-towns for the sake of the planet and the next generation," said Ms Cooper.
"However, we don't want each town to be the same, but to instead reflect the history, aspirations and character of each local area.
"This is why it is crucial that we involve local people and citizen juries are a great way of doing just that."
The aims of the competition are to find ideas on:
What an eco-town could and should try to achieve, and how the design and development process can support positive outcomes.
The key design features which should be considered when designing an eco-town, e.g. regional and local identity.
The design layout of eco-towns and how they tie in with existing transport links and the natural landscape.
Housing layouts and sustainability features.
The government's advisor on architecture and urban design CABE, along with Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment (PFBE), will assist in the process and compose a judging panel.
The public will also have an opportunity to make their views known, when a citizens' panel is convened at the end of the competition.
"The design of the ten eco-towns will present new challenges to local authorities, developers and designers," said a spokesperson for CABE, RIBA and the PFBE.
"This international competition will ensure the best new thinking on how to create exemplary sustainable towns will feed directly into the real projects that follow."