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RIBA London Urbanism and Planning Group's remit is to advance architecture in London by demonstrating public benefit and working with co-professionals, particularly in planning and development. The group meets at the RIBA every two months.
 
The members of the group:  
Luke Tozer| RIBA, Co-Chair, Director Pitman Tozer Architects Ltd
Neil Wilson| RIBA, Co-Chair, Director Neil Wilson Architects
Simon Alexander| RIBA, Simon Alexander Associates

Claire Bennie| RIBA, Peabody Trust

Joanna Chambers|, EDAW

David Cox| RIBA, PKS Architects LLP

Julian de Metz| RIBA, de Metz Forbes Knight Architects Ltd

Tony Edwards| RIBA, Place Design + Planning Ltd

Andrew Hanson| RIBA, RIBA London Chair

Ron Heath| RIBA, consultant Living-Architects

Wayne Hincks| RIBA, Barton Willmore Partnership London Limited

Mark Janko| RIBA, CLAWSA

Edward Jarvis|, London Borough of Kent

Justin Kenworthy|, Barton Willmore

Esther Kurland|, Urban Design London

Alex Lessware|, Communities and Local Government

Lee Longhurst|, London Borough of Croydon
Lawrence Mawson| RIBA, Croydon, Sutton & Bromley branch 
Alfred Munkenbeck| RIBA, partner, Munkenbeck + Marshall
Brendan O'Connor|, Deputy Director, RIBA Practice Department

David Prichard|, RIBA, partner, Metropolitan Workshop

Maria Primarolo|, Urban Initiatives Ltd

Stephen Quinn|, Works Architecture

Nick Sharpe| MRICS, Montagu Evans

George Stowell| RIBA, Gerge Stowell

Henning Stummel| RIBA, Henning Stummel Architects Ltd

Gary Tidmarsh| RIBA, Levitt Bernstein

Brian Waters| RIBA, Chair, LP&DF

Richard Webb| RIBA, Webb Architects Ltd

 

 
Additionally, the group’s circulation list contains members who have agreed to be 'political pairs', as part of the RIBA political liaison scheme.
 
The group is addressing the following issues and is very keen to hear from members who could offer help or information to further our efforts. Please email the RIBA London Urbanism and Planning Group|.
 
1. CPD Short Courses for Planning Officers
2. Design for a Greater London
3. GLA and government lobbying
4. London Olympics bid
5. Secured by Design
6. Consultation with local authorities regarding local planning policies
7. Conservation Advisory and Design Panels
8. AIA New York - Planning and Urban Design Group
 
1. CPD short courses for planning officers
We are developing a programme of 1/2 day CPD courses for planning officers titled "What is design excellence?" to promote design quality along with mutual understanding and better communication between planning officers and architects. Please email Luke Tozer| or Neil Wilson| for more details or to get involved.
 
This programme will compliment the work of Urban Design London| supported by CABE|. We also encourage the promotion of design awareness for borough councillors through support for a programme being run by London Open House|.
 
The RIBA is a strong supporter of the Academy for Sustainable Communities| and its London counterpart the Centre for Regeneration Excellence. They are both looking at the skills we all need to deliver sustainable communities, including an understanding of good design. RIBA London's contribution will be to support a training programme to enhance those skills.
 
2. Design for a Greater London
This is our campaign to deliver better architecture and urban design in London. A policy document with this title was our contribution to the mayor’s consultation paper “Towards a London Plan”. We also produced a response to the draft London Plan. Find out more about our contribution to the London Plan.
 
In July 2002, the mayor produced a policy statement aiming to create or upgrade 100 public spaces in London over the next five years. RIBA London is encouraging RIBA members and branches to suggest possible sites for 10 of these. 
 
In September 2004, the RIBA published its policy statement with regards to the government's Sustainable Communities Plan. In it the RIBA stated that in the drive to build 400,000 new homes in London by 2016, we must ensure that high quality design is the widely-accepted standard. We must not sacrifice quality in pursuit of quantity. Download the full document below.

 

 
3. GLA and government lobbying
On a broader front, we aim to influence government policy on urban design in London at national, regional and borough level. We are working with the RIBA HQ to develop the political pairs scheme. RIBA members are given advice and training on how to persuade people of the importance of good design.
 
In the run up to the GLA elections 2004, RIBA London worked to brief Mayoral and Assembly candidates on the key issues.
 
The political pairs scheme links every MP with a named RIBA member initially. RIBA London aims to broaden this out to include councillors, planning officers, GLA members and others to influence them on the importance of good design.
 
The group has reassessed the gold standard planning application and incorporated it into the RIBA's response to the OPDM's consultation on the development control process|.

 

 You can also download the RIBA's policy Achieving Quality of Design in Local Plans.

 
4. London Olympics bid
Group members had meetings with representatives of the bid team and are seeking to keep high quality design on the agenda in the delivery process. 

 
The document "Capital spaces – transforming London", co-authored with English Heritage, is about the transformation occurring in the streets and spaces of London as the importance of the urban realm is rediscovered, celebrated and given fresh vigour.

 

 
5. Secured by Design
We are liaising with ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) to give input on the drafting of a new London wide 'Secured by Design' policy and keep design quality at the forefront. This will help establish a standard for design of schemes in the area of crime prevention in the urban environment. Please email Wayne Hincks| for more details.
 
We are also in touch with Thames Gateway London Partnership| who are undertaking work on this subject.
 
6. Consultation with local authorities regarding local planning policies
The group aims to become a consultee to all new local planning documentation published for London, working through representatives in each borough. This will be a considerable task and we will welcome help from RIBA members with specific local knowledge. Conversely the group will also provide support to any RIBA member who is involved in producing a response to an initiative.
 
7. Conservation Advisory and Design Panels
Group member Sarah Mackie| is currently drawing up a schedule of all London’s conservation area associations, planning advisory groups, design advisory committees etc. This could become a valuable time-saving device when submitting planning applications, if applicants could show that they had already consulted local amenity groups.
 
8. Links with associate groups
RIBA London is an active member of the London Planning and Development Forum| (LPDF) which produces the Planning in London quarterly journal and the email bulletin ePiL.
 
RIBA London is one of 17 members of CIC London|, the Construction Industry Council London Region. We aim to address some of the issues set out here with our fellow professions.
 
We also work with the public private partnership groups, such as Central London Partnership| (CLP) and Thames Gateway London Partnership|. In 2004, CLP published a central London public realm study and LPDF reported on it.
 
The RIBA London Urbanism and Planning Group is also seeking to build links with the AIA New York - Planning and Urban Design Group|.