Wood Green and Turnpike Lane Design Manual

VISION

The Manual is a placemaking tool for designing inclusive neighbourhoods based on the principles of environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability and safe guarding locally distinctive features and heritage assets making a place that is fit for purpose for all users. The Manual's content focuses on sustainable design, the role of buildings, public realm, green/blue infrastructure, and meaningful engagement and promoting a co-design process for the future development of projects.

The Manual has a bank of projects prioritised with the local community to deliver on a cleaner, greener more prosperous Wood Green and Turnpike Lane.

IMPACT + DELIVERABLITY

The Manual Covers:

SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN: Guidelines for tangible environmental, social, and economic benefits that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT: How to deliver engagement to ensure sustainable change is generated in response to the needs and aspirations of local communities.

THE ROLE OF BUILDINGS: Guidance on the role buildings play in the making of a successful interface and relationship with the public realm.

PUBLIC REALM DESIGN GUIDANCE: Detailed guidance for the design of public space as an inclusive platform for the civic, social, cultural, and economic life of Wood Green, one that is environmentally sustainable which addresses the issues of climate emergency. It covers hard and soft landscape materials and paving layouts, street furniture, lighting and public art.

BLUE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: Design guidance for the enhancement of blue green infrastructure of Wood Green to mitigate the impacts of climate emergency and pollution from vehicles, and to deliver an environment of well-being for people and create sustainable wildlife habitats and corridors. Enhancing existing assets will improve legible street patterns and wayfinding as the mature trees, watercourses, verges and Commons are part of the historic grain.

PROJECT BANK: This live document captures small, medium, and large-scale public realm and other projects, identified through the rounds of engagement with the local community during the preparation of the Manual. The project bank forms an asset map of costed projects, many of which could be delivered as part of, or in relation to development sites within the Local Plan.

WORTH NOTING

Innovative Processes - Working with the Local Community
The aim of meaningful engagement is to ensure local people are involved in the development of Wood Green from the earliest stage and that participation is sustained throughout projects to shape the future of the lived experience and built fabric of the area. It is an exemplar of a co-design approach to be used as a principle for developing future schemes in Wood Green.

The Manual excels in providing guidance on how to undertake engagement in the delivery of built projects with key groups in the community. It offers the RIBA stages as a template for stipulating how, when, and who should be involved when engaging on the development of schemes.

The Manual represents a genuinely shared vision for Wood Green. The community were asked to suggest schemes that they want to see delivered and these projects were developed and costed to form the Project Bank. The guidance is equally relevant to community groups initiating projects or acting as co-clients as it is to the Council or private developer led schemes, and sets out the principals by which third party groups can deliver their own projects.

Lifespan, Resilience and Adaptability
The Manual specifies a baseline 'good ordinary' quality material palette for paving and surfacing with the emphasis on how to use materials. The guidance on how to best design and detail using common and readily available materials ensures that the design quality can be upheld long term, even after repairs and maintenance occur.

Character and Identity
A Character Study was undertaken as the first stage of this project. It assists designers when drawing up proposals to elaborate positive aspects of local distinctiveness while helping to ameliorate currently problematic aspects of Wood Green’s urban form.