Sustainable Building Design

Chapter 2Master Planning

Miles Keeping¹, David Shiers² and Malcolm Smith³

¹Hillbreak Ltd, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9TH, UK

²Oxford Brookes University,, School of the Built Environment, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

³Arup Associates, London, W1T 4BQ, UK

Master planning is the generation of an overall development concept which incorporates the present and future use of land and buildings in a particular location. A master plan can be required for almost any scheme, ranging in scale from entire cities and ‘New Towns’ to development zones, business parks, city blocks or even a single site.

Master planning is needed for projects where:

• regeneration or urban growth is required
• new settlements are proposed
• there are multiple developers or landowners who require a coordinated, integrated development strategy
• a future major event is to take place which can be a catalyst for regeneration (such as the 2012 London Olympics)
• there is a need to protect assets such as Conservation Areas, National Parks, Environmentally Sensitive sites or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• there are complex issues between developers or landowners
• neighbourhood development has to be carefully managed for economic, social, conservation or community infrastructure reasons

An understanding of place is critical in the development of a successful master plan if it is to create a clear, consistent and sustainable framework for development and one which can respond to future changes in use requirements and the local environment. ...