The role of planning in housing design: design implications of land-use management

On the basis of findings from a recent project looking at the status of design in the private sector house-building industry in Scotland, commissioned by the Scottish Government, we explore connections between housing design and wider planning department responsibilities including land-use planning and management. We conclude that a broad conception of design is required in order to understand the influences that land-use planning and management have on approaches that house-builders have to housing design, as well as on the outcomes. We consider the current drive to strengthen design skills in planning departments including in relation to housing design issues and argue that, in addition to this, a more widely embedded understanding of the design implications of land-use planning and management decisions on the housing development process is needed in order to contribute to optimising conditions for good design.