In this blog, Eilidh Mackintosh, former Project Officer on the Planning for Place Programme, explains how the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes can help planners avoid negative unintended consequences of their decisions.
As I finish up in my role as Planning for Place Project Officer, I thought I’d look back at my journey and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
My role is centred around promoting the use, and awareness of, the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes. As such, this blog is all about how they were useful to me and how they can be of use to you.
Am I biased? Yes. Do I still believe that the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes are a valuable tool that can help planners minimise any negative unintended consequences that stem from the decisions they make? Also, yes.
The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes ensure a holistic approach to placemaking; they provide a comprehensive framework that takes into consideration various aspects of place. By reflecting on all thirteen Outcomes under the five themes of movement, spaces, resources; civic; and stewardship, they help planners create environments that support the wellbeing of people and planet.
They emphasise the importance of consulting with various population groups, allowing planners to consider the diverse needs of communities, ensuring equitable results for all and a reduction in inequalities. Furthermore, the Outcomes align with delivering Scotland’s National Outcomes and are directly referenced in the Scottish Government Planning Guidance for Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods as application tools that can support the Local Living Framework.
Now that we know what they are… let's discuss how you can use them.
The most effective way to visualise how the outcomes can be of use is to understand where they fit in a place-based approach. For us, a successful place-based approach combines the following three crucial elements:
- Knowing what people in an area are experiencing
- Understanding the evidenced features every place needs
- Considering the impact of the decisions we are making on both
Let’s say you are creating a Local Development Plan.
The first element, “knowing what people in an area are experiencing”, is usually considered before the plan is drafted. When writing the evidence report, ensuring that lived experience data is captured helps provide the plan with a solid basis. The second element is also considered in the evidence report stage. By “understanding the evidenced features every place needs” and comparing them to the results of the lived experience data, most evidence reports are able to help determine the features of a place that may require further interventions in the Local Development Plan.
The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes can be used directly in the second element; the thirteen outcomes constitute the evidenced features of what every place needs to enable those who live, work, and relax there to experience wellbeing. The Outcomes can also be used in the third element by way of a Place and Wellbeing Assessment - a structured process that brings together a group of stakeholders to evaluate how a specific plan, policy, or proposal will impact a place and the wellbeing of its people and the planet. By putting a Local Development Plan through a Place and Wellbeing Assessment, planners will be able to foster collaboration and ensure that diverse perspectives are considered, allowing for better informed decision-making which considers the broader effects on the community and environment.
If you’re a planner and want to know more about how the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes can ensure the decisions you make consider the long-term, preventative impact on people and place, sign up to the new Masterclass Webinar series. Alternatively, send an enquiry to placeandwellbeing@improvementservice.org.uk
As part of the Programme, we have evaluated our work and shared our learning across all stages. One way we have done this is through the ‘Shaping our thinking, sharing our learning’ blog series.
Between 2022 and June 2024 the Programme worked locally in seven towns across Scotland supporting councils, health boards and other stakeholders to develop the resources to take a place-based approach in their decisions and actions. This blog series reflects the work undertaken during this time, and also the work undertaken to support place-based work across Scotland from July to December 2024. Find out more about the Programme’s approach and the work undertaken between 2022 and 2024 in our 7 Project Towns.
If you are looking at place-based approaches, or if the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme sounds like something you would like to know more about, please contact Irene Beautyman, Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead, below or follow us on X (Twitter) @place4wellbeing to keep up to date with all of our latest news
Irene Beautyman - Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead
Phone: 07908 930763
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Planning for Place Programme
The Planning for Place Programme supports councils and their partners to collaborate around place, seeking to encourage place-based approaches to joint planning, resourcing and delivery of places that enable all communities to flourish.
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National Planning Improvement Programme
The National Planning Improvement Champion is responsible for monitoring the performance of planning authorities and providing advice to them (and others) on what steps might be taken to improve their performance.
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Planning Skills
The Planning Skills Programme co-ordinates training events for public sector planning officers, with the aim to develop the skills required to deliver better places.
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Digital Planning
The Digital Planning team at the Improvement Service collaborates with local government to enhance and unify data related to planning and building standards. This work aims to develop a cohesive national data landscape, fostering insights and supporting informed decision-making.
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Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme
The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme is a joint delivery partnership between the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. This forum is for those interested in our work supporting the role of place to reduce inequality and improve the wellbeing of people and planet.
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Place Network
For those interested in the importance of place as a working approach to delivering national outcomes around improved wellbeing and inclusive growth.