Planning for local living

Creating the 20-minute neighbourhood

The Scottish Government has just published its new planning guidance for local planning authorities in Scotland for the development of the 20-minute neighbourhood, which supplements its National Planning Framework.

The document provides a very accessible guide to the concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood which it wishes to see as a feature of local planning in all of the diverse settings in the country from dense cities to sparsely populated areas in the Highlands and Islands. It provides a practical guide to the steps authorities might take based on deep community engagement and the place principle established in early policy documents.

It usefully sets out national standards for community engagement as set out below..

It draws on the research literature to highlight the outcomes it expects from the adoption on the 20-minute neighbourhood approach.

It emphasizes the need for planning to take a holistic approach to neighbourhood planning, to support environmental sustainability initiatives, to focus on social infrastructure through adaptation and re-use of existing buildings and community assets, and steps to strengthen the local economy and reduce health disparities

Ambitious yes. But its is good to see a policy document which attempts to give practical expression to the delivery of a concept widely advocated in discussions of community development and the creation of better places. It deserves to be widely read as a guide to implementation.