South Woodford Design Code
Community-led policy for the outer London neighbourhood of South Woodford piloting an imaginative digital approach which compellingly articulates a shared vision while setting out clear parameters for development.
The South Woodford Society are translating their pride in their northeast London neighbourhood into planning policy. As a voluntary society with a broad membership, they are able to draw on the skills and talents of a wide group of residents. At the same time, they have limited resources to develop detailed design guidance for developers to follow and local planners to enforce.
In 2022, the Society became one of just four neighbourhood groups admitted to the Design Code Pathfinder Programme which provided funding to develop one of the first digital design codes that responds to the NPPF.
When JKA were commissioned to develop the design code, the Society, working with charity Azuko, had already consulted extensively with its constituents to establish clear ambitions for a greener, more walkable neighbourhood with better public spaces and connections to nearby Epping Forest.
We began by exploring together how each of the site allocations and the local high street can honour these priorities, while also responding to local housing need. Through conversation at the weekly street market, it quickly became clear that proposals would need to be articulated visually to enable local people to understand their impact.
JKA went on to develop a navigable digital drawing web interface which allows users to explore the hyper-local implications of the design code, while remaining oriented within a cohesive shared vision for South Woodford as a whole. In parallel, the Society drew on the expertise of its members to develop clear, succinct guidance for what ‘must’ and ‘should’ be included in development proposals for their neighbourhood.
The resulting draft Design Code represents a clear standard expressing what the community expects development in South Woodford to give back to the common good. By asserting residents’ wishes in spatial form, it also provides a clearer route to planning success for prospective developers. It honours our dialogue with residents by putting forward a vision for greenery, public space and street activation which gives the Society a road map for future improvements to South Woodford outside of the major development sites.
Following further consultation on the draft Design Code with residents, the local authority and central government, the Society was successful in securing further funding to expand the interactivity of the digital interface.
JKA worked with digital studio Good Caesar to develop an interactive 3D model which invites users to explore online the impact of each clause of the code on their neighbourhood from all angles. Careful programming means that the model is easy to navigate on a computer or mobile device, with simple controls and text alternatives to ensuring that everyone can access and visualise what the Design Code will mean for South Woodford.
A planned installation of QR codes at street level will add a physical means to explore the code.
