A Better Place to Live

Greenland Passage is one of 12 developments used as case studies of good design in 'Better Places to Live by Design' a companion guide to one of the Governments Planning documents on Housing (PPG3: November 2001). Better Places to Live sets out principles of good urban design and how they may be applied. It looks at real places across the UK and the attributes of successful housing.

So what does the guide say about Greenland Passage?

		On space: "The case study developments completed within the last decade (including Greenland Passage) provide space standards which match or better those commonly found in the private sector"
		A typical duplex apartment

http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/planningandbuilding/betterplaces

		On access: "There is good pedestrian access into the site via Greenland Dock. Roads are unusually wide in places and some are as much as eight metres." "The development combines a permeable road network with two perimeter blocks which have partly enclosed courtyards"
		South Sea Street

On elements of design:
"It is at the level of the individual elements that the viewer makes the connection with the human scale, an important part of achieving places of quality...
...For example, the terraced housing at Greenland Passage, Southwark, provides a useful illustration of the skilful arrangement of the elements of a facade which makes use of modelling and shadow and sets up a rhythm. The strength of the detailed design is such that it can successfully accommodate garage doors."

"King Frederik IX Tower at the end of Finland Street and the three-storey town-houses along Royal Court and Queen of Denmark Court help to create a sense of enclosure for the street."

"King Frederik IX Tower at the end of Finland Street and the three-storey town-houses along Royal Court and Queen of Denmark Court help to create a sense of enclosure for the street."

On private, public and communal space:
"Where communal space is provided as internal gardens or courtyards in higher density housing, care needs to be taken to protect privacy and amenity to the rear of ground floor dwellings. This is achieved in parts of Greenland Passage where the ground floor of townhouses and apartments opens into a small patio area which provided a buffer to the attractive communal garden beyond."

		"The addition of planting helps to define the boundary between private and communal space and creates a degree of privacy for private patios." Weaknesses: "Lattice fencing fails to provide privacy to all private rear gardens. Only where mature planting has been added is there really a sense of privacy."
		Queen of Denmark Court garden with private gardens enclosed by white lattice fences.

Weaknesses:
"A lack of clear distinction between public and private space has resulted in cars being parked on the footway."

The overview of Greenland Passage from the 'Better Places to Live by Design' report can be downloaded from http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/planningandbuilding/betterplaces as an Adobe Acrobat document.

Better Places to Live is priced £19.95 and is available from: Thomas Telford Publishing, The Customer Services Department, Units I/K, Paddock Wood Distribution Centre, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 6UU