Understanding the Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance (2026)

Today, we’re exploring four key themes:

• What this new guidance is

• Who it’s for

• How it’s structured

• What it means for architects and the profession

What Is the Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance and Why Does It Matter?

At the start of 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government launched a consultation on a new consolidated document: the Design and Placemaking Planning

Practice Guidance (PPG).

Running from 21 January to 10 March 2026, this consultation represents one of the most significant shifts in how design quality is addressed in the English planning system in recent years. It forms part of what the government has described as the biggest planning rewrite in a decade.

A Major Consolidation

What makes this guidance particularly noteworthy is what it replaces. It brings together four existing documents into a single, streamlined 161-page resource:

• National Design Guide

• Design Process and Tools Planning Practice Guidance

• National Model Design Code (Parts 1 and 2)

The aim is simple:

➡️ Speed up planning decisions

➡️ Reduce complexity for applicants and local authorities

A Stronger Position on Design Quality

The guidance reinforces a critical message from the revised National Planning Policy Framework - Poorly designed development should be refused.

For architects, this is significant. Design quality is no longer discretionary, it is a policy requirement with real consequences.

The guidance also promotes sustainable placemaking, focusing on:

• Liveability

• Climate resilience

• Integration of nature

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook captured the ambition clearly, “Exemplary development should be the norm, not the exception.”

Who Is the Guidance For?

Although this is a planning document, it is directly relevant to architects.

The guidance is intended for:

• Local authority planning officers

• Councillors and decision-makers

• Statutory consultees

• Applicants and design teams (including architects)

• Local communities and neighbourhood planners

Why This Matters for Architects

Architects are explicitly identified as a core audience.

Understanding how planners interpret this guidance is essential for:

• Preparing strong design and access statements

• Developing robust design concepts

• Navigating planning discussions effectively

How the Guidance Is Structured

The document is organised into three parts:

Part 1: Features of Well-Designed Places

Defines seven key features and associated design principles.

Part 2: Design in the Planning Process

Explains how design quality should be embedded throughout planning, including tools like masterplans and design codes.

Part 3: Design Codes

Focuses on how to create and apply effective design codes at different scales.

Looking Ahead: Model Design Codes

The government also plans to publish Model Design Codes for common development types, helping local authorities avoid starting from scratch each time.

The Seven Features of Well-Designed Places

At the heart of the guidance are seven interconnected features:

1. Liveability

2. Climate

3. Nature

4. Movement

5. Built Form

6. Public Space

7. Identity

These are not standalone ideas they must work together to create cohesive, context-driven places.

Breaking Down the Seven Features

1. Liveability

Liveability focuses on quality of life.

Well-designed places should:

• Support healthy, mixed communities

• Reduce isolation

• Provide access to jobs, services, and activity

A key principle is tenure-neutral design ensuring all housing types meet the same quality standards to support social integration.

2. Climate

The guidance identifies three key responses:

• Mitigation – reducing emissions

• Adaptation – responding to climate impacts

• Resilience – preparing for extreme events

A central tool is the energy hierarchy:

1. Reduce energy demand (passive design)

2. Improve efficiency

3. Use renewable energy

4. Apply low-carbon infrastructure

It also emphasises:

• Whole life carbon assessment

• Circular economy principles

3. Nature

Development should enhance, not just protect, the natural environment.

Key elements include:

• Green and blue infrastructure

• Biodiversity net gain

• Sustainable drainage

• Ecological networks

Notably, ideas like hedgehog highways and swift bricks gained public attention during consultation.

4. Movement

Places should prioritise:

• Walking

• Wheeling

• Cycling

Design should:

• Reduce reliance on cars

• Improve accessibility for all users

• Minimise exposure to pollution

5. Built Form

The guidance promotes:

• Compact, connected development

• Higher densities near transport

• Mixed-use environments

Importantly, it clarifies that good design does not mean copying existing context innovation is encouraged.

6. Public Space

Public spaces should be:

• Safe

• Social

• Inclusive

Design should ensure:

• Spaces are overlooked

• They are usable and accessible

• They are not leftover or residual areas

7. Identity

Places should be distinctive and meaningful.

This involves:

• Responding to local history and culture

• Creating a clear design story

• Communicating that story through design and access statements

Community Participation and Context

A key theme throughout the guidance is engagement.

It promotes:

• Co-design and workshops

• Inclusion of underrepresented groups

• Meaningful community involvement

It also introduces Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) a progressive step for planning guidance to learn from completed developments.

Design Quality in the Planning Process (Part 2)

Part 2 is especially relevant for architects.

It emphasises that:

➡️ Design quality must be embedded from the start not added later.

Planning applications should demonstrate:

• Strong contextual understanding

• Clear written and visual communication

• Alignment with all seven features

For architects, this effectively becomes a checklist for design and access statements.

Design Codes (Part 3)

Part 3 focuses on how design codes are created and applied.

With the introduction of Model Design Codes, the system is moving toward a more rules-based approach. However, the RIBA has highlighted a key concern - Design tools cannot replace properly resourced planning departments. Architects therefore have a role not only in compliance, but also in advocacy for better planning conditions.

What This Means for Architects

This guidance has clear professional implications:

1. A Clearer Framework

A single, consolidated document simplifies expectations.

2. A Shared Language

The seven features provide a consistent way to communicate design quality.

3. Higher Expectations

Design and access statements must go beyond description they must demonstrate quality and intent.

4. Greater Responsibility

Architects must engage early with:

• Context

• Communities

• Planning authorities

Final Thoughts

The Design and Placemaking PPG marks a significant step toward a more consistent and design-led planning system.

Key Takeaways:

• It consolidates four major guidance documents into one

• It centres on seven integrated design features

• It strengthens the role of design in planning decisions

• It introduces tools like energy hierarchy and design codes

• It raises expectations for architects in practice

With consultation now closed (March 2026), further updates are expected and these will shape how the guidance is implemented in practice.