Countryside Properties is to measure graffiti, crime levels and how children get to school in a bid to measure the social impact of new communities.
It has commissioned sustainability organisation the New Economics Foundation to help come up with a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators, measuring residents' quality of life in such areas as social inclusion, safe streets, community participation and access to services.
"The aim is to help Countryside Partnerships, and the industry as a whole, to understand how building homes can be converted into building communities," said John Oldham, director and group chief town planner. He said that the audit could be useful in designing developments, and in landbuying and planning.
Countryside will pilot the quality of life audit on three of its own sites: Great Notley Garden Village, Greenwich Millennium Village and Beaulieu Park. It is also consulting with the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, the Countryside Agency, BRE and Construction Information and Research Association.
Source
Building Homes
