Resources
There are lots of resources out there to support improving streets and public spaces. Here are some key ones to get you started.
Resources: inclusive environments
Alzheimer Scotland: support for setting up dementia friendly communities from their experience across Scotland.
Architecture and Design Scotland: their 2019 report A Caring Place explores what might be the essentials for re-creating town centres as caring places – especially with a focus on ageing and the provision of care, to respond and support the Scottish Government’s work around encouraging town centre living.
Life Changes Trust: online Dementia Friendly Communities Toolkit.
Living Streets Scotland: support for communities to make their streets better for walking, including a Guide to Getting Better Streets and Pavements which focuses particularly on the needs of older people and support for disabled people (see Perth and Kinross example in the Inclusive Thinking section above).
Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS): guidance on promoting accessibility through active travel measures, both for pedestrians and cyclists with disabilities.
Paths for All: information about dementia-friendly walks and dementia-friendly environments, including design guidance for signage, paths and transport.
RNIB Scotland: advice on keeping pavements and streets clear for visually-impaired people in its Street Charter toolkit.
Visit Scotland: Accessibility Guides – guidance on how to prepare accessibility guides for disabled visitors.
Visit Scotland: Inclusive Tourism Toolkit – advice and support to benefit the widest range of customers possible.
Resources: walking and cycling
Living Streets Scotland: support and case studies through their Healthier Safer Streets programme, working with communities to make streets more walkable.
Paths for All: a packed website which offers lots of information and resources to encourage walking, including inspirational success stories and case studies from around Scotland, ‘active travel’ initiatives to encourage walking and cycling, dementia-friendly environments, building and maintaining paths and funding.
Sustrans Scotland: a great source of information and funding on anything related to cycling and walking, with plenty of information on their website. Their staff have lots of experience of designing and delivering street improvement projects.
Transport Scotland: directory of funding sources for walking and cycling initiatives.
Resources: public spaces
2015 Scottish Town Centre Toolkit: Published in 2015, the original Toolkit had a greater focus on physical urban design than the current Toolkit. It contained lots of information and guidance about the design of streets, spaces and buildings to make town centres more attractive, accessible and inclusive. Much of this information is still appropriate now.
Architecture and Design Scotland: their comprehensive Stalled Spaces Toolkit contains lots of inspirational ideas and practical information about how to re-use stalled development sites, under-used green spaces or vacant land – for anything from event spaces to food-growing. Their Stalled Spaces Programme has more information.
greenspace scotland: a social enterprise which supports the planning, development and sustainable management of green spaces and green networks in our towns and cities. Their website has lots of information and resources.
Kirkcaldy town centre provides an example of how the urban design guidance in the original Toolkit could be delivered on the ground. For more information about how they did it, click here.
Living Streets Scotland: a free online toolkit for people to reclaim parts of streets to create mini popup ‘parklets’ in their local community.
Play Scotland: Getting it Right for Play Toolkit is a practical and comprehensive guide to providing more and better play opportunities for children and young people in Scotland. Free to Play provides guidance on creating public play spaces that are accessible and inclusive. It includes more information about the Catherine Street playpark in Dumfries.
Secured by Design: An official UK police initiative that improves the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit. Their interactive 3D design guide gives an easy-to-use overview of how to 'design-out' crime in spaces and buildings.