ASC MAKING PLACES

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Making Places:

Creating Sustainable Communities

02

Contents

05 What are sustainable communities?

13 How can students play a key role in

shaping sustainable communities?

25 What skills contribute to

sustainable communities?

29 Further advice and information.


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Making Places:


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Your community is changing

Have you noticed any changes in the neighbourhood where

you teach? What changes are occurring in the places whereyour students are growing up? Maybe have you seen a local

estate become an unattractive and unsafe place to live?

Has your local town become so popular that it is difficult

for people to buy a house or to find a job? Or do you live

in a rural community where the services available to you

are either lacking or disappearing?

The students that you teach and their families want to live

in a community that is attractive and inspiring. They want

to be able to walk home from school safely, they want easy

access to high quality services and they want to live in a

place where they can learn skills and interests to develop

themselves as individuals and so that they can get a jobwhen they finish school.

They want to live in a place that is vibrant, regenerated,maintained, will respond and adapt to climate change andwill be sustainable in the future.

Creating a better place to liveIn 2004 the Deputy Prime Minister invited Sir John Egan to

undertake a Skills Review to establish the skills required to

deliver the Governments sustainable communities agenda.

The Egan Review highlighted the quantitative skills gap

and the need to encourage more young people into the

sustainable community professions including planning,

surveying and architecture. Qualitatively, we need young

people to emerge from compulsory education with softer

skills such as listening, communication and teamwork.These skills are vital in building sustainable communities.

The Academy for Sustainable Communities

The ASC will work with others

to deliver the cutting edgeskills and knowledge needed

to make better places for

people now and in the future.The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) is a

national and international centre of excellence for the skills

and knowledge needed to deliver sustainable communities.

We work with three specific sectors, one of which is young

people. Our work with young people is centred on capturing

their interest and enthusiasm for involvement in sustainable

communities to demonstrating the many ways in which they

can get involved personally and professionally.

Our objectives in working

with young people are to: Capture pupil interest and raise their awareness of

sustainable communities issues and encourage them

into sustainable community careers;

Raise knowledge, awareness and understanding of

sustainable community issues, encouraging interest

among young people in the sustainability of their own

local communities;

Foster skills of citizenship and a care for young peoplesown communities.

Develop teaching and learning resources that help

teachers and pupils understand more fully the learning

and employment opportunities and skills needs for

sustainable communities and place making.


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Young people should have a role in shaping their communities

they have the potential to influence and affect the placeswhere they live, play, study and eventually work. As a teacher

or learning professional, you can enable them to take controlby providing information, advice and guidance on what a

sustainable community is and the career opportunities and

pathways they could take to shape their future villages, towns

and cities.

This publication has been produced by the ASC as your guide

to sustainable communities. It contains lots of practical ideas

on how you can motivate students to get involved in shapingtheir local community and includes useful information such as

real life case studies, teaching resources, lesson planning ideas

and handy website addresses.

The guide has been divided into four sections. Section one will

help to further your understanding of sustainable communities

and provide real life case studies where young people have

played an active role in shaping where they live.

In section two you can find out about the career opportunities

involved in sustainable communities and how your studentscan access these occupations. Read the profiles from

professionals in the sustainable communities field, such asa Town Planner, a Community Development Manager and

a Conservation Officer.

In section three explore the generic skills needed to build

sustainable communities.

Finally, in section four you can find further advice and

information on a host of partners who are helping to deliver

sustainable communities. Throughout the guide you will find

practical tips and ideas for activities such as role plays, topics

for debate, projects and competitions that you can encourage

your students to take part in.

How is this booklet useful to teachers and students?


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What are

sustainablecommunities?


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Making Places:


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Definition of sustainable communities

Sustainable communities meet the diverse

needs of existing and future residents, theirchildren and other users, contribute to ahigh quality of life and provide opportunityand choice. They achieve this in ways thatmake effective use of natural resources,

enhance the environment, promote socialcohesion and inclusion and strengtheneconomic prosperity.Source: The Egan Review:

Skills for Sustainable Communities 2004

The Egan Review identified a common goal of creating

sustainable communities and identified seven key components

which must be addressed to achieve the goal. The

Government has accepted this model, with an additionof an eighth component fair for all.

The diagram (right) illustrates the eight components of

sustainable communities. The illustration is often referredto as the Egan Wheel.

A sustainable community is made up of eight components.

Students can often find diagrams like this overwhelming as

they contain a lot of information. However, this diagram is

designed to help you and your students understand what

sustainable communities are without the confusion.

How it works: the inner ring identifies the eight components;

the middle ring describes these in more detail; and the outerring translates what each of the rings mean into student-

friendly language. Examples are provided to make the contentof each component more accessible to students.

To plan, deliver and maintain sustainable communities it is

essential that all components are addressed.

Scan the Egan Wheel into your interactive whiteboardprogramme or onto an OHT to help explain how the

parts of the Egan Wheel go together to make sustainablecommunities. Create a mind map of ideas on how to

improve aspects of each part of the wheel. Or, why not

encourage your students to use their own local area as a

model, applying each of these components to the places

they live in. Ask students to take on roles (role play)

within their local community but more importantly get

them to look at how they interlink with each other tomake sustainable communities. Take your students on

a walk around their local school community. Encourage

them to observe and identify the services and features

of their local area. Give the students a checklist where

they can score how well the area is doing on the eight

components and identify which components need

improving.

Come up with an action plan on how to make your

local community sustainable. Put your students into

eight groups, one for each component. Develop theirproblem-solving skills by asking them to come up with

realistic and affordable ideas for improving the area.

Follow the activity up with a debate between groups or

even get them to write a letter or an email to their local

MP, council member or newspaper on ideas for changing

or improving their local community.

You could get started by photocopying the pictureresource on the next page to highlight how different

interest groups in the community can be a part ofcreating sustainable communities and get students to

discuss how they could get involved in improving their

own area.

Ideas for the classroom...


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Making Places:


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The Egan Wheel

Governance

Well Run

Fair for Everyone

Equity

Social

&

Cultu

ral

Environm

ental

Economy

Transport&

Connectivity

Housing

&Built

Environ

ment

Services

When decisions are madeabout a community, localpeople are included in thedecision-making process.The community enjoys a

sense of civic values,responsibility and pride.

People of all ages, races,cultures, sexes and abilitiesare given access to services,

jobs and education in thecommunity. This fairness isnot a luxury; it is normal toeveryone. This fairness laststo provide opportunities for

future generations.

Asenseofplace

(e.g.aplace

withapositive

feelingfor

peopleandlocal

distinctiveness).

Buildingsare

attractive,safeandusefulto

thepeoplewhousethem.

Buildingsthatpeoplewantto

gointo.Lotsof

openspace

forpeopletoplayandrelax.

Welldesignedandbuilt

We

llServed

Acommu

nitys

piritiscreated

.

People

arealwa

yswelc

ometo

joinine

vents(e.g

.sports,

fundraising

,festivals).

Neigh

bourslooko

utforone

anothe

r,and

respecteach

othe

r.Allp

eople

aretreate

d

fairly

.The

rearelow

levels

of

crime

,drugs

anda

nti-s

ocial

beha

viour

with

viable,

effectivea

ndcommunity

-

friendly

policing

.

Active

,Inclu

sive

&

Safe

Localpeoplehavethe

opportunitytomakem

oney

andhaveagoodqualityof

life.Theyareencouragedto

openupsmallbusinessesand

spendtheirwageslocallyto

helpimproveotherpeop

les

businesses.Successful

businessescreatem

orejobs

formorepeople,a

ndbetter

standardsofliv

ingformore

peopleinthecom

munity.

Thriving

Thetransportfacilities,

includingpublictransport,

helppeopletotravelwithin

andbetweencommunities

andreducedependenceon

cars.Therearefacilitiesto

encouragesafelocalwalking

andcycling.

WellConn

ected

Actively

seek

tomini

mise

climate

change

(e.g.people

are

encouraged

torecycle

ands

ave

water

,live

inhomes

thatdo

not

waste

electricitya

ndthatare

built

onwastelan

dsotha

tno

newfor

est/fields

are

destroye

d).Createcle

aner,

safer

andgree

nern

eighb

ourhoods

(e.g.byre

ducin

glitter

and

graffiti,an

dmain

tainin

g

pleasantpub

licspaces).

Environm

entally

Sensiti

ve

Highqua

lityservicesfor

familiesandchildren

(includingearlyyears

childcare).Agoodrange

ofaffordablepublic,

community,voluntaryand

privateservices(e.g.retail,

freshfoo

d,commercial,

utilities,informationand

advice)thatareaccessible

tothewh

olecommunity.

SustainableCommunities


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Making Places:


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Group work: divide the class into eight groups andallocate one component from the Egan Wheel to each

group. Students can discuss what their component

involves and then feedback to other groups.

Class discussion: encourage students to talk about

how a development project would encourage

sustainability under each component. Do any of

your students live in communities where these things

happen? How is it affecting their local environment

and quality of life? Is it for the better? How has it

affected them?

Ask your students to look at the people on

the next page. Which of them live in sustainablecommunities? Which of them do not live in

sustainable communities? What are the reasons

for these choices?



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Making Places:


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I wish I lived in a community

where we could be involved in

making the decisions. Im surethat would give us all a senseof pride and responsibility.

In my community the transport

services help me and my family

get where we need to be! Cleanand reliable rail services help mydaughters to get to school safely,

a door-to-door bus service picks

up Dad on time so I dont need

to worry about how hell get to

the day centre and there are plenty

of parking spaces available when

I need to go shopping.

I wish there was an

After School Club that

my children couldattend so that I couldget a job at the new

local call centre that

has opened in our area.

In our house we hate

cleaning our rooms but welove making sure our house

doesnt hurt our environment.

I am in charge of sorting out

the cardboard, tin cans and

waste food into boxes for

recycling, and Im in charge

of turning off all the lightsin rooms when were not

using them!

In our local community

everyone has theopportunity to take part

in the decision-making

process. For example,

we have a young

peoples forum where

we can have our say on

what happens onspecific community

projects.

We now have a great school that wehelped design. The architects met

with all the students who would be

moving to the new school, pluseveryone living in the local area, to

decide what it should look like and

how we would want to use it. The

project was a success because we alllearned how to work well with each

other. We now have a fantastic place

to come and learn in.

In our community we haveregular meetings where we

come up with ideas for activities

for the whole community to takepart in. For the last few months

weve been planning a Battle of

the Bands festival which is being

sponsored by our council. It willtake place next month so we are

hoping that the weather is hot -

just like our music!

There werent any shops

or businesses on ourhousing estate until the

community lobbied the

council. Now we have

five new shops where I

can sell local produce

and the community dont

have to travel miles tothe shopping centre on

the other side of town.


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A difficult place to liveA superb example of a successful transformation of a place

into a sustainable community is the Beacon and Old Hill

Estate in Falmouth, Cornwall. Back in the early 1990s theestate suffered an incredible amount of deprivation. Picture

this: a hillside with rows and rows of dark, gloomy terraced

houses and flats, crammed together so that nobody had any

open space or privacy. A place where disadvantaged familiesstruggled to survive.

There were many social and economic problems. More thanhalf of the homes lacked central heating, eight out of ten local

men were unemployed, cases of mental health problems were

increasing and crime in the area was rife. Families openly

battled over drugs, appalling cases of animal cruelty were

identified, domestic violence was commonplace, many

children were placed on the childprotection register and

primary school children were found drunk on the streets. Theconditions on the estate had an impact on peoples health with

increased incidences of asthma and post-natal depression

amongst mothers.

Things start to changeIn 1995 the residents decided to fight back and demand help

to save their community. Grenville Chappel (who was born on

the estate) became chairman of the newly formed residents

association, which became part of the Beacon Community

Regeneration Partnership (BCRP). The BCRP successfullywon a grant of 1.2 million to improve the infrastructure

on the estate. Immediate improvements included better

home insulation and the implementation of traffic-calming

measures. A community spirit that hadnt been seen for yearsbegan to grow.

People realised that we were actually getting things done.

They saw that we, as local residents, were listening and they

began to believe in us, explained Grenville Chappel. Further

improvements to the estate included a skateboard park, youthgroups and a community centre. Crime in the area has more

than halved and people feel safer in their homes. The success

of the project is due to a strong working partnership between

local people including young people, health professionals, localteachers, police and housing officers. In 2003 the project was

honoured with a Queens Jubilee Award and the Deputy PrimeMinisters award for Sustainable Communities. People now

have a new respect for the estate, Grenville said.

Case study: The Beacon and Old Hill Estate, Cornwall

Here is an

illustration, using

the Egan Wheel,

of the positive

changes that have

been made in thecase study area.

Well Run

Welldesigned

&built

Improvedstreetlighting

andmorespacecreated

saferinfrastructure.

Introductionof

communityfundays

mettheneedsand

requestsoflocalpeople.

Active,inc

lusive

&safe

Community

centre

activities

helpe

dto

reducec

rimeb

y50%

.

Well

connnected

Trafficcalming

measuresledto

saferroads.

ThrivingCom

munity

centreand

youthg

roupactivities

promo

tedlearninginthe

communityand

opportunitiesforfuture

employm

ent.

Environme

ntally

sensitiv

e

Betteri

nsula

ted

houses

resulte

din

reduction

toresi

dents

household

fuelbil

ls.

Well

served

Fair foreveryone

Forming theBCRP allowed local

people to be included indecision making.

Community activitiesencouraged community

members to planfor change.



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Teacher Resource

Summary

Why not use the case study on Beacon and Old Hill to

introduce your students to an example of how sustainablecommunities are created? You could also photocopy the

table below, which shows some of the key statistics andfacts relating to improvements in the area.

Crime Crime has halved by 50%, violence and vandalism reduced.

Education Pupil exam results have improved, e.g. the number of

10 and 11 year old boys achieving NC level 4 has doubled.

Health The Beacon Care Centre has been built providing health

checks for the over 65s, physiotherapy sessions and afamily planning service.

Accidents The number of childhood accidents has fallen by 50%.

Energy efficiency 900 homes were insulated and 300 more homes have

central heating.

Community safety A Neighbourhood Watch scheme was introduced,

additional street lighting put in place and communication

with police improved.

Community activities Parent-toddler groups, luncheon groups, community fun

days, coach trips and garden competitions were set up.

FACTOR IMPROVEMENTS MADEIdeas for the classroom...Using the case study on Beacon and Old Hill:

Develop students reading sub-skills with the case

study: ask them to scan for a particular piece of

information or read for detail to extract problems

and solutions.

Focus on literacy: students could structure their

reading by highlighting specific words and issues in

different colours such as problems, solutions, nouns,

verbs and adjectives. Introduce them to the

categorisation of information.

Design a role play: organise students into groups

such as local school children, an unemployed man,

a mother with post-natal depression, the police,a health expert, a person who lives next door to

families fighting over drugs, etc. Get them to think

about the issues facing these people and the feelings

they may experience.

If you have the facilities in your classroom, encourage

students to use the internet to research this casestudy further at www.bcrp.carrick.gov.uk

Creating sustainable communities is about taking into account a whole range of factors and components which improve

the quality of life for everyone within a community, creating opportunities, positive change and a sense of ownership

within those communities.


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Sustainable communities and the national curriculum

Have a look in your copy of the national curriculum and

you will see that promoting the awareness of sustainabledevelopment amongst students is a central part of many

subject requirements. Sustainability is a cross-curricularconcept and is central to four statutory subjects: Citizenship,

Geography, Science and Design & Technology.

However, teaching sustainable communities can also be

applied to subjects such as English, Maths and History.

Teaching sustainable communities is an excellent means for

you and your department to ensure that you are meeting your

national curriculum requirements. Look below for a quickguide to how teaching about sustainable communities can

help you meet these requirements, with a spotlight on some

of the activities featured in this guide.

Citizenship Design a role play (pg 5).

School Works Poll (pg 17).

Set up volunteering (pg 17).

National Political Journalism

Competition (pg 17).

Log on to BBC (pg 17).

Geography Design a role play (pg 5).

Use case studies in MakingPlaces as examples of

sustainable development

(pg 12 14).

Climate Change ChampionsAward (pg 17).

Science Set up an enquiry to examine

and evaluate your school building:

materials used do materials change

over time (weather) and do theyharm the environment?

Investigate the sustainability of

energy-saving adaptations to

new housing.

Design & Set up an enquiry to examine

Techology and evaluate your school building:materials, structure, function forstudents and appeal. Make an action

plan for improvement.

Choose a local structure and have a

trip outside the classroom students

can investigate characteristics and

properties of materials used.

Knowledge and understanding about

becoming informed citizens. Selecting

and applying skills, tactics and

compositional ideas. Developing

skills of enquiry and communication.

Developing skills of participation

and responsible action.

1b, 1f, 1g, 2a, 2b, 2c

3a, 3b, 3c, 2a, 2c

1f, 1i, 3a, 3b, 3c

1c, 1d, 1e, 1h, 2a, 2b,

3a, 3b, 3c

2a

1d, 1e, 1f, 2a

1a, 1d, 1e, 2a, 2d, 3a,

3c, 3d, 5a, 5b

1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1f, 2a, 2f,3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b

Sc1 - 1a, 1b, 2a - 2p

Sc2 - 1a

1a, 1d, 1f-h, 2a, 2b, 3a,

3e, 4a, 6a, 6c

1a, 1d, 1f-h, 2a, 2b, 3a,3e, 4a, 6a, 6c

Geographical enquiry and skills.

Knowledge and understanding of

places. Knowledge and understanding

of patterns and processes. Knowledge

and understanding of environmental

change and sustainable development.

Scientific enquiry - Sc1.

Materials and their properties - Sc3.

Physical processes Sc4.

Developing, planning and

communicating ideas. Evaluatingproducts and processes, materials

and components. Knowledge and

understanding of systems and

control and structures. Knowledgeand understanding of structures.

Knowledge and understanding of

materials.

Subject Suggested Activities National Curriculum

Reference

Description of National

Curriculum Criteria


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How can students

play a key role inshaping sustainablecommunities?


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Making Places:


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To create sustainable communities we need to increase

the number of students entering sustainable communitiesoccupations and increase the amount and quality of generic

skills to close the skills gap and the occupational shortage.

Increased recruitment will create a drive to improveparticipation in projects that will regenerate and sustain,

creating more opportunities which will spiral in a positive

cycle. We also need to encourage young people to take an

active role in their communities now, generating passion for

protecting and improving their local community. Read on to

find out how you can help your students get involved

Everyone is part of a community with its own individual

characteristics. Creating these different communities and

making sure that these places continue to meet the needsof those who live, work, study or play in them involves a

wide range of occupations.

This next section will provide you and your students with an

insight into the careers and occupations that help to supportthe development of sustainable communities. There are a

range of careers involved in making sustainable communities.The diagram opposite illustrates how these careers are

categorised into core and associated occupations, and

community engagement.

Students may be interested in finding out more about core

occupations such as architects, engineers and town planners.

They may also be keen to enter an associated occupation.

Help them learn more about the exciting opportunities available.


Why not photocopy the information and case

study examples on pages 18-23 to introduce

your students to some of the careers involved inbuilding sustainable communities? Let them read

what makes these professionals passionate about

their jobs.

Contact your local architect or town planning

service and organise a guest speaker.

Visit www.architecturecentre.net and www.rtpi.org.ukto find local contacts.

You could organise a visit to a local project takingplace close to your school or maybe even set up

some work placement shadowing days so that

students can step into the shoes of a qualified

professional. Use the resource list on the back page

for a wide range of useful contacts.


An illustration of the

occupations involved

in making sustainable

communities.

Core occupationsinclude people who spend almost all of their

time in activities to do with planning, delivering

and maintaining sustainable communities, ortheir involvement is critical to the success of

those communities.

Associated occupationsinclude people whose contribution

is extremely important to successful

delivery, but who are not involvedfull time in planning, delivery or

maintaining sustainablecommunities.

Community engagementincludes a wider public group

who often require information

about sustainable communities,the issues, and details

on where to go to obtainfurther advice.


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How the occupations contribute to sustainable communities

A mind map is a good way of illustrating how

the core and associated occupations contributeto sustainable communities.

Core

occupations

Associated

occupations

Law and

enforcement

Built environment

and associated

professionals

Sustainable

Communities

Implementers

and decisionmakers

Community

occupations

Community/Neighbourhood

wardens and

Community Support

Wardens

Professional

community and

voluntary workers

Regeneration

leaders

Local authority

elected members

Members of

Local StrategicPartnerships

Crime support

staff

Police officers

Probation

officers

Planning systems

statutory consultees

(e.g. British Waterways,

English Heritage, etc)

Contamination and

reclamation specialists(brownfield)

Recycling andrefuse disposal

managers


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The following example is an excellent introduction for

students to help them understand how lots of differentoccupations and local groups can contribute to creating


Case study: Grange Park

Community Project, BlackpoolIn the early 1990s Grange Park was one of the most rundown

areas in the UK. People living there were faced with many

social problems such as increasing anti social behaviour, lowemployment rates, poor diet and related health problems.

In 1997 Blackpool Borough Council launched the Grange

Park Community Project with the aim of finding a solutionto the problems to create a better quality of life for residents.

Many people were involved in the project and it was the

co-operation between local people and professionals that

made the project a success.Local authority workers, business managers, planners and

local residents were involved in deciding what changes were

needed. Local residents worked closely with architects, urban

designers, landscapers and surveyors to redesign the buildings

and open space in Grange Park. Teachers, IT professionals,careers advisers and media experts were involved in the

creation and operation of a primary school and a City

Learning Centre with a library, IT suite and TV training studio.

Local residents took advice from health professionals and

introduced a healthy eating caf on the estate.

Look at the opportunities available

Grange Park Community Project is one of many sustainable

communities projects where a wide range of people were

involved in making things happen. Lets look back at the

groups involved:

Core occupations: Architects

Planners

Urban designers

Local Authority workers

Landscapers

Surveyors

Associated occupations: Teachers

Health professionals

IT professionals Business managers

Community engagement: Careers advisers

Media

Local residents

Making Places:


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Be involved in something that makes a real difference...


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Overview of the roleTown planning is about managing and developing urban

areas in order best to serve present and future generations.

Planners contribute to work in housing, conservation,economic development, environmental education,

recreation, sport, tourism, transportation, and community

development. Planners assess local applications for new

buildings or changes of use to existing buildings, and checkthe implications of such developments.

The planners job is to analyse and understand conflictingdemands and to advise on the best options. Planners can

specialise in urban design, environmental sciences, social

issues, management, development, and related fields. There

are also support roles for administrators, enforcement

officers and planning technicians.

The skills and experience you needYou need academic training to meet the membership criteriaof the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). The standard

route into the profession is three years of undergraduatestudy followed by one years postgraduate study, leading to

a diploma or masters degree.

After finishing their studies, graduates undertake two years

of experience culminating in a written assessment known

as the Assessment of Professional Competence. Once the

assessment is passed, graduates qualify for membership of

the RTPI, allowing them to describe themselves as chartered

town planners.

Likely types of employer Most planners work for local authorities

and government offices

Planning consultants

Large development companies

Salary rangesThe average salary for a young planner is 24,000. For

a principal planning officer or team leader, this rises to

35,000. Senior development managers receive 45,000.At the top of the scale, a regional project director might

earn 80,000.

More informationFind out more about careers in planning and download

a brochure on the profession from the Royal TownPlanning Institute, which also has a full list of accredited

university courses:

www.rtpi.org.uk

Town Planner Profile


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Making Places:


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Michael Burrell

Senior PlanningPolicy Officer

Norwich City Council

Why a town planner?Ive only been a planner

for six years. I used to

teach English to foreigners.

I studied geography and

history and then went to

live in Spain to teach. ThenI came back to England to

do a planning qualification.

I knew I wanted to work in

a built environment profession. I gained an interest in

planning through doing a planning module as part of my

degree. I felt that through such a job, I could achieve quite alot to improve the environment and contribute tosustainable development.

Planning is changing. First, it has moved from a focus on

land use to more spatial planning, which means integratingmore closely with other areas, such as health policy. Second,

there is now a greater focus on working closely with local

communities. This should make planning more

approachable and accessible to people.

How did you get to where you are now?I took my first planning job at Norwich Council, then

progressed to Waveney District Council, and now Im back

at Norwich. I find working in a city interesting; I like urban

issues and the sheer amount of development happening inNorwich at present makes it a very interesting place to

work. I have always been interested in policy rather than

other areas of planning such as development control. I think

it matches my interests and skills well as I am interested in

researching issues and in t rying to promote sustainability.

Thats why I specialise in this area.

Can you describe a typical day?

A typical day usually involves working on a wide variety ofprojects and answering phone and email enquiries. The job

is predominantly desk-based, though it also involves sitevisits, attending meetings and conferences and doing

community consultations and presentations to schools.

The content of the work is varied, interesting and important

it covers key topics in promoting sustainable development.

For example, at present I am working on a supplementary

planning document to promote energy efficiency and

renewable energy in new development. I am also workingon a project promoting co-operation between medium-sized

cities in north-west Europe. The aim is to learn from each

other to promote sustainability. This involved attending a

conference in Paris and it was interesting and informative

to see the different approaches taken to sustainability in

different cities. A third area of work I am involved in is asustainability appraisal of a new type of plan, an area actionplan. The appraisal aims to ensure that the area action plan

will enable the sustainable regeneration of a deprived part

of Norwich city centre.

What sort of qualities do you

need to be a town planner?For policy work, you need to enjoy researching issues.

You must be prepared to put time and effort into looking

at detail because having a good eye for detail is important

as planning is a legal process, and the policy approach you

promote will be tested.

You have to have an interest in and knowledge of a wide

range of issues, ranging from biodiversity, flood risk andenvironmental protection through to retail and conservation

issues. You also have to be diplomatic. There are a lot of

interests related to the development of land, and you have

to show you are fair and have considered everyones views.

Whats the next step for your career?Im staying here for the near future. Ive only been here for a

year and Im happy in the job.


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Community Development Manager Profile

Overview of the roleCommunity development workers work with local people

and community groups to help them tackle local issues and

improve their quality of life, often in socially and financiallydeprived areas.

It can also mean working alongside disadvantaged or

marginalised groups such as the homeless, long term

unemployed people or ethnic minorities.

The job is testing, varied and challenging. It involves

identifying communities needs and problems; raising public

awareness; building a network of contacts; organising events

and meetings; brokering agreements between opposing

groups; developing strategies for change; managing a limitedbudget and fundraising; training volunteers; and writing

reports and general admin.

The skills and experience you needGood written and verbal communication skills are the tools

of successful community development work. The language

skills of bilingual minority ethnic candidates are highly

prized. Teaching, youth work, community work and

experience in the health sector are popular ways into thiscareer. A degree in social sciences is particularly relevant

but all graduates should aim to get community project

experience through volunteering.

The education and training charity, City and Guilds, offers

a Level 2 National Vocational Qualification in community

development work for those already actively engaged in

their community. Applications for bursaries are considered

in June and December. Visit www.city-and-guilds.co.uk

Postgraduate training is often necessary for promotion to

more senior positions. Relevant subjects include voluntary

sector studies; housing practice; business and community;

legal studies; public or community health; and social

services management.

Likely types of employerLocal authorities

Housing associations (registered social landlords)Voluntary organisations such as homeless projects, faith

groups, womens groups, environmental organisations, or

mental health charities

Regeneration partnerships

Other statutory bodies such as primary care trusts

Salary rangesStarting salaries range from 15,000 to 19,000; those with

two or more years experience can expect to earn 19,000

to 25,000.

A survey by the Community Development Exchange

found that 70% of community development workersearned less than 25,000 and many employmentcontracts are short term.

More informationFind out more about community development at the

Community Development Exchange:

www.cdx.org.uk

The Community Development Foundation provides

resources on training, research, networks and general

information on community development:

www.cdf.org.uk

To get relevant community project experience contact

Volunteering England:www.volunteering.org.uk

Information on rural community development can be

found at the Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs website:

www.defra.gov.uk/rural/default.htm


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Natalie Robertson

Community DevelopmentManager

LHA-ASRA, Leicestershire

Why are you a

community development

manager?I didnt even know the role

existed until I became

active in the community as

a resident activist. Ivealways had a keen interest

in making the places where

I live better and when I

lived on a housing estate in north Edinburgh, I got involved

in campaigning and joined various working groups geared

around improving services for local people.Through activism, I ended up working on a community

health project and the idea of becoming a community

development worker was introduced to me by the other

community development workers I met.

How did you get where you are today?

Ive always been one of those people who gets involvedand I was lucky to live in a part of the city that was very

dynamic. The housing estate in Edinburgh was a social

inclusion partnership area so there were constant

opportunities that opened up for you as a resident.

Initially I worked for a womens education project, then I

moved to set up part of a health project within the area

while I was at Edinburgh University studying for a degree

in community education.

While I was a student I volunteered at a rape crisis centre

and I also served on various local management committees

such as womens aid, a community centre and the local

training, education and employment initiative.

When I graduated, I worked for a couple of Scottish

charities and then moved to South Leicestershire workingfor a council for voluntary service.

The breadth of my work experience in regeneration,community development and the voluntary sector has been

invaluable. When Im working with a group of residents, Ive

been there myself. Ive set up a community group. Ive got

experience of fundraising and writing policy and procedure,

and my current role brings all those skills together.

Can you describe a typical day?My time is split between direct contact with residents in

their community and working with partnership organisations

and colleagues across departments within LHA-ASRA,

which is a large housing and regeneration agency based inLeicester and London.

Our role is often as a conduit between the issues thatresidents raise with us and working with other agenciesto get a solution to the problems.

In any day, I could be setting up a consultation event orI could be actually rolling my sleeves up and working

alongside residents clearing a piece of land or working

on a community art project, or helping to complete a

fundraising application. Its always fun when youre working

with communities as you are never quite sure what is going

to hit you. One of the best things that can happen is when

you turn out on a spring day to transform a pocket park,and you start the day thinking that youre almost going to

be on your own, when all of a sudden 40 people turn up to

help. Thats a very good day.

What sort of qualities do you need to be a

community development worker?If I described myself, I would say that I am quite stubborn.

I think that is something that comes from being a resident

activist. If you are involved in local community work, you

learn that nothing happens overnight and you have preparedfor the long haul.

Youve also got to be able to take things on the chin. This is

the first job Ive had where there are lots of people shoutingat you. Sometimes thats the way that people express their

stress and concern and youve got to listen and understandtheir worries and not be disturbed by it or take it personally.

Youve also got to be prepared to take a proactive approach

to your work. You need to be out there on the ground,

speaking to people.

One of the things I have found particularly useful is to be

action-orientated. So I listen to others and think how Im

going to make it happen. Theres no point in putting issues

aside, you need to think imaginatively about how you can

take things forward.

What is the next step for your career?Id really like to get more involved in the project

management of regeneration schemes and I hopeto do that at LHA-ASRA.

I think it would be really interesting to bring people with

different professional backgrounds together to work onregeneration projects, and to be part of managing that

process will be good for my professional development

as well.


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Overview of the roleConservation officers work to maintain the historic or

natural fabric of urban and rural areas. Historic buildings

conservation officers focus on advising property owners onalterations or improvements to buildings.

Environmental conservation involves a wide range of

activities, from recycling household waste to habitat

management.

The skills and experience you needThere are specialist courses in building conservation.

Officers need a wide range of skills, including an

understanding of planning, historic buildings, relevantpolicies and law.

Officers often have a background in architecture, planning,

surveying, or art history. Most employers are looking both

for qualifications and experience. A few local authoritiesoffer studentships. Voluntary work is a good way of gaining

relevant experience.

Vocational qualifications are available for careers in natural

environmental conservation, from NVQs through to

postgraduate degrees. Apprenticeships are also available for

young people, with funding available through local learning

and skills councils. Again, voluntary work is often a route

into paid employment.

Likely types of employer Local authorities

Private sector consultants

Lottery funded schemes

Regional or national bodies, such as English Heritage

Environmental charities and civic trusts

A wide range of specialist organisations employ naturalenvironment conservation officers

Salary rangesFor local authority conservation officers, the salary range

starts just below 20,000 and reaches 35-40,000 for senior

managers. A director or chief executive of a typicalenvironmental trust or society earns up to 40,000.

More informationFind out about careers in environmental conservation at

Lantra, the sector skills council for the environmental and

land-based sector:www.lantra.co.uk

To find out about building conservation visit the Institute

of Historic Building Conservations website:www.ihbc.org.uk/index.html

The Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation

(COTAC) has a list of relevant courses:

www.cotac.org.uk

The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers offersvoluntary opportunities:

www.btcv.org.uk/

Conservation Officer Profile


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Paul Hartley

Conservation OfficerStockport Council

Why a conservationofficer?I followed my interests,

particularly in historic

buildings and historic areas.

I come from Coventry,

which was bombed during

the war and lost a lot of itsarchitectural heritage.

How did you get to where you are now?

After geography and planning degrees, I worked for KirkleesCouncil based in Huddersfield. I was lucky enough to obtain

a conservation officer post, so I moved straight into the

profession. That was 15 or 20 years ago. Today its verydifficult to do it in one step. I was able to pick up a lot of the

knowledge needed to do the job through direct experience. I

stayed at the local authority for ten years, then moved over to

Chester, and now Im at Stockport. There isnt a great numberof conservation officer posts in a typical authority. Some do

have large teams and you can jump up through the ranks to a

managerial position, but this isnt so common.

Can you describe a typical day?About half of my day or week will be in the office, half out

on site, visiting buildings and property owners, assessing

applications for alterations to buildings, holding meetings.

I give people advice, and also carry out negotiations

sometimes these can get quite complicated if youre dealing

with a large scheme, such as converting an old mill. We assess

sample materials proposed for sites, checking this brick against

that brick, or the pointing on a building, roof material, a shop-front detail it often gets right down to the nitty-gritty of

design.We get involved from early on in negotiations, right

through the application stage, to dealing with contractors on

site. Within many contracts you have to deal with numerous

different people at various stages the owner, the architect,the contractor, and so on.

A lot of the job is finding various ways to say no politely,to get people to go away and rethink.

We do a lot with grant schemes, finding funding through

European aid, the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage,the Housing Corporation, and so on. There might also be

derelict buildings in the area we try to find new uses for.

In Stockport there is a strong link between conservation andregeneration. One recent interesting scheme was a privately-

owned timber-framed building in the marketplace which had

been extensively damaged by fire. The council took it on and

found the funding to completely restore it, making it into a

visitor centre and museum.

We also tackled a wider block of buildings with a housingassociation, creating new flats and shops. It demonstrated how

you can combine conservation with regeneration and make a

major change.

If finding new uses for a derelict building proves a problem,

we sometimes have to broker a compromise with owners, for

example, allowing selective demolition of buildings on a site.At the end of the day we have to offer advice to politicians in

the planning committee.

What sort of qualities do you need to be a

conservation officer?Judgement and negotiating skills, diplomacy, enthusiasm,

energy. On a day-to-day level theres a lot of phone calls,

enquiries, visits. Youve got to be able to prioritise your work.

You have to try to achieve the highest standards with limited

resources of time and control. You have to be quite focused.Also, youve got to be an optimist, to inspire and encourage

people to respect or understand what they own.

You also need to be aware of the legal basis of the work, have

a good working knowledge of the statutory background ofconservation, and knowledge of building design, so that you

are able to debate with other professions the merits ofalternative proposals, or suggest alternatives yourself.

You will be cross-examined at public enquiries, so you

need to be well prepared and able to defend yourself.

Whats the next step for your career?One of the advantages of this kind of post is that there are

opportunities around the country. The next step would be

another local authority. But Im relatively settled as my kids

go to school in this area.


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What skills

contribute tosustainablecommunities?


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Project

management

Leadershipinsustainablecommunities

Partnership

working within

and between

teamsbased on

a shared sense

of purpose

Analysis, decisionmaking,learningfrommistakes,evaluation

Comm

unica

tion

Conflictresolution

Making Places:


26

Creating sustainable communities depends on people having the right skills - skills that are transferable and encourage the wide

range of professionals involved to work together as an effective team. Some of the generic skills that you can encourage yourstudents to develop within the national curriculum framework are highlighted below. These are not exclusive - visit the ASC

website at www.ascskills.org.uk to find out about more.

What skills contribute to sustainable communities?

How can generic skills help

to create sustainable communities?

Case Study: Lower Broughton, SalfordLower Broughton in Salford is an example of a place where

change is happening right now. In 2005 community spirit was

at an all-time low residents suffered from neglect as buildings

were demolished and abandoned, waste land increased, they

were unable to access basic services such as cash points orcoffee shops and increasing incidents of muggings labelled

Lower Broughton as a no go area. The Commission for

Architecture and the Built Environment even named Lower

Broughton as the worst wasted space in the UK. A

partnership between Salford City Council and Countryside

Properties has been formed to create a scheme that will turn

the area around. The scheme will begin in 2006/2007 and lastfor 15 years. A budget of 500 million has been set aside to

improve housing and services in the area. A wide range ofprofessional groups are working on the project including

schools, housing associations, police, the Home Office, local

businesses and local residents. Effective communication skills

are essential when delivering massive projects that depend

on so many groups of people, especially when residents weresceptical of developers. Key generic skills were needed to

convince residents that this wasnt just another initiative that

would fail to tackle issues that mattered. The Lower Broughton

Regeneration Partnership was set up to make sure that all

groups communicate effectively, including residents who would

not normally be able to voice their opinions.

A wide range of professionals and local residents worked

together to make sure the plans made for development wouldmeet the needs of the residents whilst ensuring sustainability

for the future. Skills such as inclusive visioning, team work,project management, communication and conflict resolution

were a vital part of making realistic decisions about the area

and sustainable plans for its future. For example, young people

were interviewed and regular meetings, including a Youth

Forum, allowed people to take part in the development of

their community.

Project

management

Conflict

resolutionPartnership

workingwithin

andbetween

teamsbasedon

asharedsense

ofpurpose

Leadershipin

sustainable

communities Communication

Analysis, decision

making,

learningfrom

mistakes,

evaluation



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Making Places:


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A common problem professions face is that graduates

walk into their new job with the theoretical knowledge andunderstanding of how the industry works, but lack the key

generic skills needed to make things happen effectively.Skills development doesnt and shouldnt have to start in

the job. We believe young people should be given the

opportunity to nurture these skills as soon as possible

and this can start in your classroom. Why should you as a

classroom teacher take responsibility for nurturing theseskills? Well there are more benefits than you might think

Benefits for teachers: teaching generic skills within yourlessons will better equip students to adapt to a wide range

of learning tasks. Skilled students are more engaged and

learning outcomes will improve.

Benefits for students: when students see themselves

developing new skills and using them to do something or

make something real it further motivates them to becomemore independent and more successful learners. They will

be better able to identify their aspirations and work towards

them. Students are better prepared for the outside world of

work. A more skilled applicant has increased careerprospects and options.

Benefits for the community: motivated youth who arepassionate about using their skills for good will be

encouraged to take ownership over their learning and

mould it to improve their own environment. This can start

in the classroom by developing a keen interest in developing

sustainable communities in the long term.

Why are generic skills important for teachers and schools?

Ideas for the classroom

As teachers we must create a culture of care for ourlocal community amongst our students.

We need to create interest in the exciting career

opportunities in sustainable communities and motivate

students to become skilled citizens who want to build a

successful career and take pride in their community.

Here are some simple suggestions on how we can start

the ball rolling.

Create your own project for change. Identify, plan

and make changes to something in your school

community. Organise students into groups takingon important roles which use generic skills. You could

have project managers who develop their leadership

skills, finance officers who pester the management and

school council for funds, communicators who write for

the school newspaper and generate support for your

project, and negotiators who resolve conflict during

decision making.

Act it out. Many teachers dont have the time and

resources to put these ideas into practice. An excellent

alternative is to role play the different occupations.Use Monopoly money and one of the case studies in

this publication as your context or a case study local

to your school. Have students in groups such as local

residents arguing for change and local councillors

making decisions on ideas to improve the area.

Groups make their cases, have a class debate andfollow it up with an action plan for sustainability.


Discuss with your students what generic skills means,i.e. skills that are required in the world of work andare important in all aspects of life.

Using the list to the left, ask students to draw a spider

diagram of the generic skills that they have using thelist above?

Now ask your students to draw another spiderdiagram illustrating where they can demonstrate

the generic skills, e.g. teamwork their role in a

music or dance group, or member of a football team.

Ask the students to work in a small group (4-8

students) to compare and discuss their two diagrams

to see the similarities and differences which theymight share with each other.

In the Lower Broughton case study the young people

had regular meetings about the changes happening

in their community. They were involved in a Youth

Forum. Ask your students to form their own Youth

Forum to debate a local issue or change taking placein their local community.

What are the questions that they would like their local

council to answer? What solutions would they like tosee their local council implement?


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Community engagement starts in your classroom

Ideas for the classroom...You and your students can follow the website links for some inspirational ideas to get motivated!

Log on to www.need2know.co.uk, a portal dedicated to young people aged 13-19. Here you can find out information

about lots of issues facing young people and students can write stories and post them on the website to share their

ideas and opinions with others. Visit www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk, an organisation which provides grants and

sponsorship for projects that help young people aged 11-25. A fantastic exercise you could try can be found by clicking

on www.school-works.org/poll. Students are invited to take part in a national poll to rate their school environment

their comments are passed onto government, school planners and teachers. The resource is interactive and would be

an ideal activity to use in the classroom. Setting up volunteering placements is an excellent way for students to gethands-on experience in their community and they can have an immediate positive impact. Try www.do-it.org.uk or

www.mvonline.gov.uk/to find volunteering opportunities for your students. Alternatively, why not set up your own

project? Visit www.youth-action.org.uk/ and ask for a youth pack to get ideas on how your students could design their

own project.

If global warming concerns your students why not encourage them to find out about the Governments Climate Change

Champions award for people aged between 10-18. Visit www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/climate_

champions/about.htm.

Encourage your students to enter the National Political Journalism Competition if they win they could be having tea

at 10 Downing Street! Schools can enter multiple teams and its an excellent example of a project with a cross-

curricular emphasis. Visit www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/ to enter.

The BBC is encouraging students to become active citizens in their schools and communities and globally. Log on to

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/citizenx/getinvolved/index.shtml for ideas on how to get involved, ideas for projects and

reports from schools that are already involved.

How many times have your students organised a fundraising

event yet havent really seen where the money has gone?Why not make your fundraising ef forts more rewarding?

What matters to them in the local area? How can theychange it? What activities will motivate them to make the

change? It could be anything from organising a campaign to

save the local post office, youth centre or childrens

playground. Do something where real benefits can be seen

and students will enjoy taking part.

For example, they could organise an auction to raise money

to buy the local football team a new kit. Arrange asponsored hip-hop or deck mixing contest to raise money

for a music lab in your school, or run a fashion show for alocal charity shop? It can also be not only about making

money, but making friends in the community. Do your

students have time to take part in volunteering projects

that will help real people? Can they design their own project

that will have an impact? Use the website ideas below forinspiration and why not have a classroom audit to find out

what your students are already doing for their communities?

We have reached

the endbut it isjust the beginning!

Using the information in this booklet may seem a bit

daunting at first but it will really benefit your students.

Get organised and share the tasks amongst your

department members. Give your students responsibility

for planning, taking the burden and time off you.

Not only will this empower them to take control over

their own learning but it will also develop the very

skills we are eager to promote.

Equipping students with these generic skills and witha passion for learning about their local place is vital.

The earlier we provide opportunities to generate skillsand nurture them the more likely it is that students

will transfer these skills to all aspects of their life -

such as learning in different subjects at school, striving

towards their career goals and participating in their

local community.

Students with a love for enquiry and creativity are

the very people who will be the leaders of our

sustainable communities in the future. They might

be local residents, parents, business owners or

professionals in sustainable communities careers butwhatever path they choose, your students are the key

to a better quality of life for our communities and

developing their skills now is just the beginning

For more information on sustainable communities,

careers and skills log on to www.ascskills.org.uk


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Further adviceand information.


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Making Places:


30

The ASC is working with

a host of partners tohelp deliver sustainable

communities. Below aresome that can offer you

further advice and

information.

Academy for


Round FoundryMedia Centre

Foundry Street

Leeds LS11 5QP

T 0870 420 2390

E [email protected]

www.ascskills.org.uk

CITB - ConstructionSkillsWalker House

London Road

RiverheadSevenoaks

Kent TN13 2DN

T 01732 467300

E [email protected]

www.bconstructive.co.uk

Civic TrustEssex Hall

1-6 Essex Street

London WC2R 3HUT 020 7539 7900

E [email protected]

www.civictrust.org.uk

Commission for

Architecture and the Built

Environment (CABE)

1 Kemble StreetLondon WC2B 4AN

T 020 70706700

E [email protected]

www.cabe.org.uk

ConstructionIndustry Council

26 Store StreetLondon WC1E 7BT

T 020 73997400

E [email protected]

www.cic.org.uk

Lantra (The Sector

Skills Council forthe Environment andLand Based Sector)

Lantra House

Stoneleigh ParkNr Coventry

Warwickshire CV8 2LG

T 024 76696996

E [email protected]

www.lantra.co.uk

Royal Institute of

British Architects66 Portland Place

London W1B 1ADT 020 75805533

E [email protected]

www.architecture.com

Royal Town

Planning Institute41 Botolph Lane

London EC3R 8DLT 020 79299494

E [email protected]

www.rtpi.org.uk

Royal Institution of

Chartered Surveyors12 Great George Street

Parliament SquareLondon SW1P 3AD

T 0870333 1600

E [email protected]

www.rics.org

Student Force

Brewery HouseHigh Street

Ketton

Stamford

PE9 3TAT 01780 722072

E [email protected]

www.studentforce.org.uk

Careers informationwww.bconstructive.co.uk

www.prospects.ac.uk

www.ucas.ac.uk

www.connexions-direct.com

PublicationsEducation for sustainable

development - a manual

for schools

Suitable for teachers and

older students, especially

geography A-Level students.

www.rtpi.org.uk/resources/

consultations/envired/

manual.pdf

Planning for

sustainability -

environmentaleducation in action

Suitable for teachers

and students.

www.southwest.rtpi.org.uk/

guide/index.html

Working in building

and construction

ISBN: 0-86110-867-1

Crown copyright 2003

www.connexionsdirect.com/

wibuildandcons

Making places: careers

which shape our cities,

towns and villages

A short summary of careers

in the built environment and

how to get into them

CABE

www.cabe.org.uk

Further advice and information


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Making Places:


31

You can also contact

your Regional Centreof Excellence who can

provide you with furtherinformation and advice on


East of EnglandInspire East

Breckland House

St Nicholas Street

ThetfordNorlfolk

IP24 1BT

T 01233 484653

E inspire-east.org.uk

East Midlands

Regeneration East MidlandsUnit 8 Provident Works

Newdigate Street

Nottingham

NG7 4FDT 0870 240 4459

E [email protected]

North EastIgnite

One North East

Stella House

Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upn Tyne

NE15 8NYT 0191 229 6424

North West

RENEW NorthwestThe Tea Factory

82 Wood StreetLiverpool

L1 4DQ

T 0151 703 0135

E [email protected]

South EastSouth East Excellence

SEEDA HeadquartersCross Lane

Guildford

GU1 1YA

T 01483 501364

South West

Creating ExcellenceGround Floor

East Reach House

East Reach

TauntonTA1 3EN

T 0800 328 3234

West MidlandsRegen WM

Level 2

Millennium Point

Curzon Street

Birmingham

B4 7XGT 0121 202 3260

E [email protected]

Yorkshire and Humberside

Integreat YorkshireVictoria House

2 Victoria PlaceLeeds

LS11 5AE

T 0113 394 9982

For all the latest information

about sustainable

communities, career

opportunities and howyou can get involved in

the visioning awards, sign

up to receive the Academys

regular newsletter at


Photos supplied by www.third-avenue.co.uk


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The ASC will work with othersto deliver the cutting edgeskills and knowledge neededto make better places forpeople now and in the future.

The Academy forSustainable Communities

Round Foundry Media CentreFoundry Street

Leeds LS11 5QP

0113 3944630

[email protected]


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ASC MAKING PLACES