Improving Design Quality

MCS wishes to stimulate more debate on improving the quality of design.

Link to the following section in Resources

MCS White Paper 1: Urban Design and Design Review

This first three-page white paper looks at Urban Design, together with the related issues of conservation and sustainability, with references to the World Heritage Site and the potential for re-establishing a Design Review process. This initial paper is fairly wide-ranging, but further papers will look at more specific issues. In particular, two draft green papers are in preparation, which will look at the twin issues of population growth strategy [reversal of decline] and the historic spatial structures of Liverpool and Birkenhead.

Download the document HERE

MCS White Paper 2: Terraced Housing in the Liverpool City Region ‘….the most sustainable and attractive option….’

There is a need to address some common misconceptions about terraced housing. Not only can terraced housing provide comfortable family homes, for people with a variety of requirements and incomes, but it can make the optimum contribution to the development of community life – through the many benefits derived from ‘joined-up’ buildings, whether traditional or modern. From the flexibility and sophistication of our fine Georgian and Victorian terraces to the best modern examples, we argue that terraced housing is the most sustainable and attractive option for the development of our urban areas, and a postscript by MCS Council member, Dr Rob MacDonald reflects on the ‘lived-in experience’.

Download the document HERE

If you have any comments, suggestions, etc relating to future Green Papers, please send them to chair@merseycivicsociety.org

In 2021 we invited Professor Matthew Carmona, UCL to talk about his Housing Audit [England]

and Home Comforts: How the design of our homes and neighbourhoods effected our experience of the Covid-19 lockdown and what we can learn for the future.

Missed the presentation? You can download the Zoom Recording.