Measuring Design Review

Design Review is increasingly seen as an integral part of the planning process, bringing independent, expert advice to improve projects and places. However, with a growing market of Design Review panels and services across the country, there is a need for a common framework to understand how it is working, and whether it is having an impact.

This Practice Note identifies a concerning lack of publicly-available monitoring and evaluation of Design Review services. Drawing on research carried out as part of year-long placements in Epping Forest District Council and the London Borough of Hounslow, it discusses how best practice might be developed within local planning authorities.

Recommendations include practical steps panels can put in place to measure and evaluate the impact of Design Review, and advice on when to monitor, what to measure and how to make the evidence available. The Practice Note is accompanied by a series of template surveys and reports which can be used to collect and present feedback from the different stakeholders involved in Design Review.

If you are interested in contributing to this research, please click here.