Housing and placemaking are massive topics at the moment. The Government is aiming to build 1.5 million new homes and is taking steps to achieve it. However, they also made the decision to close the Office for Place, with some fearing this means a move away from good design and placemaking.
Speed
Typically building quickly is a good thing to make homes available sooner. However, it opens the door for long term issues. They can lack amenities and connectivity. The problem we have at the moment is the focus with large housebuilding projects is to profit. Speed helps here to lower costs. Sadly, though it also means generally no time is invested in considering infrastructure and integration. Failing to give placemaking the consideration it deserves can result in big issues. Residents can have a poor quality of life because they feel isolated. It can lead to anti-social behaviour and crime. The impact on the environment can be massive too, especially if developments focus on car ownership and lack transport connections. Even worse, it can cost more in the long run to correct design issues.
A better option
Whether it is residential architecture or developments in other locations, the goal should be to make great places where people want to live. King's Cross is a great example of how fantastic it can be to take it slower. The regeneration took 20 years. It had the time to take a long term view and ensure a great vision for the whole area. Vision is the most important thing here. It should be consistent and underpin every aspect of the projects. The goal should be to ensure everything is in place to make communities strong and healthy. This includes accessibility. A main focus should be on the infrastructure. It can be one of the hardest things to develop, but is crucial for longevity. Developers shouldn't think short term and ignore the need for things like schools, healthcare, and public transport. The King's Cross is also notable again for the way the development progressed. Interestingly, the idea was to develop the highest value areas first where there were lower infrastructure costs. Other phases then did the redevelopment of remaining spots. As the work was progressing, routes and infrastructure were developed to allow people to move around easily.