Monthly journal Parking Review has been the definitive source of news and intelligence on the UK and international public and private parking sectors since 1989.

Your place... ...or mine?

When we talk about ‘place’ as an influence on street design, what do we actually mean?

John Dales
15 May 2015
This graphic from Manual for Streets 2 is helpful, but you can’t scale ‘place’, can you?
This graphic from Manual for Streets 2 is helpful, but you can’t scale ‘place’, can you?
Bespoke guard-railing and a natural stone mix on the footway: look – we made a place!
Bespoke guard-railing and a natural stone mix on the footway: look – we made a place!
“Why do we have to speak to actual people? I’ve been there on Street View…”
“Why do we have to speak to actual people? I’ve been there on Street View…”

 

The idea that ‘place’ should be an influence on the work of anyone involved in the design of streets has been reasonably common professional currency in the UK for well over a decade; and the publication of the Manual for Streets in 2007, followed by that of Manual for Streets 2 in 2010, put ‘place-making’ even more squarely on our professional agenda.

Amongst other things, MfS said that “most critically, streets should have a sense of place”, that “the...

+92% more

 

National Bus Strategy Manager
Wiltshire Council
Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN, GB
£44,711 - £46,731
National Bus Strategy Manager
Wiltshire Council
Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN, GB
£44,711 - £46,731
Sustainable Transport Planner
London Borough of Hackney

£39,150 - £44,430
View all Vacancies
 
Search
 

John Dales

John Dales

John Dales MSC BSC MCIHT CMILT Director, Urban Mov

John Dales is a streets design adviser to local authorities around the UK, a member of several design review panels, and one of the London mayor’s design advocates. He is a past chair of the Transport Planning Society, a former trustee of Living Streets, and a committee member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. He is director of transport planning and street design consultancy Urban Movement. 

 

j.dales@urbanmovement.co.uk
+44 (0)7768 377 150
www.johndales.com

 

 
 
 

TransportXtra is part of Landor LINKS

© 2025 TransportXtra | Landor LINKS Ltd | All Rights Reserved

Subscriptions, Magazines & Online Access Enquires
[Frequently Asked Questions]
Email: subs.ltt@landor.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7959

Shop & Accounts Enquires
Email: accounts@landor.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7855

Advertising Sales & Recruitment Enquires
Email: daniel@landor.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7861

Events & Conference Enquires
Email: conferences@landor.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7865

Press Releases & Editorial Enquires
Email: info@transportxtra.com | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7091 7875

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Advertise

Web design london by Brainiac Media 2020