Planning Guidance - Edinburgh Design Guidance
Healthy, Safe and Welcoming Environments
Healthy, Safe and Welcoming Environments covers how we design buildings and spaces that are pleasant to be in. This includes making sure they help people to feel safe and work for people of all ages, abilities and genders. It includes having good access to open space and play space. It includes having good environments that are well lit, private, with clean air and not too much noise.
This section covers:
- Creating safe places.
- Designing open space.
- Responding well to daylight, sunlight, shelter, privacy and outlook.
- Design for environmental protection
- Waste management.
Please see the relevant section of the guidance below:
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Related information
Glossary of key terms
Active Frontage – Ground floor building frontage designed to allow people to see and walk inside and out.
Active Travel - Modes of travel that involve a level of activity, such as walking or using a wheelchair, scooter or bicycle.
Community - Individuals and groups that share a location (for example people who live in, work in or use an area) or a common interest (for example businesses, sports or heritage groups).
Density - The floorspace or number of dwellings in a development divided by its land area.
Greenspace - Any vegetated land or structure, water or geological feature in the urban area including playing fields, grassed areas, trees, woodlands and paths.
Immediate Outlook - The foreground of what can be seen from within a building. Does not include medium or long views from properties.
Infrastructure - Physical networks which serve development such as roads, paths, street lighting, supplies of water, gas, electricity and wastewater drainage and services for occupants of developments such as public transport measures, schools and healthcare.
Masterplan - A detailed document that explains how a site or sites will be developed, usually prepared by or on behalf of the landowner, including a representation of the three-dimensional form of proposals and an implementation programme.
Microclimate – The climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area.
Open Space - Includes ‘greenspace’ (see definition) and ‘civic space’ consisting of squares, marketplaces and other paved or hard landscaped areas with a civic function.
Passive/Natural Surveillance – The natural interest and observation that occurs when physical features, activities and people are located in a way that maximises visibility and positive social interaction.
Permeable – Easy to move and pass through in several different directions.
Public Realm - The parts of the city (whether publicly or privately owned) that are available for everyone to see and use without charge 24 hours a day, including streets, squares and parks.
Street furniture – Objects placed or fixed in the street for public use, such as postboxes, road signs, and benches.
Walkability – The accessibility of amenities by walking