Training and Capacity Building

Building for Life is the Trust's campaign, in partnership with CABE and the Home Builders' Federation, for better quality new housing design.

Following on from this campaign, the Trust designed and carried out a series of study trips for local planning authorities, working with Design for Homes.

The day tours, which showed delegates a range of housing drawn from Building for Life case studies, aimed to scotch some of the myths about higher density housing and show how the best schemes get it right.

Delegate feedback demonstrated that 'go see' tours can have an immediate impact: many delegates had much more positive views to high density following their trip.

In March 2005, the Civic Trust also led a study tour to Rotterdam, to look at the lessons from the Netherlands for housing and urban design in the Thames Gateway. This was linked to additional work with Thamesgate.

Download Regarding Rotterdam report here (pdf)