About

Harriet Bullitt said that “the strongest emotion anyone has is their sense of place.” Where we live has a big impact on our health and wellbeing. As professionals working in planning and development we have a big responsibility. If we get it right, decisions about the built environment can leave a positive legacy for generations to come; but if we get it wrong we contribute to the social and environmental degradation of our cities and countrysides. We need more evidence about the right design solutions to promote to deliver communities that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. All of this is set within the context of democratic planning systems in which the community is usually averse to change.

This blog is a critical analysis of the research, policy and current practice in planning, climate change, and sustainable development. For me, this is a place to think through the latest reports and current practice. Over time I hope the posts will contribute to a greater understanding of the role of sustainability professionals and the importance of our work. It’s called Sustainable Values because I think that our values highly influence the decisions and changes we find acceptable about the place we live in.

About me:  I have a multi-disciplinary background with degrees in Community and Environmental Planning, Italian and Linguistics. I’ve been working in the field of planning with a focus on sustainability for over 5 years.

Currently I live and work in London where I manage a growing international standard for the assessment and certification of sustainable masterplans, BREEAM Communities. More information is on my LinkedIn profile.