Designing buildings, parks and streets that work better for everyone
We’re updating planning guidance for Islington's buildings, parks and streets so they work better for everyone. Council designers and private developers use this guidance to make sure no one is left out from Islington's places — whatever their age, background, disability, gender, caring role or identity.
To review with page with a BSL interpreter online, please access BSL live.
Have a say - workshops and an online survey
We are currently running a number of workshops to inform the guidance, co-led with community organisations. Sign up below to the workshops tailored to specific groups.
- Places for young people Tickets, Wednesday, November 18 • 4:30 PM - 6 PM | Eventbrite with Arsenal in the Community
- Dementia-friendly places Tickets, Monday, November 23 • 11:15 AM - 12 PM | Eventbrite with Park Theatre
- LGBTQIA+-friendly places Tickets, Tuesday, November 24, 6 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite with Forum+
- Places for all cultures and religions Tickets, Wednesday, November 25 • 12 PM - 1:30 PM | Eventbrite with Manor Gardens
- Places for ageing well Tickets, Wednesday, December 2 • 10:15 AM - 12 PM | Eventbrite with Cut Moose
- Places for Women, Girls and LGBTQIA+ people Tickets, Thursday, December 3 • 5:30 PM - 7 PM | Eventbrite with Abianda
- Online workshop: Places for Deaf and Disabled people Tickets, Friday, December 11 • 1 PM - 2:30 PM GMT | Eventbrite an online workshop with Disability Action in Islington
- In person: Places for Deaf and Disabled people- what makes welcoming spaces Tickets, Tuesday, January 19, 2027 • 5 PM - 7 PM | Eventbrite an in person workshop with Islington Horizon Group
- Places for People of Global Majority Tickets, Thursday, January 21, 2027 • 10:30 AM - 12 PM | Eventbrite with Voluntary Action Islington
- OPEN TO ALL online drop-in Places for all drop-in Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
All workshops are held at accessible venues with step-free access and accessible toilets. BSL interpretation, hearing loops, large font or translated materials and taxi transport can be requested for all events on accessibility grounds.
Dates for tailored workshops with the following groups will also soon be announced: children, parents, and carers; university students; people with learning disabilities; neurodivergent people, BSL users.
You can also fill out our online survey on what makes welcoming places at the bottom of this page. The survey will be open until 22 January 2027.
To follow how the guidance develops, sign up for email updates in the Stay Informed section of this page.
What happened to date
Across June and July 2026, we held 5 events to have initial conversations about what makes welcoming and accessible streets, parks and buildings. We also held an online survey on these matters. We refer to these as Stage 1 of engagement.
We asked participants about:
- What already works well in their local area - buildings, parks and streets.
- What needs to change to make places feel safer and easier to use.
- What makes somewhere welcoming — or difficult to visit.
The report from Stage 1 of engagement is now available in the Documents section of this page.
Next steps
To follow how the guidance shapes up, sign up for email updates in the Stay Informed section of this page.
Stage 2 of engagement:
We are holding a series of detailed workshops for specific groups, as well as public drop-ins across autumn 2026.
Drafting and consultation:
Following the autumn workshops, we will draft the new guidance and carry out consultation on a full draft of the document. After considering responses to that consultation, we anticipate the new guidance will be adopted in spring 2027.
If you have any questions about this project to Islington's Inclusive Design Officer please email inclusivedesign@islington.gov.uk.
We look forward to working with you over the coming months!
How has this project come about?
The current Islington planning guidance needs to be updated to match the ambition of London-wide and local planning policy, and because it does not cover things people use every day now — like e‑bikes, charging points, or inclusive play spaces.
You can find out more about planning policy and processes in the Full Planning Scoping Paper file in the Documents section of this page.
Updating the guidance
We are not starting from a completely blank page. Our guidance must align with existing legal requirements, and be consistent with London-wide policy. We still have a lot of scope to develop clear and ambitious planning guidance for a more accessible, safe and welcoming borough.
Based on previous resident engagement and an analysis of existing guidance, we know the following key parts of the guidance need updating:
- supporting accessible design of new and refurbished homes - from accessible play spaces, to safe mobility scooter charging, to safe evacuation for all, to detailed designs of supported homes and student accommodation;
- ensuring that local businesses are accessible for customers and staff;
- supporting local social and green spaces which champion accessibility and community guardianship across the borough;
- guiding sensitively designed accessibility improvements in heritage buildings and spaces;
- guiding contextual and accessible designs of streetworks and transport projects, including walking and wheeling infrastructure and access to electric vehicle charging for all;
- promoting diverse and climate-resilient highways greening;
- ensuring that parks and green spaces welcome and support wellbeing for all;
- sharing case studies on more Child-friendly, age-friendly, Dementia- and neurodiversity-friendly and safe for Women, Girls and LGBTQIA+ residents designs.
You can find out more about the changes proposed in the Full Planning Scoping Paper and the Stage 1 Engagement report in the Documents section of this page.
