'Put life first in the design process’.  It sounds quite obvious, but in reality this happens very rarely in planning.  Very often it is incidental factors which make the greatest mark on the physical environment that is intended for habitation.

Regulations, standards, market forces and so-called common practice, which in isolation make sense, also often produce a negative result when put together in one single environment.  Things like standard floor plans, spatial standards, fire-regulations, vehicle turning circles, traffic regulations, parking requirements, can all have a huge impact on the everyday life of the people who would live there in the years to come.  Many planning tools are more about risk avoidance rather than improving quality of life.  The sound principles of individual standards need to be applied in a manner that makes sense when applied together as a whole. 

Aspects of everyday life such as children walking to school, knowing your neighbours, sitting in the sun, enjoying the wild aspects of nature, having enough potential customers passing by your shop front, are seldom considered important priorities.  However, these issues can have a huge impact on social sustainability in terms of vital social networking, health and well-being, economy and employment.

Sustainable means sustaining peoples’ lives, helping people ‘get by’ as well as ‘getting on’.  Before writing any brief for buildings or even public spaces, it is essential to understand the needs for a dynamic, living community, not just dwelling, but social interaction and many different, essential activities, leisure and recreation, work and play.