The policy briefing paper looks at the 20 minute neighbourhood concept and how it can be embedded in Scottish planning policy and practice. The report recommends a range of areas of planning policy, development management and public service delivery which could be adjusted to include interventions to support 20 minute neighbourhoods in Scotland. RTPI Scotland recommends that any enhanced emphasis on placemaking in policy strongly integrates the fundamental principles behind 20 minute neighbourhoods.

RTPI Scotland believes that there is a clear opportunity to deliver 20 minute neighbourhoods using new place-based ways of working embedding this approach in the NPF4, in the operationalisation of the Place Principle and through new approaches to community engagement through Local Place Plans, a new provision set out in the Planning (Scotland) Act. 2019.

20 minute neighbourhoods are a concept of urban development that has ascended rapidly in the minds of policymakers, politicians and the general public across the world because of Covid-19. The pandemic has had an immediate, and likely a lasting effect, on how towns and cities are used to live, work and play in. The Royal Town Planning Institute sets out in its ‘Plan The World We Need’ campaign, the vital contribution that planning can make toward to a sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery. This includes an accelerated progress to a zero carbon economy, increase resilience to risk, and create fair, healthy and prosperous communities

Policy and guidance opportunity areas identified in the report are:

• NPF4 and LDP policies including transport, density, services and green infrastructure
• Designing Streets policy statement
• Creating Places policy statement
• Open Space Strategies
• Woodland and Forestry Strategies.
• Play sufficiency assessments
• Digital Planning Strategy

 Development management procedures also identified are:

• Pre-application process
• Planning obligations
• Outcome focused performance measures