Spatial scales

CABE works to deliver delightful, inclusive and sustainable places. Its focus is on place-making and on understanding the interaction and interdependence of elements of the built environment – linkages which are also critical to the development of effective policies and actions on climate change.

Buildings and space in Great Bow Yard. Photo by Richard Mullane.

Strategies and actions to promote vibrant and resilient communities and address climate change address the same elements – energy, waste water, transport, green infrastructure, public space etc – and work across the same spatial scales.

Spatial planning provides us with new opportunities to respond simultaneously to challenging economic times and to climate change – building climate resilience can be consistent with the development of economic and social resilience - and with delivery of sustainable, high quality places.

Recognising these essential linkages, the website provides access by spatial scale - as well as by priority - so you can build the critical relationship between strategies and actions from the start.

The spatial scales

National level

The UK Government is responding to the climate change challenge by establishing clear principles and a policy framework for local authority action.

Regions and subregions

UK sub-regions and city-regions cover two or more local authority areas connected by functional links or similar challenges - for instance: travel-to-work patterns, housing growth areas, flooding, green infrastructure and efficient energy generation.

Cities and towns

Every city and town works as a system with inextricable links between the key components of consumption and production – energy, waste, water, public space, green infrastructure, transport and the location of homes, schools, healthcare, shops and businesses.

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhoods are a key scale at which we can develop effective and efficient responses to the climate change challenge - whilst simultaneously creating successful, sustainable communities and places to live and work.

Buildings and spaces

In developing approaches to mitigate climate change, there is much government policy with a focus on new build.