Brooklands in Milton Keynes is a top development: apart from the award-winning ‘ridge’ (a noise bund from the M1), the scheme has provided a linear park and school before the first 100 dwellings are complete, along with some serious investment in landscape and other infrastructure (including the city street and 50M broadband in the service runs).
The philosophy of Places for People seems to be that investment up front will bring long-term value in the development. It certainly helps in selling the scheme, and the linear park is already well-used.
Brooklands has a ‘city street’ through the heart of the development, which delivers high-speed public transport, linked to the park and ride adjacent to the residential development area.
The city street with the school across the road - a lack of strong fencing (although there are a number of bollards) eans that the space in front of the school is a lot more 'open'.
In order to ensure that the active frontage to the main streets is maximised, parking is relegated to rear parking courts. Often these don’t work well – they are often bleak areas that are shunned in favour of parking on street (or half on-path). In Brooklands, planting in the rear courtyards establishes an improved environment.
Urban grit 