Our local environments – where we work, travel, and play, have a major role in shaping our everyday choices.

Sport England recently published Active Design guidance on how the design of our environments can help people to lead more physically active and healthy lives, featuring Civic Engineers’ project Gascoigne Estate Phase 2 as a key case study.

The guidance, developed by Active Travel England (ATE) and the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), was designed to help planners, developers and consultants create environments that promote physical activity.

The Gascoigne Estate regeneration project, of which we were civil, structural and transport engineers on phase 2 in collaboration with BeFirst Regeneration and White Arkitekter, seeks to transform the existing 1960s housing estate into a socially and environmentally sustainable neighbourhood. It’s part of the Big Picture Neighbourhood Strategy for Barking; presenting a transformative approach to urban regeneration focused on health, sustainability, and community involvement. 

A Bike Library, community gardens and play-focused parklets, and The Gascoigne Residents’ Forum were established to ensure that placemaking principles remain central to the regeneration. Workshops like the ‘Place for Girls’ co-design sessions ensured that the needs of different groups were listened to and incorporated into the overall design. 

Active travel routes have been prioritised in the design, promoting bike and walking paths over vehicles, and are largely surrounded by green space. These paths link key locations such as the River Roding, Barking train station, and the town centre. Traffic calming measures like widened pavements, and safer, level crossings promote safety and encourage sustainable travel. 

Green infrastructure, such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and landscaped areas, have been integrated into the design to reduce car dependence and improve environmental quality. This focus on urban greening aims to boost residents’ mental health and well-being through contact with nature, while reducing pollution.

Gascoigne Estate Phase 2 was awarded ‘Place of the Year’ at the Pineapple Awards 2024, and you can read more about the project here.