GP 59: I Just Love Places: with Hilary Satchwell of Tibbalds

In this episode of the Grow Places Podcast, Tom Larsson is joined by Hilary Satchwell, Director at Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, to explore what it really means to put people at the heart of placemaking. Hilary reflects on nearly three decades at Tibbalds, where she has worked across scales and settings, from the edges of small towns to the centre of London, always with a focus on creating people-friendly places. She describes how thinking about specific people, their journeys, their safety, their daily lives, rather than a generic "everyone," leads to fundamentally better outcomes. The conversation touches on why good planning and good design are inseparable, and how collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams that share a clear objective can navigate even the most complex projects.

The discussion also explores Tibbalds' recently published research into mid-rise development and the "missing middle," the three-to-seven-storey density that characterises some of our most valued historic places but has become increasingly difficult to deliver. Hilary unpacks the barriers, from planning rules around overlooking and parking to the decline of SME developers, and makes the case for clearer prioritisation if we want to achieve the variety and richness our towns and cities need. Beyond housing numbers, she argues passionately for social and cultural life to be treated as essential, not as a bonus. Drawing on her work as a Mayor's Design Advocate and her involvement with Part W's Built Barriers campaign, Hilary calls for planning that actively considers the needs of specific groups, particularly around safety and inclusion, and imagines a future where project briefs are written around how places should make people feel. Warm, curious and optimistic, she makes a compelling case for designing with emotion, specificity and genuine human understanding.