The role of the true developer is akin to that of an artist, sculptor, sociologist and psychologist all rolled into one, working with massive building forms, but in a way that is sensitive to the surroundings and to society's subtle trends and directions. When thought is put into the early design stages of a project it can have the double benefit of producing places with an artistic dimension which people like and give the developer a good return on his investment. Unfortunately, most of the time no extra artistic dimension is built in at the early stages of a project to the loss of all in the longer term. The mentality of developers needs to be changed from a short -term 'trader' mentality to thinking instead in the long term as an 'investor'. Those developers who grasp the concepts of the 'sustainability imperative' and give more time to design will be catalysts of change and will reap the financial rewards of their efforts.
Statutory plans are inflexible and take too long.
Non-statutory design briefs and action plans are better tools to encompass variety and ingenuity. The early model by EDAW of Central Manchester s redevelopment. The open space of exchange square is now located at point A, and is shown in the picture at the start of this article Civic Trust Michael Gwilliam from the Civic Trust addressed the need to maximise the involvement of non-professionals in the urban design process. A key problem for proponents of urban design is that the concept and process do not readily engage a wider audience. It is sterile talking only to one's fellow professionals who are already converted to the concept.