A new "Manifesto for a Better Built Environment" has been published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), calling on the country’s policymakers to make more urgent priority of the need for better safety, quality, and sustainability in the design and construction of buildings throughout the UK.

The publication was made in advance of the country’s political party conference season, saying that improved regulations, job training, and environmental standards are needed to help boost the national housing stock and achieve other benchmarks governing the whole-life carbon footprint of construction projects and retention of highly-qualified staff in local planning offices.

New RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said: "Well-designed buildings and places enrich our lives, positively impact the environment, and strengthen our communities. Our manifesto highlights the need for conscious and concerted policy action to deliver a built environment that meets peoples’ needs, both now and in the future. Everyone in the UK has the right to an affordable, safe, and sustainable home. While the housing crisis demands that we build at scale, it is vitally important that this does not come at the expense of quality. To ensure this, policymakers must focus on empowering local planning authorities, equipping them with the skills and capacity they need to design and build high-quality, accessible, and future-proof buildings. And, with the clock ticking, it is imperative that we are pursuing effective climate action, including delivery of a robust strategy for minimizing the carbon impact related to the built environment. The next government must lead the way and set ambitious building regulations to address sustainability, reform public procurement, and enable greener infrastructure."

Oki appeared at the Conservative Party’s conference held yesterday, October 3rd, to speak about the future of educational facilities in the UK as the fate of more than 100 schools has made headlines related to the use of unsafe concrete in their construction. 

RIBA also took part in a panel discussion the day prior that included CIOB, RICS, and the RTPI and asked the question of whether or not the UK's housing crisis will determine the outcome of the next election.

Another panel featuring the same groups will be held on October 9 for the Labour Party on the topic of skills training and its positive relation to the push for greater sustainability methods in the built environment. 

An election could be called as soon as November, with the current Parliament set to expire in January 2025 at the latest. Oki offered finally that the manifesto "shows how the knowledge, expertise, and experience of architects is key to helping the next government deliver a safer, better, and more sustainable built environment." 

A download of the full document is available here.