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Design Council Cabe research on how the design of modern urban housing developments affects crime is available to be used by police forces across the country to help influence the layout and design of new proposed neighbourhoods and prevent crime.

Design Council initiative takes design to where small and medium businesses are, and helps them access mentoring in how to use design to survive, thrive and grow.

Today sees the launch of a road show which will travel the country encouraging businesses to use design to improve sales, protect jobs and compete in the tough economic climate.

Nahid Majid OBE is to be the new Director of Design Council Cabe, the Design Council announces today.

Nahid Majid has worked for over twenty years in urban regeneration as a professional urban designer. Initially trained as an urban planner and designer, she has led project management of high profile urban regeneration projects including the creation of the cultural quarter around Brick Lane in London. She became Urban Renaissance Manager for The Prince of Wales Foundation for The Built Environment before joining the private sector as Associate Director of Regeneration at Turner and Townsend Construction Management. She also won and ran the project to create the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, appointing architect David Adjaye.

Today sees the announcement of the winners of a national innovation challenge to develop services to help older adults stay socially connected. The Technology Strategy Board and the Design Council have awarded each of the winning teams from the Keeping Connected Business Challenge a share of £450,000 to develop their ideas over the next five months.

Research published today by the Design Council has, for the first time, highlighted design approaches to high density urban housing developments which can reduce low-level crime, neighbour disputes and antisocial behaviour. Avoiding large rear parking courts, un-overlooked paths and spaces, dealing carefully with corner properties, making parking more intuitive for residents and visitors and lastly not relying on gating a scheme as an off the shelf means to address crime are amongst the elements which are identified in the Design Council study which was commissioned by the Home Office.

As a principle sponsor of the Design Commission’s independent enquiry into design education, the Design Council welcomes the publication of their report. We are glad that the report highlights the importance of design in schools, and the recognition that design education is fundamental to national prosperity through maintaining the UK’s world-leading design industry.

Design Council Cabe has highlighted the need for good design to be at the heart of the proposed surface developments which run the length of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, also known as the ‘supersewer’. The recommendations coincide with the first days of the London Policy Conference – billed as a ‘Davos for London’ – which is considering the major challenges for the city and how we shape its future.

Design Council has key role in delivery of the plan

Design is to play a central role in the government’s new Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth - unveiled today by the department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). Design is written into each of the five key areas of the government’s new strategy, including central roles in commercialising science and technology, supporting business innovation and growth, driving innovative new approaches to big societal challenges, developing rigorous research on impact of design, and using design to attract inward investment and promote export opportunities.

The first Design Council Forum of nearly 100 leaders in design, business, government and education has cautiously agreed that government should have a design strategy. However, today’s lively debate at the Design Council concluded that what is needed first is a clear vision – developed collaboratively by the design sector, business, education and others - for Britain’s aspirations as a design-led nation, encompassing quality of life and education.

Quentin Blake, one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators and the man who created the world-famous images of the Big Friendly Giant and Matilda, will be named the winner of the 2011 Prince Philip Designers Prize by HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony at the Design Council in London this evening, Tuesday 29th November.

‘Thinking dogs for dementia’ and an appetite-stimulating ‘scent clock’ are amongst five innovative products and services which will be developed by teams of designers, support groups and industry experts, to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.

The announcement was made today by the Department of Health and the Design Council which will award the teams a share of £360,000 to design and develop prototypes of their ideas.

The Design Council welcomes the Government’s commitment to good design and the strengthening of design support to achieve the type of high quality homes.  We do not believe there needs to be a choice between quality and quantity and are committed to working with industry on ways to incentivise good quality schemes that communities welcome and people want to live in

Four new bedside furniture designs to reduce healthcare associated infections were made available today for the NHS to purchase after testing showed positive patient and staff feedback

Healthcare and security workers have welcomed the prototypes unveiled today, which aim to reduce the incidence of violence and aggression against staff, as part of a project to discover the common triggers of frustration and anxiety in A&E departments.

Three innovative small companies have each been awarded government contracts worth £100,000 to develop new services that aim to help older adults live independently for longer through adopting better approaches to food and nutrition.