Putting people at
the heart of places
Since 1978, we have been making places which aim to improve the lives of all who use them. Find out more about who we are, what motivates us, and how we work here.
Creating people friendly places
We are an experienced team of planners, urban designers and architects, committed to good placemaking principles.
Places that provide better opportunities and quality of life for all who use them, and that draw on the best aspects of their own individual character. Genuinely successful places made for real people – to live, to work, to meet and to enjoy.
We believe that good placemaking is the product of good planning, policy, and design. Our expertise lies in these three key areas, and supported by a range of services, deliver a wide variety of projects for clients across the public, private and third sectors.
Consistently bespoke solutions
Inevitably places can mean different things to different people. And in order to understand a place’s true potential, we take time and care to engage its community, immerse ourselves in its history and heritage, and connect with its character. We also recognise that each client and project comes with its own specific challenges, and in response we tailor our approach to overcome these and unlock opportunities.
We find joy in the opportunity for creativity. And whilst every project we deliver is unique, each is underpinned by the same rigorous strategic approach, grounded in solid professional practice and commercial awareness.
A vision for the future. Since 1978
Established by Francis Tibbalds in 1978, we have a longstanding reputation for our urban design expertise. Over the years, we have grown, restructured and refocused as a business in many ways.
But the Tibbalds name has always remained – a testament to the legacy of Francis’s original thinking. The principles of good placemaking, set out in his seminal book Making People Friendly Towns, and his vision to view a place as more than the sum of its parts, have stood the test of time, and inform our own thinking to this day.
Tibbalds are proud to have been Employee Owned since 2015
Now, as we look forward – to creating places that will thrive far into the future – here is a glance back at some of our key milestones and achievements.
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Tibbalds continues to enjoy growth, supporting and managing a network of over 100 sub-consultants across around 200 projects.
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Jane Dann, Director, writes chapter in book Public Space Design and Social Cohesion: An International Comparison.
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Share transfer completed with EOT ownership of 86% and two new Directors.
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Key Project: Bourne Estate, Camden.
Improving standards of living, creating affordable new homes and a restored sense of community spirit. Overall Winner and NHS 70 Winner, Housing Design Awards 2018.
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Hilary Satchwell co-authors book on healthy building Chain Reaction: Do buildings damage your health?
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Reappointed to the renamed Homes England Multidisciplinary Framework as a Joint Venture with CampbellReith engineers.
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Tibbalds becomes majority employee owned and welcomes two staff directors to the Employee Ownership Trust board.
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Hilary Satchwell co-authors book RIBA Stage Guides Briefing, A Practical Guide to RIBA Plan of Work 2013 Stages 7, 0 and 1.
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Tibbalds listed as number 28 in the Fortuna 50 UK’s Fastest Growing Women-Led Small Businesses.
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Appointed to the HCA Multidisciplinary Framework as a Joint Venture with CampbellReith engineers.
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Key Project: Brentford Lock West, Hounslow. Tibbalds appointed as planning consultant to advise on 5ha site, situated on the edge of Brentford Town Centre.
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Tibbalds and its growing team becomes an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
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Katja Stille writes chapter in publication Urban Design in Practice: An International Review.
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Jane Dann took on the role of Managing Director steering and shaping a period of significant growth.
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Tibbalds gets through the 2008/9 economic downturn without needing to make any redundancies. In 2011 Tibbalds has a team of thirteen people.
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Publication of Preparing Design Codes, A Practice Manual for Department for Communities and Local Government. Based on a two year programme of research into design codes by Tibbalds and UCL.
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Tibbalds relocates to new office at Maltings Place.
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Key Project Elephant and Castle Development Framework SPD.
The Development Framework went on to be adopted by the Council as SPG.
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Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design established, starting with ten people with four shareholding Directors: Hilary Satchwell, Jennifer Ross, Jane Dann and Sue Rowlands.
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Company trading name evolves to Tibbalds TM2.
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Francis Tibbalds’ book Making People Friendly Towns is first published.
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Tibbalds established by Francis Tibbalds.
Strongly independent. Proudly collaborative
Since our establishment, by the visionary Francis Tibbalds, we have always had a far-sighted and passionate team who are confident in promoting new ideas and challenging the status quo. Today, we remain a strong and respected voice within the industry.
We have ideas about what it takes to make good, people friendly, places, resolving to work with clients who share this commitment. And while we value our independence as a business, we do not act alone. We work in teams with other urban planners, architects, designers, good-practice organisations, and professional bodies – leading multidisciplinary teams of consultants to solve problems, devise strategies, and drive projects towards to delivery.
