Matthew Coombe is an Urban Design Group Recognised Practitioner. Over twenty five years public, private and voluntary sector experience including as a BFL Assessor and CABE Enabler, have given him a rounded perspective on regeneration and development.
At Plymouth City Council, Matthew's work includes creating, project-managing and advising on planning, conservation and urban design analysis guidance, policy and proposals at many scales - from city-wide and neighbourhood strategies, area action plans and masterplans, to site development briefs and detailed public realm schemes. He has authored, led and contributed to many of Plymouth's award-winning planning documents. Matthew acts as urban design input in planning negotiations on major projects through the development management process. He set up and runs an urban design surgery and contributes to the Council's strategic development panel.
With a collaborative approach, Matthew champions good placemaking with a range of stakeholders, providing training and speaking on urban design in many arenas, from community consultation events, to planning committees and inquiries. He is a regular visiting lecturer on urban design at the University of Plymouth.
Matthew is also a sound and film artist whose interest in relationships between place, space and sound provided the impetus for founding Café Concrete - a non-profit experimental sound and film collective, event and record label, which he runs in his spare time.
