Councils should 'say no to ugliness' in their planning decisions, according to a report commissioned by the Government.
The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission says town halls should encourage the redevelopment of retail parks and large supermarkets into communities that include homes, shops and businesses.
New mixed-use communities should be supported by public transport to reduce reliance on cars as part of plans to revisit ‘boxland’ developments.
The commission’s interim report, ‘Creating space for beauty’, calls for communities to be given an earlier say in the development process.
Interim chairman of the commission Nicholas Boys Smith said: 'Redeveloping abandoned out-of-town retail parks and ugly old supermarkets would deliver something much more beautiful in the form of thriving new communities where people can raise a family, work or settle down.
'Our initial report sets many ways we can make our country more beautiful while fulfilling the needs of future generations who will need a roof over their head.'
Responding to the report, communities secretary James Brokenshire said: 'We owe it to the next generation to not just build more homes, but to build communities people can be proud of.
'As a country, we should not shy away from talking about what building beautifully means – and this report is an important contribution to that discussion.'
