Dorset Design and Heritage Forum's aim is to promote quality design that respects the county's landscape heritage within community planning, land use planning and arts practice in Dorset. The forum also aims to support the county's local authorities, professional practitioners and artists to make Dorset a leading place for design in the rural environment, building on the county's existing strengths.

The term 'design and heritage' is used to describe an approach to the built landscape that includes consideration of:

• Local distinctiveness

• Contemporary culture and creativity

• Cultural and physical heritage

• Environmental sustainability

• Construction technology

Founding Forum chairman Stephen Friar said:

"Dorset is blessed with beautiful towns and villages, each with its own character and style. As we continue to provide new homes, buildings and public spaces for people in Dorset, we need to consider how to blend the new with the old and how to design more sustainable buildings for the future. Good design can improve our quality of life, benefit our health and even help reduce crime."

An important aspect of the forum is to explore the role that artists can play in the design process. Several Dorset developments have successfully engaged artists to work with architects and the local community to bring a new creativity to the design process.