Winter 2015 Urban Design Group Journal 133 URBAN IssN 1750 712x DESIGN GREENING THE CITY URBAN DESIGN GROUP URBAN DESIGN GROUP NewsUDG Update of townscape and their interaction with was pleased to see that the students still VIEW FROM THE landscape, identifying and analysing these included sketching along with CAD skills in qualities through a series of photographs. their final portfolio exhibition. The sketches CHAIR: KATY Eamonn Canniffee from Manchester Metro- were being used to demonstrate the serial politan University rounded off the event with vision of moving through existing townscapes NEAVES a look at Cullen’s approach to serial vision, and reflecting analytically on their good and using the example of how Manchester looked bad qualities. I am the first to admit that I in the 19th century, how it could have looked do not sketch enough, so I am off to find my 2014 saw the centenary of Gordon Cullen’s with the implementation of the 1945 City of sketch pad, dust off my pencil case and join birth and a number of events have taken Manchester Plan, and what the future holds @urbansketchers. place to celebrate his life, work and influ- with current proposals for the city. Due to pre-existing commitments I was ence on the development of urban design. This talk was an excellent homage to unable to attend this year’s conference in The joy of being Chair of the Urban Design Cullen’s theories, emphasising how the Nottingham, which went smoothly due to Group is attending such events and meet- townscape can come together to provide Laura Alvarez’s amazing energy and organi- ing new people whilst visiting new places. In visual pleasure and how thinking only in 2D sation skills along with Nottingham Trent October I had the pleasure of attending the can be dangerous. It further highlighted how University’s excellent facilities. Further spin- second part of the Street NW Gordon Cullen the ability to sketch quickly in 3D is still an off events are planned early next year in the Centenary Sketch Event coordinated by Mark essential skill to convey legible ideas within East Midlands with the MP Graham Allen (see Foster and Rebecca Newiss and hosted by the urban design profession. Cullen studied below) and a proposed Urban Design Group Jaimie Ferguson. architecture at the former Regent Street flash mob. Follow us on Twitter @UDGUrban- At the event Simone Ridyard reflected on Polytechnic, now University of Westminster. Update to hear further news in the New Year. the community of Urban Sketchers, a non- His family plans to bequeath his personal Katy Neaves profit organisation that organises on-location collection of papers and drawings to the • sketching events. Simone previously took University’s archives for future generations Street NW on a sketchcrawl, as reported in to enjoy. this isssue (see p.5). Robert Thompson from Through my role as an external examiner Sheffield City Council discussed Cullen's con- in Urban Design at Leeds Beckett University tribution in seeing the obvious in the layers (formerly Leeds Metropolitan University) I and 1930s: it is classic corporation subur- too, to understand the importance of place, URBAN DESIGN bia, with street patterns in the municipal and to work together to improve it (see also GROUP geometric style. There are also estates built p.7). the 1970s and 1980s enveloping what is left of the small market town of Bulwell, which also SIMPLE QUESTIONS ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF has its own tram stop. The problem is that One of the UDG team took part in a lengthy YOUR MEMBERSHIP? the economic system, of which the housing radio interview earlier in the year, and was Keep in touch - If we don’t have your email was part, has largely evaporated. What is asked some disarmingly simple questions.... address, you won’t receive the fortnightly to be done? Details will emerge as the date • Are towns designed or do they just Urban Update, with its news of national and draws nearer. Please see the UDG website for happen? local events, new initiatives, jobs, and latest details. • What makes people happy? Can you design research. happiness into an urban environment? PLACE ALLIANCE • Does pedestrianisation of high streets USE YOUR URBANNOUS As a further follow up to the Farrell Review work? The majority of London UDG events are of Architecture and the Built Environment, • If someone is looking to move home, is recorded by Fergus Carnegie and uploaded Matthew Carmona and Lucy Natarajan at there something - a feeling or vibe, or onto the internet. An astonishing collection University College London have held a series something that people should look out of over 200 presentations is available to you of Big Meets inviting all comers to develop for – that shows that the place is well to view free, anywhere anytime. a partnership to focus in the way place is designed and will meet their needs. designed and cared for. It is a huge challenge, NOTtingham 20TH FEBRUARY given that there are groups who never come Can you answer these questions concisely An invitation: Graham Allen MP, who spoke at into contact with one another, and a history and convincingly? Join an online debate – see the UDG Annual Dinner, invites all practition- of recrimination between the highways and the UDG website for details. ers in urban design to come to Nottingham design sectors. There will be sceptics who Robert Huxford North on 20th February to help transform expect their attempts to fail. But few people • what has become the UK’s capital of unem- would deny the benefit of getting people ployment. The area comprises thousands of right across the built environment, and in the well-built suburban houses from the 1920s health, business and environment sectors Current subscriptions Individual (UK and international) £50 UK Library £80 Urban Design is free to Urban Design Group UK student / concession £30 International Library £100 members who also receive newsletters and Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design the directory at the time of printing £80 Check the website for full details of benefits Small practice (<5 professional staff) £250 plus corporate and partnership packages UDG Office Large practice (>5 professional staff) £450 www.udg.org.uk/join Tel 020 7250 0892 Education £250 Email [email protected] Local Authority £100 Individual issues of Urban Design cost £10 Contents CONTENTS This issue has been generously sponsored by UPDATE FRANCIS TIBBALDS AWARD PUBLIC URBAN MOVEMENT LTD Events 3 SECTOR SHORTLISTED PROJECTS Sketching in Manchester 5 Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust COVER National Conference on Urban Design 6 (BMHT), Birmingham City Council 40 Green wall, Rue d’Aboukir, Paris; ©S. Loew The Place Alliance 7 Kings Crescent Community Orchard, Designing the 21st Century Garden City 8 London Borough of Hackney 42 FUTURE ISSUES Density Matters, a response 9 Southwater, Telford, Telford & Wrekin UD 134 Garden Cities Urban Design Group study tour: Toulouse Council 44 UD 135 City as Master Developer and the Bastides Of Gascony 9 Urban Design Interview: Hannah Elborn 10 FRANCIS TIBBALDS AWARD The Urban Design Library #14 11 SHORTLISTED BOOKs 2015 Food City, CJ Lim 46 INTERNATIONAL Sustainable Urban Metabolism, Winter 2015 The Avon River/ Papa Otakaro Precinct, Paulo Ferrão and John E. Fernandez 46 Urban Design Group Journal 133 IssN 1750 712x Christchurch New Zealand, Andrew How to study Public Life, Jan Gehl and URBAN Tinsley 12 Birgitte Svarre 47 DESIGN GREENING THE CITY Celebrating The Cult Of The View, The Nature of Urban Design: A New York Michael Short 14 perspective on resilience, Alexandros Washburn 47 TOPIC: GREENING THE CITY, The City as a Tangled Bank: Urban Design Introduction, Christopher Martin 16 vs Urban Evolution, Terry Farrell 48 Towards a Landscape Integration, Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities Fenella Griffin and Murray Smith 18 and Towns, Victor Dover and John Depaving: Difficult by Design, Massengale 48 Walt Lockley 21 Designing Urban Transformation, Parklets are coming to a street near you, Aseem Inam 49 Habib Khan 24 Smart Cities: Big data, Civic Hackers, Where have all the Flowers gone?, and the Quest for a new Utopia, Ian Hingley 28 Anthony M. Townsend 49 City as Nature, Helga Fassbinder 31 The Greening of London, PRACTICE INDEX 50 URBAN Matthew Pencharz 35 EDUCATION INDEX 55 DESIGN GROUP Time to Green our Cities?, ENDPIECE URBAN DESIGN Christopher Martin 38 Going to Coventry, Joe Holyoak 57 GROUP TUESDAY 13 JANUARY WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH DIARY OF Urban Design Film Night Dealing with Density A cinematic extravaganza curated by Is ever-increasing density the solution to EVENTS Liz Reynolds accommodating a rising population, or is there an optimum range not only for health, Unless otherwise indicated, all LONDON WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY wellbeing and happiness, but also for events are held at The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Greening the City practical reasons and financial viability? Street, London EC1M 6EJ at 6.30 pm. Taking the theme of Edition 133 of Urban Design, this event will explore the WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL Note that there are many other events run benefits and the means of introducing Urban Design & Health by UDG volunteers throughout the UK. For the sustainable, attractive and affordable trees, Are our towns and cities making us sad, sick latest details and pricing, please check on landscape and green space into streets, and lonely? What design and management the UDG website www.udg.org.uk/events/ neighbourhoods, towns and cities. options encourage people to be sociable, active, and eat a better diet? Always check the UDG website for final WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH details and late changes. THE NATIONAL URBAN DESIGN AWARDS 9-12 APRIl 2015 Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour St, Hamburg Study Tour London W2 2HF Led by Sebastian Loew; details in Issue 132.