Summer 2015 Urban Design Group Journal 13Urban 5 Issn 1750 712x the city as Design master developer

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medieval period when the city’s fortunes parking!) whilst comprehensive engagement view from the peaked with the textiles trade. Remnants of took place with the local community. The chair: this can be found in the three surviving me- extensive wartime damage in the years that dieval sandstone spires that still dominate followed, enabled elements of this master- Katy Neaves the city centre skyline, the city wall and the plan to be implemented, with the surviving street pattern. A period of industrial growth medieval cathedral spire retained as an took place between the 18th and 20th cen- important vista. I was recently asked to undertake a town- turies, with textiles being superseded first Today public realm improvements, scape assessment for a site on the outskirts by clock manufacturing and then by cycle such as those within Broadgate Square and of Coventry city centre. I had not visited the and car production. Upper Trinity Street, are being used to aid city before, so the site visit provided me At the beginning of the 20th century, regeneration and to improve accessibility with an opportunity to explore the centre Coventry was noted for its medieval sur- for pedestrians and cyclists. These relatively and its various layers. roundings, but these were not suitable for simple schemes have changed the environ- I arrived by train, which was unfortunate the modern motor cars that were becoming ment and reduced the influence of the car. as the route between the station and the popular. Just before the beginning of the I look forward to going back in the summer, city centre is currently being dug up as part Second World War, Donald Gibson became especially to experience the new public of the new public realm interventions that Coventry’s first City Architect and Planning realm between the station and the city are taking place, to allow better pedestrian Officer. He started to develop a masterplan centre. movement through de-cluttering. Within for the city centre to resolve the motor car • the centre itself, there are two contrasting congestion, which brought about the sec- Katy Neaves urban forms that define its character. ond urban form. The result was the first UK The first urban form developed in the traffic-free shopping area (and also roof top

Kessler and John Hearn raised the need to for district councils. The people who took Urban Design improve design awareness among council- part, a mix of politicians and profession- Group lors and allied professionals, and together als drawn from social services, community with Richard Eastham and Mark Waller- development through to engineering, valued Gutierrez developed a training scheme having the opportunity to role play, and get which was launched this March. The training a better understanding of the constraints Focus on UDG Solent events have been devised as role-play work- experienced by other professions, as well Over the past three years UDG Solent, shops, using the PLACE acronym suggested as wrestle with the question: what is good convened by Peter Frankum of Savills, has in the Farrell Review. The delegates are di- design? gathered growing interest, support and in- vided into teams of five, with each member A group meeting, a single training ses- fluence. The group has played an important responsible for either planning, landscape, sion, an award event on their own may not role in developing and part sponsoring the architecture, conservation or engineering. make much difference, but together and biennial Solent Design Awards, held most The teams are asked to examine a develop- repeated over a number of years, will have recently in the new award-winning Mary ment site through a walkabout, and then a powerful influence on the Solent region’s Rose Museum, and attended by local gov- to analyse the site and propose design ambition and capability. In time, the good- ernment chief executives, senior politicians, principles. The training course includes will, effort and enthusiasm being brought and senior industry figures from around the a short booklet with PLACE prompts. The to the Solent Urban Design Group will bring region. attendance achieved has been astonish- results. A second initiative is design aware- ing, with around 60 people at each event • ness training. In the group’s early days, Liz – far in excess of what would be expected Robert Huxford

WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER Diary of events Underground urbanism Increased densities and the scarcity of land in central urban areas is leading to attention Unless otherwise indicated, all LONDON being paid to the possibilities of using un- events are held at The Gallery, 70 Cowcross derground spaces in a far more imaginative Street, London EC1M 6EJ at 6.30 pm. and useful way. This event, led by Elizabeth Reynolds, explore the possibilities and case Note that there are many other events studies. run by UDG volunteers throughout the UK. For the latest details and pricing, please 8–10 OCTOBER check on the UDG website www.udg.org.uk/ The National Urban Design Conference events/udg – Bristol This year’s conference takes place at the SS Great Britain and the associated, brand new, conference centre complex. The theme brings developers and housebuilders together with the urban design community to debate how we can create well-designed developments that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, and profitable.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 1

Summer 2015 Urban Design Group Journal 13Urban 5 ISSn 1750 712x the city as Design master Developer Contents

This issue has been generously sponsored National Urban Design by Nordic City Network Awards 2015 36 — The 2015 Francis Tibbalds Awards COVER Ceremony Overview of west entry to Utrecht station 38 — student Award Winner 2015: and new public realm. ©Urban-imPulse Re-imagining Swansea High street –

URBAN The Green Lanes, Clara Köhler DESIGN GROUP FUTURE ISSUES URBAN DESIGN UD 136 Designing Housing Book reviews GROUP UD 137 Latin America 40 — Completing Our Streets, Barbara Urban Design Group McCann Chair Katy Neaves UPDATE 40 — Transforming Cities – Urban Patrons Irena Bauman, Alan Baxter, 03 — Events: Garden Cities for the 21st Interventions in Public Space, Dickon Robinson, Helle Søholt, Lindsey Century Kristin Feireiss and Oliver Whitelaw and John Worthington 03 — Urban Design and Health G.Hamm (eds) 04 — Hamburg UDG tour 41 — the Fabric of Place, Allies and Office 06 — Urban Design Interview: Luke Hillson Morrison Urban Design Group 07 — The Urban Design Library #16 41 — Black Country Allotment Society, 70 Cowcross Street Susie Parr London EC1M 6EJ Viewpoint Tel 020 7250 0892 08 — Urban Design: Are we doing it wrong?, 42 — PRACTICE INDEX Email [email protected] David Rudlin 47 — EDUCATION INDEX Website www.udg.org.uk Topic: The City as Master 49 — ENDPIECE Editorial Board Developer the Red and the Black, Joe Holyoak Matthew Carmona, Richard Cole, 10 — introduction, John Worthington Alastair Donald, Tim Hagyard, and Rosalie Callway Joe Holyoak, Sebastian Loew, Daniela 12 — City Planning as Initiator, Enabler, Lucchese, Jane Manning, Chris Martin, Regulator, Dick Gleeson Malcolm Moor, Judith Ryser, Louie Sieh, 14 — Crossing Boundaries, Squaring Louise Thomas, Polly Turton Interests, Peter Bishop 17 — Utrecht: City-led Change, Editors Henk Bouwman Sebastian Loew (this issue) 20 — Developing the City through Dialogue [email protected] and Common Goals, Göran Rosberg and Louise Thomas and Christer Larsson [email protected] 23 — the Growth of Cambridge, Peter Book Review Editor Studdert Jane Manning 26 — City Transformation, Lab Berlin, Ulrich Becker and Erhart Pfotenhauer Design 29 — Reform by Design, Henk Ovink trockenbrot 30 — City Making in the 21st Century, (Claudia Schenk and Anja Sicka) Hans de Jonge www.trockenbrot.com 32 — Leadership, Design and Value, Lawrence Barth Printing Henry Ling Ltd 35 — City Planning as a Collective © Urban Design Group ISSN 1750 712X Endeavour, John Worthington and Rosalie Callway Advertising enquiries Please contact the UDG office

Material for publication Please send text by email to the editors. Images to be supplied as jpeg

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 2 leader We can do better

Welcome to a redesigned Urban Design. Having Participants in the UDG visit to Hamburg, also asked our readers what they liked or disliked described in this issue, had a chance to see in the journal’s presentation last year, we have for themselves the results of this approach. introduced subtle rather than radical changes. We Coincidentally, one of the books reviewed in hope that you will appreciate and enjoy the new this issue showcases more successful examples look which we think is clearer and fresher, and we resulting from co-operation and collaboration. welcome your feedback. The movement is spreading throughout Europe, but the UK lags behind in spite of a Five years ago, after the last general election long tradition of public participation. Central (and about the time of the last redesign), we government control, weakened local authorities wondered whether the new coalition government and a dysfunctional market conspire against it. would ’protect the achievements of the past Politicians would benefit from visits to places decades and not return to the bad practices of such as Malmö, Utrecht, Hamburg or Berlin to the 80s’. We were right to worry as the balance see for themselves what can be done. Good has not been a very happy one: CABE has governance and vision seem to be the common been marginalised and privatised, the regional denominators of all the examples presented. development agencies abolished, design review It may be that neighbourhood plans and the privatised, the housing crisis has grown, By proposed devolution to cities will allow for new Design is no longer part of the legislation and the initiatives to develop. importance of design has been diminished in the race for increasing profits. Meanwhile the UDG showcases some of the best urban design in this country through the The articles collected in this issue by John Francis Tibbalds awards. We report on these and Worthington and Rosalie Callway indicate that on the successful ceremony at which they were there is another way. Commitment, Collaboration presented and we invite all our members to make and Co-operation are how they describe the sure they enter for the 2016 awards. • new approaches to ‘city building’ taken by our European partners. Responding to challenges Sebastian Loew caused by cuts and the retreat of the public sector, and to people’s dissatisfaction with the results of top-down urban development policies, How to join citizens have joined forces to influence the way To join the Urban Design Group, visit www.udg.org.uk and see the benefits of their neighbourhoods are planned and make taking out an annual membership. authorities listen to them. This does not mean that politicians and professionals have relinquished Individual (UK and international) £50 UK student / concession £30 power to the mob; on the contrary it has opened Recognised Practitioner in Urban Design £80 all sorts of possibilities of collaboration and Small practice (<5 professional staff) £250 Large practice (>5 professional staff) £450 enabling that in the examples shown, benefit the Education £250 greater number. Local Authority £100 UK Library £80 International Library £100

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But the speakers effectively dismissed Events at the Gallery all the familiar visual and formal attributes of garden city planning and design, on the basis that none of them were essential or peculiar to the garden city concept. The The following talks, seminars and debates only unique and radical principle behind have been organised by the UDG and held the garden city concept, as formulated by at The Gallery, Cowcross Street, London. All Ebenezer Howard, is the economic princi- of these events are recorded by UrbanNous ple of the collective capture of land value. and available to watch again on the UDG The community owns the land, and benefits website, thanks to the generous support of collectively from the increase in its value, Fergus Carnegie. resulting from development, which is real- ised when property is sold. David Lock was quoted in support of this distinction, saying that a garden city is Garden Cities for the 21st a radical and reformist solution, not a Kate Century Greenaway illustration. The 2014 Wolfson The Gallery, 18 March 2015 Prize winners were also credited with under- standing the importance of the economic Colin Pullan from Nathaniel Lichfield and principle, unlike the hapless Housing Minis- Partners, and Elli Thomas from Centre for ter Brandon Lewis, whose instant dismissal Third Magnet? One member of the audience Cities, addressed the questions of why there of Urbed’s proposals as being ‘ ... not gov- counter-proposed that the simple essence is currently an interest in garden cities, ernment policy’ was again castigated. of the garden city was that residents had and why garden cities might be relevant In the discussion afterwards, the ques- gardens. to the 21st century. It was an entertaining tion was asked that if collective capture of Much of the discussion was hi-jacked and thought-provoking evening, and it did land value is the defining essence of the gar- by Urbed’s Nick Falk, who brought his own produce one unequivocal answer to these den city, could not that economic principle Wolfson presentation on a memory stick. questions. be applied to residential development in any His contribution did add to the relevance The central issue emerged as the dis- form, even the high rise towers of the Ville and topicality of the debate. The even- tinction to be made between two ways of Radieuse? It was pointed out that in Argent’s ing finished with an agreement that, above understanding garden cities: to borrow Rey- King’s Cross and in Grosvenor Estate’s West- all, the scale of development is important: ner Banham’s snappy subtitle to his 1966 minster, we have private sector versions of a walkable town of 30,000, with univer- book The New Brutalism – ethic or aesthet- land value capture, where the developer sal access to public transport, is a good ic? Most attention focuses on the aesthetic, stays on as landlord. But the ratio of public model. derived from Parker and Unwin’s work at benefit to private benefit in this arrange- • Letchworth, and seemingly very hard to ment was questioned. Joe Holyoak escape from: white-painted rendered cot- If the economic principle is the sole cri- tages, grass verges, winding tree-lined terion, what is left with of the environmental avenues. qualities that Howard advocated for this

Herbert associated health issues to planning undoubtedly have helped the audience an- ones, and emphasised the importance of swer Lucy’s starting question. policy frameworks at every level, national, It was getting late when Rachel Toms strategic, local and neighbourhood. He cited explained what Active by Design was about: Supplementary Policy Guidelines produced it is a campaign to help developers trans- by the Mayor of London, The All London form neighbourhoods and design places Green Grid and Shaping neighbourhoods: that encourage healthier lives. Fortunately, play and informal recreation, as good ex- she showed some examples of places that amples. And he flagged up two documents successfully promoted activity, thus moving produced by HUDU, Rapid Health Impact away from statistics and proving that what Urban Design and Health Assessment Tool and Healthy Urban Plan- was being discussed could also be achieved. The Gallery, 22 April 2015 ning Checklist. It would have been good to And she directed the audience to the Active hear more about how these could actually Design Guide they have produced. Finally This evening, chaired by Barry Summers help urban designers. she described a scheme in Bournemouth’s was part of the UDG campaign to promote Lucy Saunders asked what should have West Howe as an example of ‘a vision for health through urban design. Three speakers been the most relevant question of the physical regeneration with health in mind’. in succession, Vernon Herbert, chair of the evening: how can we influence lifestyle? And The evening would probably been more London Healthy Urban Development Unit gave the example of a theoretical healthy illuminating to the audience had it concen- (HUDU), Lucy Saunders, health specialist street (wide pavements, trees, places to sit, trated on such examples. advising the GLA and TFL, and Rachel Toms, bus stops, cycle tracks, variety, etc). The • programme coordinator of Cabe Design Mayor’s Better Streets Delivered was one of Sebastian Loew Council’s Active by Design programme pre- the documents she mentioned that might sented a substantial amount of information clarify how this could be turned into real- to reiterate the message that lifestyle has a ity. Two other TfL documents Transport and greater effect on health than any other fac- Health in London and Improving the Health tor including diet and genetics, something of Londoners, were mentioned; hearing the audience probably knew already. Vernon more about their recommendations would

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houses. Everywhere the treatment of the public realm is of a high quality, the flood- ing risk has been taken into consideration and Hamburg’s centre’s easily accessible by S-bahn, the metro taken by our group to reach the next step in the visit.

Hafencity Hafencity is a new neighbourhood which links the city centre to the Elbe. It is a genu- inely mixed quarter, adjacent to the tradi- tional brick warehouse area of Speicherstadt and in walking distance from the city centre. One of the objectives of the development is to attract more residents, including families to the centre. Again here, water is both an asset and a threat, and this is reflected in the architecture and the public realm. After a presentation around a model of the area in one of the restored buildings, our host and guide Uwe Carstensen showed us parts 1 of the area where buildings cantilever two A number of regeneration schemes followed stories above the water level to protect Hamburg but didn’t manage to change the poor image them from floods. Because of this, the street UDG tour of the area. In 2001 the city fathers decided level is not always lively but to compensate, that a new approach was needed to tackle a floating pontoon has been installed in one 9 – 12 April 2015 the environmental problems, respond to the of the docks creating a kind of rambla that growth needs of Hamburg and improve the goes up and down twice a day with the tide. attractiveness of this area: thus the idea of Dominating the area is the Elbphilarmonie, ‘Leaping across the Elbe’ in 2004 was born a new concert hall and hotel designed by In July 1943 the city of Hamburg was and the establishment of the International Herzog and de Meuron which is way over bombed by the combined British American Building Exhibition (IBA) Hamburg the next budget and behind schedule, but a stunning air force in what was known as Operation year. This was the first area that the UDG icon in the landscape. The most interest- Gomorrah. Around 40,000 people died travellers visited, guided by Kai Dietrich ing aspect of HafenCity for British visitors (more than in Dresden) and the port, indus- and Lukas Grellmann. Although the IBA as is the way the city, which owns the land, trial facilities and the commercial centre an institution has now ceased to exist, it implemented the project through architec- of the city were almost totally destroyed. has been replaced by something akin to tural competitions and negotiations with Like a phoenix, the city was reborn from the a development corporation of the city of investors, whilst maintaining strict control ashes, and none of this can be seen today, Hamburg. Much remains to be done but a over design and land use. Much was said though there aren’t many very old build- number of interesting and often experimen- that could be food for thought for British ings either, but those that remain have been tal projects have been completed and all politicians and one slide presented by Mr. carefully restored. The 25-strong group of were developed in collaboration with the Carstensen is worth quoting: urban designers that visited the city mostly local population. ‘Appropriate governance regime: saw the more recent developments in the Among the projects we visited was the Strong role of the state port area and the city centre where new Global Neighbourhood in Reiherstieg, a mix- Investor for public goods/risk reducer/capa- buildings blend fairly well with restored ture of renovated inter-war and new social bility generator older ones. housing. Participation here included em- Markets (for urban development projects) Perhaps one of the first observation was ploying students from similar backgrounds do not simply exist, they can and should be that five people could share a day-ticket for to the local population and speaking a vari- created to develop the public good charac- the public transport system, including the ety of languages, undertaking door-to-door ter of a city (urbanity, sustainability) and journey to the city centre from the airport, interviews. One surprise was the openness optimise private investment’. making it extremely affordable (around £1.70 of the common open spaces, all accessible per head per day). Surprisingly for visitors to passers-by and yet well looked after. Like The traditional city from the UK, there are no barriers to tube the underground system without barriers, Our first day ended with a (slightly delayed) platforms and very rare controls; the system the shared spaces rely on trust and respect. tour boat of the harbour in which we had is based on trust. New and renovated buildings achieve high a different perspective from the water of environmental standards and get their heat what we had seen from land; we also could Leap across the Elbe and power from the local Energy Bunker, a appreciate the huge port and its importance Hamburg’s economy has always relied on tragic relic from the war (an air raid bunker for the city. A somewhat surprising aspect the port which still has a strong physical built by concentration camp prisoners), of the view from the Elbe is that the city presence. The wide river Elbe is a great as- spectacularly transformed into a power has mostly maintained its historic skyline, set, economic and environmental, but also plant using renewable forms of energy. with a more or less uniform height of 6 to 8 a threat, as it regularly overflows its banks The centre of Wilhelmsburg is a mixed storeys, dominated by the church spires just and will do more so in the future. It has use neighbourhood with a local park, a as it was in the 17th century. Nobody seems also been a barrier to the city’s develop- new building for the local Ministry for Ur- to have claimed that to maintain economic ment across it. Just south of the city centre ban Development and the Environment growth, tower blocks were needed. is a very large island, inhabited by poor and a number of innovative buildings, each On our second day, we walked through immigrants and crossed by major transport one designed by a different architect and the more historic city centre which devel- infrastructure. In 1962, the island of Wil- with a different investor: smart materi- oped around the Alster lake. Not many helmsburg flooded, killing over 300 people. al houses, smart price houses and hybrid really old buildings remain but the various

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2 3

4 5 periods blend fairly harmoniously, arguably 1 Speicherstadt’s old because of their uniform heights and their brick warehouses with the Elbphilarmonie in relationship with the streets, many of which the background. Photo have been pedestrianized or calmed. One Tim Hagyard particular building, the Chile Haus of 1924, 2 The 1924 Chile attracted the attention of all because of its House by Fritz Höger 3 The unfinished adaptation to the site and its expressive use Elbphilarmonie by of dark bricks. A walk through the leafy sub- Herzog and de urb of Harvestehude ended the organised Meuron, Photo Tim tour. Participants revisited some of the city Hagyard 4 Hafencity new mixed areas that we had only seen fleetingly before use development and returning to London. Several urban designers floating pontoon expressed the desire to go back to Hamburg 5 The Woodcube in the future. residential building in • Wilhelmsburg is carbon neutral Sebastian Loew 6 The Energiebunker See also two articles by Daniela Lucchese in UD provides heating and Issue 97 (pp. 34-35) and Issue 132 (pp13-15). hot water for the whole neighbourhood using clean energy sources

6 Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 6 update

Education Urban Design Urban Design PG Dip, Cardiff University Interview: BSc City and Regional Planning, Cardiff University What does Urban Visualisation for Urban Designers, Design mean to me? Birmingham City University

Luke Hillson Ambitions To get everyone’s wellbeing at the focus for all designers within the built environment Current Position and work and onto the national agenda. Senior Urban Designer at IDP Specialisms Past Experience Design Guides, Townscape Analysis, Senior Urban Designer at AMEC Foster Strategic Development Frameworks, Public Wheeler Realm.

Gorden Cullen’s mural showing the figure ground Landscape combining with the built environment Colour, lots and lots of colour, and people, lots and map of Coventry. Interestingly, it is located within creating a playful frontage which is continually lots of people. Nyhavn in Copenhagen, vibrant and the part of the City that the map covers. evolving, Great Bourton. full of life.

Continually learning, evolving and reimagining. Urban Design is blobs and arrows, places can all People, people, people. All people, particularly Working with Coventry University architecture be broken down into a number of nodal points and young people. Urban design is making sure that students is rewarding and inspiring. (Image: IDP linkages. (Image: Luke Hillson / AMEC) everyone is considered, Bristol. Studio, Ellena Varney)

Public art adds interest to the streetscene and is a Creativity is part of the job, it often requires Personalisation of the built environment is what fantastic way-finding aid, Malmö. tracing paper, sticky tape and magic markers. adds to the character or the spaces. Design should facilitate and enable this, Berlin.

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Character of Towns is not a passionate book This makes up the bulk of the book in which, in the way that Townscape is, yet it is clearly through a series of case studies using text, the work of someone who cared deeply sketches and photographs, he examines a about the world we live in and which we can wide range of conservation opportunities. either enhance or destroy. One can imagine The range is impressive and buried in its Worskett working late into the night seeking heart, is a section on ‘townscape discipline’ the right photograph from his wide collec- which seeks to find means of identifying the tion, refining an apparently simple sketch essential character of a town through its into a sophisticated message. The graphic component identity areas. style of The Character of Towns is also very The final section provides a guide to the much of its time. Worskett both wrote and survey and appraisal of an area as part of illustrated the book, and the illustrations the overall planning policies. The empha- The Urban Design are of the Cullen genre, itself the hallmark sis is on appraisal in the field, and the guide Library # 16 of the publishers, the Architectural Press. It sets down a stage-by-stage approach aimed is perhaps indicative of Worskett's natural at ensuring that conservation policies have The Character of Towns, Roy modesty that the only clue to his role in the been tested against other policy demands, Worskett, (Architectural Press 1969) illustrations is given by a minute RW in the and that they are rigorous and defensible. corner of the main illustration on the dust This section is well worth careful exami- jacket. nation by anyone faced with reviewing a The writing style is simple and direct, conservation area. All books are products of their time and this and reflects the role of the book as a work- To conclude, revisiting The Character of is especially true of The Character of Towns. ing guide. There are five sections.T he first Towns tempts one to ask if we have not all In today’s work environment it is particularly sets out an approach to the notion of con- become a little complacent. Where is the hard to conceive of any public servant hav- servation in which Worskett seeks to define passion and belief in publications today? ing the time to produce, let alone publish the overall concept. Put simply, too simply, Yes there are worthy, well researched books a book of this substance. Yet in 1969, Roy Worskett sees conservation as a blend- that are clearly the product of collaboration Worskett was working at the Ministry ing of preservation and thoughtful change. and joint working. But they seem to lack the of Housing and Local Government (the The process requires an assessment of the fire and energy that is found in the books equivalent, if there can be such a thing, of existing situation and this is covered by the of the 60s and 70s. Perhaps the codifica- the Department of Communities and Local second section, Approach to Conservation. tion and formalisation of good practice has Government) and was proudly able to be ‘.... Here the pressures on towns and cities are made us all just a little too close to box tick- grateful to the Ministry for facilitating the examined, and the contrast between the ers and seekers of defensible compromises, preparation of this book and for giving me need for economic growth and preserva- rather than passionate seekers of the best; permission to publish....’. The Character of tion are examined, illustrated by the familiar alternatively, the privatisation of design pro- Towns also bears clear signs of its forebears photographs of narrow alley ways, entic- fessionals in the public sector has resulted in the canon of urban design literature. Its ing flights of stairs and tree filled squares, in such a lean machine that nobody has time direct ancestors include Gordon Cullen’s complemented by Worskett's analytical to think beyond the next bid, let alone write Townscape (see UD 125) and Buchanan's sketches. It is remarkable to see how little a book. Traffic in towns (UD 127). These, together clutter there was in urban spaces in the 60s. • with Ian Nairn’s Outrage had contributed Has a tidal wave of signs, boxes, cables, Richard Cole to the growing civic amenity movement. CCTV cameras and burglar alarms swept The movement with the backing of Duncan over our urban areas in the last 40 years? Read On Sands, who was himself a rare phenom- From these illustrations it certainly seems Nairn, I Outrage (Architectural Review, 1959) enon, a senior politician with an interest in so. and Counter Attack against Subtopia (Archi- the built environment, had been a major Moving on to establish principles to tectural Press, 1957) stimulus to the passing of the Civic Ameni- guide conservation, the next section estab- Lynch, K The Image of the City (MIT Press, ties Act 1967. It was both the love of the lishes the need to recognise that change and 1960) built environment and the need to provide preservation must be in balance, and that Brett, L Landscape in Distress (The Architec- help with the conservation aspirations of the change may be necessary if important parts tural Press, 1965) provisions of the Act that had inspired Roy of a town are to be retained. Economic via- Worskett. bility is seen as essential if conservation is to Roy Worskett died in Horsham in August In many ways the publication of The have any long-term relevance. Worskett also 2014. Character of Towns marks the end of the emphasises the need for the prioritisation heroic days of the growth of urban design of investment, and for positive community ideas. Perhaps with the exception of Francis involvement. The last part of this section Tibbalds' Making Cities People Friendly, The introduces conservation areas and finally Character of Towns (2000) is the last of the environmental areas. Worskett then places overtly personal views of how places work these principles in a policy framework, be- and how to enhance and protect them. The fore moving on to his core interest, design.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 8 TViewopicpoint

Urban Design: Are we doing it wrong? David Rudlin gave a challenging keynote speech at the National Urban Design Awards Ceremony

1 Once upon a time, long long ago, all cities were fair and beautiful. wasn’t easy, people didn’t really understand, or weren’t listening. Whether they were designed by princes or build by merchants, they The plucky band may have grown in numbers but, at their annual created urban societies where life may have been hard but where conference they would moan about how difficult it all was, how they commerce and community could take root and civilisation and the needed to educate their clients, persuade them to invest in quality. arts could thrive. This is the narrative of the urban design profession; our own Then along came the industrial revolution with its pollution and creation myth. It sometimes acts as if it is the holder of the light of huddled masses. Then came housing reformers with their by-law truth in an unbelieving world. Most urban design books proselytise housing and council estates, and the developers and specula- this message, bemoaning the fact that the powers-that-be don’t get tors with their ribbon development and suburban sprawl. Then it and are ruining our cities as a result. However, if no one is listen- came pesky town planners with their bloody garden cities which ing, if 90 per cent of masterplans remain unbuilt (a statistic that Rob were bastardised as new towns. Then came highway engineers with Cowan may have made up), if much of the urban environment is cre- their underpasses and overpasses at the same time as we lost our ated without our input and without following the principles that we head to the radicalism of the modernists with their socialist fu- espouse, it is us that are doing it wrong, not everyone else. This mes- ture of clean white lines. We got carried away with slum clearance, sage is something that has been exercising me for some time. It is with deck access and high rise, with Radburn layouts and shopping not that I am questioning the principles of urban design – I’m not structures…. and everything went horribly wrong. losing my faith – it is just that we can’t keep blaming everyone else Just as we were starting to realise the error of our ways, Mar- for how ineffective we are as a profession. garet Thatcher was elected and Nicolas Ridley took all our powers away in the name of the free market. Design was no longer the con- Lost in translation cern of planners as shopping went out-of-town followed by business I started the presentation with an image from Gordon Cullen, whose parks and suburban cul-de-sacs. Cities in the north collapsed while centenary we celebrated last autumn. His beautiful drawings man- those in the south fell victim to loads-of-money speculators and aged to capture the serendipity and delight of urban places. In his post-Urban Design … and everything went from bad to worse. book Townscape he sought to bottle the essence of these places, to Then in the 1980s a plucky band of urban designers emerged, capture the principles on which they were built. If only we followed brandishing their bible called Responsive Environments and it these principles, and got others to understand them, we would sure- was good. It showed us the error of our ways and told us how we ly start to address our problems? This is what urban designers always needed to change, inspiring a new generation of urban designers do, but somehow the message gets lost in translation. I like collect- free from the taint of those horrid modernists. These vanguardists ing old urban design books most of which have a structure based on had to battle every inch of the way. They were criticised by planners the narrative with which I started this piece. The first section deals and highway engineers, by the house builders and even the police. with a golden age of cities from ancient Greece to Renaissance Italy They were over-idealistic and unreasonable, would push up costs and Napoleonic Paris. The middle bit then says how badly everything and create places that people and business would shun. They would has gone wrong. Depending on the age of the book the villain will cause crime and even kill children once cul-de-sacs had been out- be the Industrial Revolution, the car, overcrowded cities, suburban lawed. However over time the urban design message gained traction, sprawl, new towns, council estates and or indeed the planning sys- it became part of policy guidance and was promoted by public agen- tem itself. The final part of these books then seeks to draw lessons cies, even gaining its own champion in the form of CABE. But it from the golden age in order to create a new city of the future where

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 viewpoTopinict 9

1 Figure-ground map of Coventry, credit David Rudlin 2 Oxford Street proposal, from the Buchanan Report Traffic in Towns 3 Bylaw terrace housing, credit David Rudlin 4 Unhappy Docklands, credit Charlie Baker everything will be lovely and civilised. Last year I did a week’s residency in Coventry at the invitation of Laura Elliott and Michael Mayhew of Artspace. Coventry’s city centre 2 redevelopment planned before the war and facilitated by the blitz, predates Cullen’s work but is based on similar principles: vistas, streets, and piazzas linked to create a serial vision experience. In- deed when you study the plan and walk around Coventry on a sunny day (and maybe squint a little) you can start to see what they were trying to do. It is, or could have been very beautiful, but modern- ism doesn’t look good with peeling paint, rain stained concrete and pigeon shit. It is not the principles that were wrong, or even the mas- terplan but something in the process by which it was built and has subsequently been managed.

What’s to be done? So it’s not just a case of strengthening our message or finding better models. If asked what’s to be done, my very clear response is that I don’t really know. However I offer the following suggestions for what 3 the profession might think about:

1. Urban design is not about aesthetics: In the US, New Urbanism has become associated with a design approach based on a Mid- American small town vernacular. The same happened in the UK with the Poundbury-inspired urban villages movement and we still have too many urban design guides that feel it necessary to specify brick types, window designs, fence details and the shape of roofs. I don’t mind traditional design, even if it is not what we do at URBED. But I do object to design guidance that says that this is obligatory. As soon as we associate urban design with a particular aesthetic, it will be- come a passing style despised by future generations. Urban design is deeper than this – it should be possible to have modernist, tradi- tional, deconstructivist, high-tech, sustainable urban design, all with 4 very different aesthetics but based on common principles. developing through the Climax City project. Cities if allowed to, become self-organising and when this happens, successful urban- 2. Urban design and quality are not the same thing: Too many ur- ism ‘emerges’. This does not undermine the idea of master planning ban design debates argue that we should invest in quality design and – Manhattan is both planned and self-organised. But it does suggest equate this with urban design. We can have high quality suburban that we need to masterplan in a very different way. and rural design and there is certainly a lot of poor quality urban design. They are not the same thing, it is just that too many peo- 5. If you are costing your client money you really are doing it ple substitute the word urban with the word quality because no one wrong: Finally we should stop arguing that our clients need to invest is going to argue against quality. Obviously we should be trying to in quality or to produce buildings that are less profitable. Our job as build high-quality schemes, but urban design is something different, urban designers is to take the client’s brief, whoever they may be – relating to density and mix, permeability, enclosure, etc… councils, retailers, house-builders – and do what we can to provide what they need in a way that creates good urban places. It may not 3. Urbanism is the missing ingredient: Doing urban design without be possible, in which case we should maybe find new clients. How- understanding urbanism is like doing garden design without under- ever, as long as we keep swimming against the tide and make urban standing horticulture. Urbanism is the ‘science’ of cities, how they design an ideology or religion that must be followed, we will remain work socially and economically. As a director of the Academy of a marginalised profession and will have to resign ourselves to seeing Urbanism, I believe that it is the element that was missing in the ur- 90 per cent of our plans remain unbuilt. ban design debates of the past. We borrowed urban forms from the • golden age without understanding them and therefore missed vital David Rudlin is a a director of URBED and the winner of the 2014 elements that made them work. Woolfson Economic Prize for his proposal for a new garden city

4. We need to understand time: These problems are inevitable when we try to design a place on a drawing board and expect it to be built as conceived, and to work as planned. This is what Kelvin Campbell explores in his book Massive Small and that I have been

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 10 Topic

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 11 The City as Master Developer Commitment, Collaboration and Co-operation

he history of cities is one of connection through the independently, and typically retain over half the money raised exchange of goods and ideas. Successful cities are built on through local taxes and raise municipal bonds to leverage greater Tdiversity, opportunity and anonymity bound together by investment through the markets. a strong sense of civic responsibility supported by fair, demo- In contrast, the British government dominates policy making cratic and effective governance. The city authorities we admire and 75-80 per cent of local government budgets are dependant from the past were based on a common endeavour and shared on decisions made by the Treasury and DCLG (CIPFA 2013). values, allowing for a diversity of opportunity and freedom of In turn, ‘city hall’ makes plans and regulates their delivery but speech. The city provided defence, means of access to goods and with limited capacity to go further. Developer is not a word that services, and common land for amenity and sustenance. The fits comfortably with the UK planning system. Development is disposition of these elements, ‘the capital web’ was defined by too often seen to reflect self-interest and greed, a perception the allocation of plots of land for individuals and institutions to reinforced by the adversarial nature of the planning processes. It live, work and prosper. The 19th century was a period of rapid is synonymous with change, yet continuously repeating what has industrialisation and urbanisation, enterprise and global expan- been done before, stifling creativity, innovation and intellectual, sion. Vast fortunes were made alongside poverty and slum living cultural and sustainable economic progress. Aspirations are conditions. Cities, such as Birmingham, were powerful with of little consequence if planning has not first created a shared strong leadership from an elite. City governance had clear roles, vision to inspire wider engagement, investment and wealth to deliver water and energy, to ease the movement of people and generation, essential for a city’s future. the transaction of goods, and to manage waste resources, with The contributions that follow should be read in the context of the goal of sharing the wealth generated to enhance the compet- development planning being a collaborative process of manag- itive power of the city; housing, parks, culture and learning were ing and moderating change, with the joint goals of stimulating supported by the philanthropic endowments of individuals. sustainable economic success, whilst ensuring an equitable By the 1930s, the modern movement in architecture and distribution of resources. City government leads in continuous planning was partly a response to the opportunities that dialogue with business and civil society through the life of a industrialisation offered, but also a reaction to the pollution, master-planned development, recognising that each project is chaos and desperate living conditions it had created. Past part of the wider city dynamic in an urban landscape that is never neighbourhoods that had incrementally grown through time, complete, always adapting and self-organising over time. The were replaced by comprehensively planned districts, zoned city and state can provide confidence, commitment and facilitate by function. It was a closed system, controlled and built to the change, through dialogue between the different interests to sup- specification set down in a ‘blueprint master plan’. port positive collaboration and co-operation. At the end of World War II, Britain whilst victorious, saw • cities devastated, food supplies diminished and social services John Worthington; collaborative urbanist, practitioner and academic. disrupted; its left wing government saw the solution in urban Co-Founder of DEGW, Patron of the Urban Design Group, Director of the Academy of Urbanism, Commissioner of the Independent Transport renewal. Central planning and strong state intervention Commission. witnessed the founding of the welfare state and the passing of Rosalie Callway, PhD Researcher, School of Construction and the Town and Country Act 1947. From this idealistic legacy has Engineering, University of Reading, and consultant. Currently researching developed the most centralised system of governance in Europe, the value of urban design at the neighbourhood scale. a deeply adversarial system of planning which militates against collaborative working, and a culture of dependency in the deliv- ery of public services and amenities. As we move into the 21st century, and past the credit crash of 2008, fundamental changes in expectations have been triggered. The Scottish referendum has released the genii out of the bottle on the drive towards devolution. Local community and interest groups are increasingly recognised as having a right and a role to play through civic engagement, supporting co-creation and co- production in shaping their livelihoods. There is also a healthy cynicism about the underlying message of the Big Society, where cuts in the public sector come with few additional resources for those community groups who are expected to fill the gap. This topic of ‘The City as Master Developer’, aims to ques- tion some strongly held precepts within our city governance and planning system. The contributions reflect on both UK and continental European experience, with reflections from Dublin whose planning system mirrors Britain as well as its strong ties with North America and Europe. Professor Lawrence Barth pre- Abercrombie and sents a perspective bringing together thinking from both the UK Forshaw’s Social and and continental Europe. The articles from Malmö, Utrecht and Functional Analysis of Berlin reflect the context of cities with a far greater ability to act London (1943)

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 12 Topic

1 City Planning as Initiator, Enabler, Regulator Dick Gleeson describes how the city of Dublin has overcome the economic crisis

ublin emerged from a low-point of decline and depres- 1 The view from spaces, at various scales, were facilitated sion in the mid-1980s to one in the mid-1990s where Grand Canal Square through international design competi- optimism and energy was tangible, and where regenera- exploits the expanse tions. The emergence of a number of D of sky and water tion was managed through a series of ambitious non-statutory and draws the eye agencies, Dublin Docklands Development Framework Plans. A growing awareness of urbanism paralleled eastwards to the city‘s Authority, Ballymun Regeneration, Tem- these initiatives and influenced the search for a systems Poolbeg chimneys ple Bar Properties, helped provide dif- approach to city planning which saw the emergence of key urban ferent models and constantly challenged themes to reflect a holistic thrust and structure complexity. A any tendency towards a comfort zone or growing sense of the spatial, and of the importance of the public settled status quo. domain, provided a platform for the local authority to initiate leadership and build powerful connections between sectorial Collaborative Co-Production spheres and the spatial character of the city. While the city may have been on a sustain- The emphasis on building a strategic design culture was able trajectory in the 1990s and through directly enabled by the then City Manager John Fitzgerald, the Millennium, the 2008 economic col- assisted by a core ‘can do’ team within Dublin City Council which lapse had profound impacts on the devel- included the energetic City Architect Jim Barrett. The commis- opment sector and led to an immediate sioning of the 2000 DEGW study on Intensification and Change paralysis in construction. While the crisis perceptively recognised the primary challenge of consolidating had international dimensions, and ques- the city. The City Manager also set up the Architectural Advisory tions were asked about the role of govern- Panel chaired by John Worthington and including external ment, the city was also challenged to experts such as Sir Richard Mc Cormack and David Mackey. respond and provide a constructive route Meeting quarterly for over a decade, it was instrumental in help- forward. The Creative Dublin Alliance and ing to instil an urbanist mind-set within the City Council. It later the multiple projects that emerged under evolved into the Urban Advisory Panel. its umbrella such as Designing Dublin The delivery of an extensive programme of new public and Innovation Dublin, indicated the City space underpinned the civic thrust of new urban regeneration Council’s need to draw in the energy of and caught the mood of the public imagination. Many of these the city and forge collaborative alliances.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 13 Designing Dublin brought together interdisciplinary volunteers from diverse backgrounds and teamed them, over three and six month projects, with employees from a number of City Depart- ments. Designing Dublin encouraged a process of standing outside conventional hierarchy, looking between the cracks of institutional life and taking a deep dive to uncover the hidden meaning of place. Through the rich innovation and insights revealed by projects like Designing Dublin, the Council began to see the enormous potential in being a facilitator, in building creative bridges between the citizen, city institutions, and the disconnected spheres of arts/culture and economy. Building a collaborative capacity has also seen the city look outwards to global partnerships. The Institute Without Boundaries (IWB), Toronto, had provided a leader for the origi- nal Designing Dublin projects, but in 2013 the relationship was deepened with the Dublin Project when the IWB, in partnership with the Council, explored the topic of Service Delivery in a 21st 2 century city. The inspiring mantra ‘Sense it – See it – Make it’ expressed the bottom-up, design led, real-field context which informed IWB’s collaborative philosophy. Pivot Dublin, the City’s pitch for World Design Capital status, has also been influential in enabling bottom-up urban interventions. Generating the bid content helped galvanise cohesion amongst a fragmented design community and drive a creative discourse towards thoughts of legacy and capacity building.

The Strategic role of Docklands The economic collapse in Ireland had a severe impact on gov- ernment funding and local authority budgets, and in Dublin a number of major agencies were disbanded. A constrained budget meant the City Council was no longer able to commission ambi- tious plans externally but was forced to seek new capacity from within its own ranks. The Docklands Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) adopted in 2014 is a critically important regenera- 3 tion vehicle with statutory backing, aimed at getting a stalled development process moving again. The plan was prepared in- house by an interdisciplinary team led by planners who worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders and communities in Docklands. The plan commenced with a reflection on the role of Docklands, and through multiple workshops, produced a set of ‘high-level themes’ expressing a consensus on value system. These themes fed directly into a set of ‘key structuring principles’ which helped build a legible grid of large city blocks which were further refined through fixed and flexible elements, to produce development plots. The key strategy was the development of five hubs which would act as centres of gravity in the large city grid and form a dynamic network, connected by high quality walking routes and river bridges. The attractiveness of each hub was underpinned by a diverse chemistry of niche economic activity and by a unique public space exploiting the potential of water and heritage. The plan team in Dublin City Council fully acknowl- 4 edged the extensive work of the Dublin Docklands Development 2 Guinness in its which the inner city had shrunk to in Agency which had overseen the development of 600 hectares of traditional location: the mid-80s and incorporating the two its reconfigured Docklands from 1997 and had produced a series of masterplans footprint forms part retail cores, Temple Bar, and Trinity. which set much of the strategic context for the SDZ. of a strategic arc of Essentially this area is about retro- institutions at the west fitting. To the west is the emerging Optimising a Sustainable Landscape of Dublin's inner-city Western Arc made up of Grangegorman, 3 The new Calatrava Kees Christiaanse (KCAP) who also served on Dublin’s Advisory bridge connects north Heuston, New National Children’s Hos- Panel, carried out research on the central areas of six major and south Docklands pital at St James, and Digital Hub. This European cities. In relation to Dublin’s inner city he found that and strikes a chord provides a mixed cultural and economic the economic, social, cultural and environmental landscapes with the national counterpoint to Docklands, connects emblem of the harp of value were below levels found in comparable cities. Despite 4 The Campshires the city with the glorious resource of the extensive urban regeneration, there is still great unevenness to public realm offers Phoenix Park, and emphatically defines be found across the inner city. Dublin City Council acknowledges accessible amenity and the western gateway to the inner city. To frames the view to a this and has been working on a longer-term strategic and unify- residential tower the east is Docklands. Twenty years of ing framework to align the energy of economic and cultural urban regeneration has optimised the sectors with a compelling spatial legibility and rationale. use of redundant docklands, created In the visual bowl of the inner city, one can see three constitu- 35,000 jobs and brought the Civic City ent parts. In the central area is the footprint of retreat, that area into closer contact with Dublin Bay and

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 14 Topic the sea. Docklands is a work in progress and critical options still lie ahead. Building a strong sense of inter-connection and unity between the three areas above is critical. The 2004 Dublin Leg- ibility study built an evolving character area map and informed the public realm strategy of recent years. The key threads here are the recognition of an extensive network of character areas providing legible coherence and diversity at the local scale; the integration of dominant and ancillary economic engines and cultural clusters into the character areas; and the engendering of unity through the connective tissue of the public domain, through movement infrastructure, and through a growing awareness of the unifying network and inter-connectivity of the character areas.

Urbanism – Our Future An urbanist’s sensibility has continued to guide the challenge of 5 place-making and to motivate the City Council to constantly seek 5 The muscular infrastructure. A collaborative urbanism out new ways in which to bring the spirit of its urban themes to aesthetic of Derek must animate the role of the citizen in Tynan Architects bear. These urban themes can be distilled into two key spheres, residential scheme on the imagination and delivery of the hard livelihood and liveability, and the process of urban governance Excise Walk/Clarion infrastructure of the future city and in is frequently about finding a consensus on the balance between Quay, reflects the the writing of soft infrastructure to sup- the two. While the City Council has displayed leadership, it sees objective to build a port the multiple life-biographies of the the role of facilitator as being critical in prompting collabora- mixed place future. tion and harnessing capacity. It is useful to make a distinction • between the existing city, a given city, and the potential future Dick Gleeson, independent urbanist, city. The everyday citizen weaves a personal biography from previously Director of Planning, Dublin City the platform of the given city, utilising a range of soft and hard Council, Director of the Academy of Urbanism

Crossing Boundaries, squaring Interests Peter Bishop uses King’s Cross and Central St. Giles as examples of cross-border collaboration

t is one of the bizarre features of planning department offices around ILondon: on the wall you will often find a map of the borough, sometimes a street map, sometimes the local plan. It will show ward boundaries, local councillors and a range of planning designations, from conservation areas and viewing corridors to major development sites. But nearly all of them have one thing in common: around the edge, the borough boundary, there is nothing but white, blank space, Terra Incognita. The world beyond the borough boundary simply does not exist. The city (and with it both interest and responsibility) stops. Take another perspective on London: superimpose the areas of the greatest concentration of urban problems or social deprivation and look at the cor- relation with borough boundaries. It is striking. Out of sight and out of mind, or are boundaries just plain difficult to deal with? Would the hypothetical London Boroughs of Finsbury Park, Kilburn or Willesden bring new focus to these 1 Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 15 forgotten administrative edges? And is there an easier way of doing this than political reorganisation with all its costs and disruption?

The role of local government Let’s put this argument to one side for a moment and consider the nature of what has been happening in London local govern- ment over the last 25 years. The council as sole provider of services has largely disappeared, to be replaced by the enabling authority. Local partnership between the public and private sectors and greater emphasis on local accountability have been major, and for the most part, beneficial changes. And the organisations have become smaller and noticeably more efficient at service delivery. The downside has been the progres- sive impacts of resource and staffing cuts forcing authorities to fall back on ‘core business’. Alongside this the planning system has been attacked by politicians, tinkered with by governments and forced back into meeting targets that often stress simplistic metrics over any more considered assessment of what makes a successful place. Speed and numbers certainly do not make for good planning. Underlying all the emphasis that is put on ‘place making’ (a par- ticularly meaningless term), and ‘proactive planning’ (whatever that means), there are some simple miscomprehensions. Cities are complex, democracy can be difficult, and finding good, well crafted and balanced solutions takes time. Planning in a democracy has to be about brokerage and someone has to take the responsibility to do it. The term ‘city fathers’ is, quite rightly, seldom used nowa- 2 days. But in this term there are still powerful messages regarding leadership, vision and long-term responsibility. It is about taking the initiative and, as we used to say at Design for London, ‘making good things happen’. It is about assuming the role (and earning the right) to hold the ring. It is about harnessing and directing the energy of different players. It is the role of the city as impresario. Impresarios bring people together, they under- stand agendas, they understand money and they solve problems. And sometimes, just sometimes, they put on a great show. If planning is to assume this role, then it needs to step into the voids that exist in the city and become the client of last resort. The city is full of voids. Voids exist at borough bounda- ries, they exist outside the closely defined ownership boundaries of development sites, they exist between political administra- tions and they exist between professional disciplines. Voids are rarely easy places to operate. At best they lack obvious points of reference; at worse they are areas of intense conflict. They usually lack obvious rules of engagement. The benefit of course is that they are places where one can be creative. If planning is to have a role in the fractured world of the 21st century then it is a permissive, not a restrictive role. It is there to create the condi- tions for positive and continuous urban improvement, and to do this it needs to embrace the difficult conditions of the urban edge.

King’s Cross The King’s Cross project is an example where planning had to 3 step out of its comfortable regulatory role. This 27ha site had a 1 Aerial view of King’s two boroughs under different political particularly difficult series of different edges. It was politically Cross as it will look administrations, simplified the planning when the scheme is in Camden (a Labour controlled borough) but geographically, completed process considerably. due to the severance of the railway lines, in Islington (a Liberal 2 Olympic Legacy There are few reasons why a Democrat controlled borough). Moreover, although it had very master plan covers landowner should voluntarily expend clearly defined physical boundaries, the solution to its develop- four boroughs resources in planning and designing 3 St Giles, London: ment lay in its hinterland, a series of diverse communities links between outside their site boundaries. There are, suffering from high degrees of social and economic deprivation. boroughs. TfL and however, strong imperatives why a plan- Unless it could engage with its surrounding communities and Design for London ning authority should persuade them to achieve their support, local opposition would have effectively provide an integrating do so. In the case of King’s Cross there role for the public killed the scheme. One of the first moves on the project was realm were two principal arguments. for Camden to get the agreement of Islington to effectively The first was political capital. A devel- negotiate on their behalf (a small triangle of land was in their oper willing to engage, listen and become area). This unusual agreement, brokered at leader level between involved in a wider neighbourhood, builds

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 16 Topic at the local site level. A good development will set challenges for the next phases of city evolution. Twenty-five years is not a very long time for a proposition that is started on one site to be finished on another.

Central St Giles This was part of the planning thinking behind the Central St Giles development. This particular site, behind Centre Point, is another example of a city edge. The traffic gyratory upon which Centre Point is sited was never, thankfully, fully com- pleted. Camden and Westminster share a common boundary, and Crossrail was set to almost double the throughput of Tottenham Court Road station. With the area already at full capacity, works were programmed over six years with road closures and considerable disruption. Around St Giles there were six major landowners, all looking to maximise their development envelopes and seeing each other as rivals rather than partners. A 5 coordinated approach to the local area was essential, but this had to be cross- border and there was no body to claim trust and a long-term relationship with the community and its 5 St Giles, London: responsibility and no powers to require political representatives. This trust has long-term value when the area covered by any of the stakeholders to comply with a the masterplan is on it comes to getting future consents. This is not just a cynical the border of LB of plan even if one could be produced. move to ‘buy’ approvals; a developer that builds a relationship Camden and City of The solution was simple. Design for understands the local issues. Its proposals are likely to be more Westminster London picked up the phone and invited sensitive and ultimately, a community that has been respected the boroughs and the landowners to meet and involved in this way will be a better neighbour. Argent was and discuss the opportunities in the area. exceptionally good at building relationships as was British Land It was clear that an uncoordinated scram- on their nearby Regents Quarter development. ble for development was likely to result in The second argument is concerned with the realisation of risks of public inquiries and stifled oppor- the opportunities in the surrounding area. Networks of open tunities for the last landowners to come space, public transport, pedestrian movement, retail impacts, all forward. There was no compulsion to concern areas outside site boundaries. If planning is interested enter into dialogue, but the implications in context, and it should be, then it needs to feel confident in of being left out in the cold were obvious. extending the debate. No one else will. Often it is the opportuni- The upshot was that Sir Terry Farrell was ties that exist outside the site that open the opportunity for commissioned to produce a loose public deadlock to be broken and creative deals to be made. realm strategy. This was never seen as a masterplan but as a framework for explo- ration of options and negotiation around Often it is the opportunities that mutual benefits. exist outside the site that open the Conclusion opportunity for deadlock to be broken Crossing boundaries, whether physical or and creative deals to be made metaphorical is about stepping into new territories and exploring new situations. It might at times be uncomfortable and There is also the question of time. A development proposal even risky, but if planning is to escape will, in most cases, be assessed only in its end state. Unless the stranglehold that it has been put in, it developers intend to own and manage a site (and therefore has to be prepared to enter into the terra derive long-term value from it), as was the unusual case with incognita on the edge of its operations Argent on King’s Cross, they will have little interest in what hap- and become the city impresario. Only pens after completion and disposal. The local planning authority then can it make good things happen, or should. The city is open-ended, it is not a finished project. Each at least be proud that it tried. generation alters it and adds to it. • The custodian has to be the city authority, because for Peter Bishop, Professor of Urban Design at no other reason, if it all goes wrong they will have to pick up UCL and Director at Allies and Morrison the pieces and the future costs. This stewardship role is often neglected by city authorities but long-term continuity is impor- tant. John Thorpe exercised this role in Leeds until recently, as did Peter Rees in the City of London. At Design for London we believed that part of our role was to plan for possible futures that others might one day realise. This approach is equally important

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 17 Utrecht: City-led Change Henk Bouwman outlines the evolution of masterplanning towards an incremental and participatory approach

1 ven in a country with an outstanding planning tradition 1 Overview New Station being identified as one of the like the Netherlands, we have seen a major shift in the Station Concourse and key projects in the Fourth National role the authorities take in the process of urban change. entrances east and Planning Policy Document (from 1988 E west. ©POS Utrecht Coming from the idea that ‘the authorities know what is best’, and BenthemCrouwel- on). The strategic plan specifies a major epitomised by the vast city planning departments which existed Architects programme of reconstruction and up until the 80s, the system has since slowly adopted models of investment to prepare the station for the public-private partnerships, but still behaving top-down in plan- predicted growth. The project foresaw ning and decision-making. Top-down, blueprint plans were still a programme of work which would be realised up until the boom of the 1990s. Not being connected to required not only to improve the opera- real local needs, many were not as successful as wished. tion of the rail infrastructure, but also to integrate the station with the surrounding Utrecht railway station city and ensure that it became a connec- A typical product of that era was the rethinking of the station tor rather than a barrier. The station had district in Utrecht, one of the four major Dutch cities which to become a legible, convenient place of together with Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, define connection that celebrated connectivity, the Randstad. The Utrecht City Project (UCP) Masterplan was rather than being only a technical solu- the result of a public-private partnership between the city, two tion for transport. landowners and the Dutch Railways (as landowner and rail operator, and 100 per cent state-owned). It was a masterplan Successive masterplans for restructuring an outdated shopping mall in which the station The first UCP masterplan received the was embedded, the renewal of the national exhibition centre green light in 1991 but was cancelled Jaarbeurs on the west of the railways, and the much needed when it came to sharing the costs and the renewal of the station itself. Utrecht, being the most important private partners realised the long-term rail interchange in the Netherlands, was a cornerstone of the commitment they were agreeing to. It was planned improvements of the Randstad rail network (including replaced by a new version in 1996 with High Speed Railway). This was underlined by Utrecht Central even more extended terms of agreement,

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 18 Topic public-private partnership for the overall scheme. They announced a referendum offering the citizens a choice between two schemes. To run the referendum, a small municipal project office was set up with representatives from the relevant local authority departments. The call for a transparent process towards the referen- dum and the design approach appropriate to the characteristics of the area, led to the project office deciding to add a com- munication agency to the team. The newly installed city-led project office translated the political question into proposing two schemes based on different values: being aware of the neces- sary changes that would happen anyway (the unavoidable renewal of the station, the outdated shopping mall and the exhi- bition centre), the issue of urban change was captured in the question ‘What kind of city would you like Utrecht to be?’

2 The two schemes 1 and A, both first in a row were: I. A national business district: a market driven scheme, emphasising the city as ‘permissive facilitator’ for national orientated services (the national exhibi- tion centre, insurance companies and banks, education, etc), well-connected to the renewed station and paid for by the initiators. A. A city quarter: adding new character to the existing city quarters in which the city would invest in the capital infrastructure networks and the quality of the public realm and would induce the landowners to invest in their properties in a way it would support the overall scheme 3 and add to the multi-coloured and multi- to be finally abandoned in 2001 following municipal elections in 2 Utrecht: layered city life. which Leefbaar Utrecht (a new local political movement) won a Jaarbeursplein, a large The outcome of the referendum was a public space near the landslide victory. Central station convincing endorsement for Scheme A, Even before the elections, UCP was encountering difficulties 3 I Comprehensive which then became the basis for the next in creating a fully shared land development bank, based on the and big scale, step: the design of a masterplan for the over-optimistic assumption that the public and private parties A Incremental and railway station district. Before discussing could have equal interests and complete the different parts organic the masterplan itself, it is important to of the plan over the same time period. The private partners stress that this was going to be the third found themselves taking risks in the realisation of a new public round of plans for the area. As well as transport node over a period of 10 or 20 years. Initially all addressing the general questions of urban parties accepted such a development model, as it seemed to regeneration of this type and scale, the be working for the major housing extensions operations in the City of Utrecht was determined that this Netherlands like the Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, a city extension time the plans could be implemented. for almost 100,000 people to be completed in 15 years. But the They would have to incorporate both characteristics there proved to be much less complex than those public and private interests in a realistic in a city centre, not least because restructuring an existing area and transparent way. has greater and longer-term impact on the city than a greenfield development with a largely single building type programme. An incremental approach Additionally the masterplan proposed a comprehensive The masterplan to regenerate Utrecht rebuilding programme lacking any meaningful relation to what Station District (finally approved in this part of the city needed: creating meaningful places and 2004) was not a conventional blue-print bringing back the vitality expected around a central station. An for future development, but rather a immense opposition grew against the scale of the plan, which framework based on the values captured was perceived as unfit for the small-scale city centre of Utrecht. through the referendum process and The private partners backed off and the city found itself on its shared by all the stakeholders and own once again. the communities. These values were The new political movement had promised to drop the summarised in three principles that up ‘money-driven’ scheme and declared that the city would solve until today guide the process: Restore, the problems around the station by itself, rejecting the idea of a Connect and Give Meaning. The aim was

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 19 (WRR) has recently published a report on the changing role of government in public affairs. In it, a possible future role of the government was explained in three sentences: to regulate, establishing the regula- •tions and formal rules to facilitate, giving way for others to •act and develop to stimulate, enabling development by •financing, better regulations, etc.

Although these cover the role a city can or should take in average spatial develop- ments, in the case of (sometimes neces-

One has to bridge the inertia of the existing context of buildings and necessary infrastructure and the constant changes in the socio-economic environment, and one has to realise that major urban change takes a genera- tion to mature

4 sary) large-scale developments I would Utrecht Central Station area, spatial framework suggest adding the verb to induce. The resulting masterplan is a strategic The Public Space Map (Openbare In the aftermath of the earlier framework adaptable to respond to con- Ruimtekaart)• indicating the types of public schemes and agreements and in the initial tinuous, incremental change. It contains space and the overall traffic scheme. disbelief in the referendum, the City of the following elements: The first map can be seen as the basis Utrecht had to induce its ‘neighbours’ to The Grid Map (Rasterkaart), the new for the zoning plan that will provide legal take part in the renewal and development development• framework defining the basic certainty to all parties. The second map is of the area for which everyone agreed spatial scheme for this part of the city and the prelude to the implementation agree- something had to be done. By doing so clearly distinguishing between public and ments between the city council and the and initially focussing on expressing and private areas; private parties. The last map shows what understanding each other’s values and The Programme Map (Programmakaart) the citizens of Utrecht and the investors allocating• the different types of develop- may expect from public space and traffic ambitions, it established a solid basis for a ment, without the exact measurements; management. way forward, defined and designed in the masterplan. It moved away from setting up complex and overarching long-term super-agreements and instead, following to stimulate and allow continuous urban change by framing the 4 Utrecht’s Grid Map the incremental steps in development, network of infrastructure and steering development through (Rasterkaart) showing it set up incremental agreements for public realm (orange) straightforward guidelines always addressing these principles. connections open for discrete parts of the project. The City An intensive process of participation and gaining support public (arrows) and induced the landowners (not the develop- has made it possible to implement major changes in the exist- developable plots ers!) to be loyal to the long-term vision, ing urban context, optimising and expanding the transport (blue) following the themes and values agreed as interchange and addressing the local needs of the stakeholders a result of the referendum: they initially and communities. The success of the project is growing through exchanged ‘loyalty-cards’ instead of its incremental character of development and the approach has contracts! enabled the development to survive the current economic crisis. The process of understanding, The scheme, the masterplan, has become an ‘attitude’, a way reformulating and managing the process of thinking about how to deal with continuous urban change. of urban change takes time and the only One has to bridge the inertia of the existing context of buildings party that can lead such a process is argu- and necessary infrastructure and the constant changes in the ably the government, and in this case the socio-economic environment, and one has to realise that major city. urban change takes a generation to mature. • Evolved from a political movement or better, a political Henk Bouwman, Director of Urban-imPulse experiment, Utrecht has changed the definition of a masterplan and Director of the Academy of Urbanism and especially of the role the city can take in setting it up and implementing it. The Dutch Scientific Advisory Board on Government Policies

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 20 Topic

1 Developing the City through Dialogue and Common Goals Göran Rosberg and Christer Larsson outline an enhanced participatory approach to sustainable development in Malmö

oing through a dynamic period of development, the 1 Aerial view of Board took the initiative to create an city of Malmö is in the process of identifying its new Malmö’s Western extensive vision with the objective to for- role both at local and regional levels. Malmö, the third Harbour with the old mulate a feasible future for Malmö. The G town in front largest city in Sweden with around 318,000 residents, is a strategy consisted of two primary com- multi-ethnic city with some 100 languages and 176 different ponents: the establishment of a university nationalities. It is in transition from being an industrial city to a in the central part of Malmö city centre city of culture and knowledge. A manifestation of this is Malmö and the creation of an attractive new city University opened in 1998 which is Sweden’s latest venture in environment in Västra Hamnen, next to the field of higher education, accommodating some 25,000 the university. In this way, Malmö could students. This is one of the important strategic long-term invest- be transformed from an industrial city to ments in Malmö. The European Housing Exhibition, Bo01, in a lively, future-oriented city where its cul- Västra Hamnen, is another strategic aspect of transformation tural diversity, its young population and that focuses on new values and new possibilities for Malmö, in the abandoned industrial areas became areas such as future housing, the sustainable society, an enlight- valuable assets that could be developed ened approach to recycling and good architecture. In conjunc- into an opportunity and a strength. tion with the Housing Exhibition, a first step was taken in the During the dynamic development creation of a new district where, after 150 years, the city has period from 1995 to 2010, the main focus re-established its contact with the sea. Now the city is focusing was directed towards the construction on social imbalances and has presented the report Malmö’s path of strategic infrastructure, which was towards a sustainable future – Health, welfare and justice by the a pre-requisite for economic growth. Commission for a Socially Sustainable Malmö. Now, as a result of the action programme Welfare for all – the dual commitment, all Strategies eyes are turned towards the imbalances The decline in the traditional industries created much concern within different areas of Malmö – from during the early 1990s. In January 1995, the Municipal Executive demographic, economic, business

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 21 and educational points of view. An in-depth and extensive programme which was completed in 2008 indicated extremely good results for the various investment areas. In order for the many strategic initiatives to succeed, it was also important to ensure that all of the people that worked in the city, were sharing the same vision and the same basic common values, and were pulling in the same direction. That was the reason why the action programme Commitment Malmö was started. Approximately 1,000 city leaders became catalysts for the implementation of the values adopted within the municipal- ity’s 18,000 strong personnel. This gigantic pioneering and ambassadorial project echoed throughout Sweden and can also be seen as an inward dialogue project.

Dialogue, awareness, commitment and participation 2 We must work to achieve greater awareness of our residents as resources and how we make use of our social capital. Malmö faces a big challenge in terms of energy targets: by 2020 all buildings must use renewable energy and by 2030 the entire city must do so. Our work in this field with our four climate arenas – Western Harbour, Eco city Augustenborg, Sege Park and Hyllie – has been a great asset, creating awareness among all target groups in the city. To succeed, we need a paradigmatic shift or a shift in values from a more physical approach towards developing human capital via alliances and network solutions. This could be expressed in that we are seeking more value-based urban planning in which contents and values become increas- ingly important for the processes used to create sustainable, attractive urban environments: a form of increased participa- tion throughout the population. When we proceed to the next step, additional factors clearly 3 need to be incorporated in the concept. These are climate and water management, how spatial organisation can enhance social sustainability, culture and collective knowledge as a driving force and, in particular, processes that create participation and trust. It is essential to the development of Malmö to create a socially balanced city with good living conditions for all. The urban space is important for good social development, as a shared place for meetings between people and to stimulate democracy and participation. More meeting places need to be created and safety and gender equality in the urban space need to be increased. Social and creative meeting places are a means of achieving balance. Good public health is a precondition of positive development, welfare and growth. The reduction of health inequalities in the city is a high priority. People who feel involved enjoy the best health and prosperity. The city is 4 enhanced socially by citizen participation and it is important 2 and 3 Outdoor- was to further develop the successful to work concertedly in the area of physical planning to increase Dialogue with the methods used for the Bo01 area, and citizens during participation in processes of change. This involves social mobi- preparation of a new take them to the next level: mainstream- lisation and participation in urban development and is also a masterplan for Malmö ing sustainability. The intention of the cornerstone of economic sustainability. 4 Workshop with dialogue was that both public and private young people in actors – particularly private developers The Creative Dialogue at Western Harbour UngBo 12 – would benefit from sharing knowledge, The City of Malmö’s successful efforts to combine environmen- building upon their collective expertise. tal management with urban planning resulted in an invitation By working together they could develop from the Swedish government to participate in ByggaBoDialo- new solutions focused on sustainability gen (the Dialogue Project for Building, Living and Property), a whilst simultaneously reducing their national environmental project. production costs. Three years after the In 2004, the City of Malmö, together with 13 developers, launch of the dialogue process, the first architects and citizens, launched a new communication process tenants moved in. referred to as The Creative Dialogue. This dialogue provided a platform bringing together various stakeholder groups to The Masterplan Dialogue discuss common themes related to the built environment: Our future-oriented strategic instrument architecture, planning, environmental aspects, as well as a focus of government, the masterplan, guides on quality. The primary goal was that the process itself – instead the development of the city by limiting of dictates from the planners – would result in a detailed plan the area of urbanisation and instead incorporating sustainability as well as affordability for new allowing the city to grow inwards by homes built in Flagghusen, the next development in Malmö’s raising the density, thus preserving the sustainable district, the Western Harbour. In essence, the goal valuable agricultural landscape. The plan

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 22 Topic

5 6 is one of the biggest public involvement projects initiated by the 5 The latest an extensive market survey of young city. Acceptance by and involvement of the residents of the city masterplan for Malmö people’s preferences and has enabled us was a successful has been an important factor, as well as the link to the action bottom-up process to distinguish several clear trends that programmes. 6 Urban Villas can be summarized as: flexible housing, at Flagghusen, green, collective, car-free, and more than The Youngliving (Ungbo) Dialogue an example of just housing. Baugemeinschaft UngBo was a communication project initiated by the City of (community building) Malmö in partnership with the construction industry to provoke Architects Pontus Conclusion a debate on the shortage of housing among young people. With Åquist, Cord Siegel The city is now restarting its journey an ideas competition, a competition for architects and the first and Karin Larsson and is in the process of creating a new homes exhibition for young people in Sweden, the operators in (landscape architect) narrative for the next stage of urban the housing market have been brought together to take shared development. On the commission for responsibility for increasing construction for young people as a socially sustainable Malmö and in the target group. The web-based ideas competition involved our new masterplan, we will continue young people aged between 18 and 30 submitting proposals to develop greater consensus and for how they want to live in the future, and ideas on what can partnerships, knowledge alliances and be done about the housing shortage. The project has therefore co-creation described above. Our new created a new form of citizen participation, with the involvement approach to urban planning processes of young people without any need for prior knowledge. A process and its acceptance by the actors con- has been kick-started with UngBo, and the project has generated cerned and residents will be essential knowledge capital that requires management. to success. Consensus and partnership with the business community are also The intention of the dialogue was extremely important, and by extension, their willingness to invest. The City’s that both public and private actors initiatives on key projects such as Malmö – particularly private developers – Live and the family swimming centre in Hyllie, create the preconditions and the would benefit from sharing knowledge, basic security for future private sector building upon their collective expertise investments. Partnership and consensus, co-creation and knowledge alliances are tools for building the city democratically UngBo’s homes exhibition for young people resulted in an and sustainably. Political leadership is UngBo initiative: it stipulates a number of responsibilities that equally important: without clear visions, the various operators on the housing market can assume sepa- clarity, awareness and risk-taking, we will rately and/or jointly, to contribute to more homes being built for not succeed. young people. It is hoped that the initiative will start the machin- • ery turning and put pressure on national housing policy so that Christer Larsson, Planning Director, City of other municipalities follow the example of the City of Malmö. Malmö The UngBo 12 ideas competition resulted in as many as 350 Göran Rosberg, Senior Advisor, City of Malmö proposals being submitted and created a new type of participa- tion process, with young people being involved in urban develop- ment on their own terms. The competition can also be seen as

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 23 The Growth of Cambridge Peter Studdert exposes the strengths and weaknesses of UK city governance

1 ambridge is a small city with a global reputation. People 1 North-west Growth strategy are often surprised that the population of the city is only Cambridge local Cambridge Futures challenged this decen- 126,000 people, a figure that includes a large proportion centre, photograph tralising process, and as a joint initiative C University of of the 29,000 students who attend the city’s two universities. Cambridge between ‘town and gown’ stimulated an However, Cambridge lies at the heart of a wider sub-region. open debate about the choices open to South Cambridgeshire District surrounds the city like a dough- Cambridge and the economic, environ- nut; its 105 villages contain a larger population than the city mental and social consequences of those (150,000 people), and the ring of market towns beyond bring different choices. Out of this debate came the total sub-regional population to over 400,000. a balanced strategy that accepted the This distributed spatial context has presented Cambridge need to accommodate growth, and to with significant challenges of governance and political leader- take a sequential approach to its location ship, requiring close co-operation between the City and South which started with urban regeneration, Cambridgeshire Councils as planning authorities at the heart then moved to a review of the inner of the sub-region, and Cambridgeshire County Council as the boundary of the Green Belt, then to authority responsible for transport and other strategic services. finding a location for a new settlement Despite this complex governance structure, Cambridge has beyond the Green Belt with good trans- taken a proactive approach to meeting the challenges of growth port connections back to Cambridge. that has its origins in the Cambridge Futures initiative of the The strategy was predicated on a vision late 1990s. Up to that point the planning strategy for the city of compact new neighbourhoods built had been shaped by the 1950 Holford Plan which asserted that around convenient public transport and Cambridge should not grow beyond a population of 100,000 cycling links to centres of employment, or else it would lose its status as the ‘only true University town’. and with excellent local facilities and easy Holford’s assertion that ‘one cannot make a good expanding plan access to the surrounding countryside. for Cambridge’ became the guiding principle for the subsequent This built on the characteristics that 50 years, and the Green Belt was tightly drawn around the city already made Cambridge such an attrac- to reinforce the point. Housing was exported to the surrounding tive place to live. ‘necklace villages’ and to new settlements beyond the Green Belt The 2003 Cambridgeshire Structure at Bar Hill and Cambourne. New jobs were decentralised to low- Plan became the main vehicle for develop- density rural business parks, and a proposed out-of-town shop- ing this strategy. In setting the basis for ping centre at Duxford, south of Cambridge, was only averted the review of the inner boundary of the at the last minute by the decision of the Secretary of State John Green Belt in subsequent Local Plans it Gummer in 1994. allocated four areas for major growth:

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 24 Topic To the south of the city around Trumpington a new community of 4,000 homes is well advanced, providing new homes including 40 per cent affordable homes, together with new primary schools and a new secondary school and two new country parks linking to the wider countryside. The development pro- vides new homes close to Addenbrooke’s Hospital and its Biomedical Research Campus, and is linked to the city centre by guided bus and segregated cycle paths. The Abode development by Proctor and Matthews for Countryside Homes has won the top prize in the 2014 Housing Design Awards, building on Countryside’s earlier success in winning the 2008 Stir- ling Prize for the Accordia development, which was the largest regeneration site 2 within the city. Judged against the four ‘C’s to the south, new neighbourhoods around Trumpington and a 2 North-west of the Quality Charter, the Trumpington new biomedical campus at Addenbrooke’s Hospital; to the north Cambridge development sets a high benchmark. postgraduate housing, west, two new neighbourhoods including one specifically for photograph University University expansion; employment growth around a new station of Cambridge Setbacks to the north close to the Science Park; and crucially major devel- Progress elsewhere has been slow. opment to the east, relocating the privately-owned Cambridge Although regeneration of the former Airport and establishing a new neighbourhood of 12,000 homes railway land around Cambridge Station and a new centre to accommodate uses that would complement is beginning to move ahead, the new and relieve pressure on the historic centre. All this new develop- station on the north side of Cambridge is ment was to be within a 25-minute cycle ride from the centre of not due to open until 2018, delaying the the city. The Structure Plan also identified Northstowe, eight much needed regeneration of Chesterton miles to the north west of Cambridge, as the best site for a new railway sidings and the reconfiguration of settlement of 10,000 homes linked to Cambridge by the Cam- the Cambridge Sewage Treatment Works. bridge to Huntingdon Guided Busway. A Joint Area Action Plan is in preparation This ambitious strategy had a natural fit with the Labour to guide the development of this area. Government’s 2004 Sustainable Communities Plan, and the The fragmentation created by privatised Cambridge authorities were rewarded with generous funding public transport and utility companies to establish Cambridgeshire Horizons as a locally-controlled has made co-ordination a particular delivery vehicle to co-ordinate the implementation of the challenge, adding layers of additional strategy, and most crucially to develop a vision for the quality complexity to an already complex devel- of the new neighbourhoods that were to be created. A particular opment challenge. focus was the adoption in 2010 of a Quality Charter for Growth Progress has also been slow in that was drawn up with the help of Nicholas Falk at URBED starting work on the new settlement at following study tours to exemplar developments elsewhere in Northstowe. This has principally been the UK and northern Europe. The Charter focussed on the four caused by a failure of central government, ‘C’s of Community, Connectivity, Climate and Character, which which deferred crucial investment in became the template against which the developing masterplans the congested A14 road corridor in the were assessed. The commitment to quality was reinforced by 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review, the appointment of an expert Quality Review Panel to advise the together with Treasury Green Book rules Joint Development Control Committee that was established to preventing the Homes and Communities oversee the planning of the new communities, and which has Agency (HCA) from playing the lead role survived the winding-up of Cambridgeshire Horizons following in driving forward investment in their the cuts of 2011. supposed flagship development. North- stowe has been delayed by wrangles over Successes infrastructure provision and affordable Twelve years on from the adoption of the Structure Plan, and fol- housing, and although Gallagher Estates, lowing an economic recession and changes in national and local the HCA’s private sector partner and the political control, how has the strategy stood up and what lessons original promoter of Northstowe, has can be learned about city governance? secured outline planning permission for The market downturn that affected most of the UK has in the first 1,500 homes on the northern reality had little impact on Cambridge, and the city’s economy green field element of the development, continues to expand at a dramatic rate, fuelled particularly the original aspirations for a model Eco- by the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors linked to town have long since been watered down. Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The growth of Cambridge University The biggest disappointment of all has is continuing particularly in research, and it has strengthened been the inability to relocate Cambridge its position as one of the top universities in the world. Its North Airport to allow for the essential eastern West Cambridge development is on site and will provide 3,000 expansion of the city. After years of new homes, half of which will be affordable homes for University searching for a satisfactory relocation key workers, as well as 2,000 new student rooms and 1 million site, the Marshall group which owns square feet of research and academic floorspace. the airport and which was an active

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 25

Locally controlled Deve- lopment Corporations, building on past experience … would be the model best equipped to address the complex challenges that developments at this scale have to overcome 3 participant in the growth strategy from the days of Cambridge Futures, decided in 2011 to remain on their current site for the foreseeable future, and only develop relatively small sites adjacent to but outside the airport perimeter. This has given the local authorities major headaches as they update their Local Plans, and South Cambridgeshire in particular has had to allocate new sites around Cambourne to the west of Cambridge and at a further new settlement on surplus Defence Estates land at Waterbeach to the north of Cambridge to make up the shortfall in housing. A faint hope has arisen, however, from the announce- ment that the US Air Force is vacating their base at Mildenhall by 2020, fifteen miles to the east of Cambridge and an ideal place to relocate the airport; too late to influence this round of plan- making but in time to underpin the next. In spite of the abolition of regional planning and the wind- ing-up of Cambridgeshire Horizons in 2011, the local authorities around Cambridge have maintained their commitment to the 4 growth strategy through a joint Memorandum of Co-operation 3–4 Green fingers partnerships, Cambridge could become on housing growth, and have retained a small Joint Planning run through Abode a showcase for how attractive new neigh- housing devellpment Unit within the County Council. Closer joint working is also a at Great Kneighton, bourhoods can be created to support prerequisite of the City Deal agreed between the core authorities, Cambridge by Proctor economic growth. A good start has been Cambridge University, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the and Matthews for made around Trumpington and on the Government in 2014. Countryside Properties University’s North West Cambridge devel- Pictures Peter Studdert opment. But although design quality is Conclusion high, delivery is slow and the larger sites The Cambridge story highlights the weaknesses as well as the need new locally controlled development strengths of the UK delivery model for accommodating growth. agencies to drive them forward and to It expects local authorities to operate largely as regulators of maintain a high quality vision. There also a dysfunctional market rather than as active partners with the needs to be a far greater decentralisation private sector. When the local authorities rise to the leadership of financial control from central govern- challenge with vision and tenacity, and where the market works ment than that offered by the current City well, as at Trumpington, North West Cambridge and many of Deal, on the grounds that well-targeted the regeneration sites, high quality development can be brought public investment would be recouped forward to meet demand. many times over by the tax revenues that But the regulatory model struggles to bring forward larger would flow from the wealth created. new developments in challenging locations such as at North- • stowe and East Cambridge. Locally controlled Development Peter Studdert, Independent adviser on city Corporations, building on past experience of the New Towns and planning and design based in Cambridge, Chair of the Quality Review Panel (London more recent northern European practice, would be the model Legacy Development Corporation) best equipped to address the complex challenges that develop- ments at this scale have to overcome. Lessons can also be learned from the 2012 Olympics and the way in which a well-resourced public agency can deliver high quality large scale regeneration in a challenging location to a tight timetable, working in partner- ship with the private sector and with local authorities. The need to provide new and affordable housing in places such as Cambridge deserves no less a priority than the Olympics. Given the right resources and more purposeful public/private

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 26 Topic Transforming the City: Lab Berlin Ulrich Becker and Erhart Pfotenhauer describe contributions of civic engagement to the development of Berlin

property yields, for subcultural experi- ments and creative uses. A creative milieu radiating from the Kreuzberg district drew the world’s attention to Berlin itself from the 1970s onwards. The combina- tion of special locations, unconventional lifestyles and experimental space – sup- ported by a unique level of public funding – was one of the keys to the enormous attraction of the city. It was also the impulse for developing new types of civic engagement. Originally focused on the establishment of cultural and educational institutions and on charitable projects addressing the misery of the industrial proletariat, the focus has recently shifted to secure living space and to realise self- fulfilment projects, in particular those pursued by young people. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the era of the old West Berlin was over. German reunification, and especially the collapse of the East German economy prompting the progressive de-industrialisation of the entire city, changed its key develop- ment parameters. The restitution of land socialised under the GDR regime, as well as abandoned large industrial and administrative sites, offered new spheres of activity not only for international investors but also for a great number of private initiatives. Soon after, an intense period of new ideas and experimentation began, 1 coupled with an openness and readiness IME magazine recently acknowledged Berlin as the ‘new 1 Berlin Mitte: to take risks by an increasingly young capital of creative inspiration’. Since reunification, the city Residential building, population from all continents. Their ini- has developed into one of Europe’s most important loca- courtyard elevation, tiatives created a wide range of ideas and T ©Carpaneto. tions for the creative industries. From subcultures, professional Schöningh projects that resonate far beyond Berlin. structures and flourishing companies have emerged. At the same However, the transformation of places, time, the economic sectors of media and creative industries, and especially those with a rough character information and communication technology generate sales of of metropolitan flair, requires visionary €28 billion, accounting for around 16 per cent of the total turno- power and a pioneering spirit. Each of ver of Berlin’s economy. This is achieved through 34,000 mostly the resulting projects is based on social small and medium enterprises with approximately 250,000 creativity, collaborative planning and employees. unconventional cooperative economic This development was facilitated by the consequences of war models. destruction, urban renewal, the Berlin Wall and reunification, The following examples illustrate and the large number of niches resulting from this process. More the wide range of this spectrum, ranging than in other metropolises, vacant, partially dilapidated residen- from models for collective housing and tial and commercial buildings, as well as numerous brownfield temporary use of inner city brownfield sites dominated the cityscape. sites, to the durable re-use of derelict Andreas Huyssen, professor at Columbia University, refers to industrial sites and the public appro- the ‘voids of Berlin’, caused by structural incisions in its develop- priation of large wastelands of transport ment. These offered plenty of space largely free from limiting infrastructure.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 27 Lab for housing experiments At the interface between civic engagement and collective private initiative, a new type of urban housing originated in Berlin. Pro- jects initiated by building cooperatives, combined with intensive participation in the planning and construction process, deliver exemplary contributions to cost-saving construction and variety in apartment buildings. The completed projects, mostly in inner- city locations, are privately financed and usually occupied by community members, mostly young families or multi-generation households. Some critics argue that their contribution to the revitalisation of the surrounding neighbourhoods is limited and that they are forerunners of a creeping gentrification. The first of these projects, Wohnetagen Steinstrasse, offered a different perspective: initiated by a joint building venture of young families with diverse occupational backgrounds, it was realised in a dense inner city district. Due to low construction costs and despite the central location with relatively high land prices, it could offer affordable family- and child-friendly accom- modation as well as community facilities and shareable gardens. 2 In contrast to developer projects, net cost prices without risk charges could be realised. This made it possible to offer high living standards for an average price of under 2,000 €/m2, that would otherwise never have been possible in a comparable location. The project Spreefeld offers a more extensive experimental approach: in a central location on the River Spree, it contributes to the upgrading of the surrounding neighbourhood. As a coop- erative housing project with 70 apartments – some of them large community homes for up to 20 people – it breaks new ground with a mixture of residential, commercial and community uses. Parts of the property, as well as so-called option rooms are acces- sible to the public. They are available for neighbourhood groups who only pay the running costs. This project is also characterised by low construction costs and high environmental standards. Through its cooperative financing structure, it contributes to sustainable, non-speculative use of inner-city real estate. 3 The cooperative owns the land and the buildings; its 2 Spreefeld Coop It was created by artists. To avoid a future members are the tenants who don’t own their apartments. The housing with a variety resale, they decided to transfer the land of dwelling types and shares of the cooperative cannot be inherited or sold on the open communal areas. to two charitable foundations which in market and they don’t yield an interest. Because of the high ©Carpaneto, Fatkoehl turn assigned the leases to the founding energy efficiency of the project, low-interest loans were available and BAR architects members. Part of the identity of the to cover the cost, which otherwise could not have been afforded. 3 Berlin Kreuzberg, project is the fascinating architecture Prinzessinnengarten, a The cooperative drive of an increasing number of similar pilot community garden of the buildings revealing a successful projects cannot be rated high enough. Instead of displacing on a wasteland site transformation of a Wilhelminian-style long-established residents, these new building projects con- ©Marco Clausen quarter by using the design vocabulary of tribute to the socio-economic stabilisation and regeneration of modernism. the surrounding neighbourhoods. Co-ownership, low building Since 2007, under the term ‘social costs with generous space standards and a variety of floor plans sculpture’, social and educational facili- combine to provide an important stimulus for public real estate ties, studios for artists and creative enter- and housing policies. prises, have been established on the site in a close mix with production and craft Temporary gardens in urban niches enterprises. There are nearly 100 rental Temporary urban gardens are now a worldwide phenomenon. In contracts. In addition to a cafeteria, guest Berlin, in 2009 one of the most spectacular projects was realised apartments and a venue for events and by young urban activists on the site of a derelict war-damaged conferences were also established. former department store, in the Kreuzberg district. A permanent In contrast to this is the ambitious use of the site is currently not foreseeable but if the property scheme to convert a former nightclub were to be sold, the ecological community garden can be moved venue and temporary green space in the with transportable compost beds. This ‘mobile field’ is a green Holzmarkt area, a prime city centre loca- oasis for self-supporters in an inner-city area with significant tion. On the initiative of the Cooperative lack of open space. Similar to the historical concept of common for Urban Creativity, an urban develop- land, neighbouring residents can cultivate vegetable patches and ment project has been established in enjoy an open-air café. The result is a garden that grows with the which ‘creative ideas, doers and innova- number of people who contribute to it. Meanwhile more than 50 tive funding models, support each other offshoot projects have arisen throughout the city. sustainably’. The initiative emerged from protests against Media-Spree, one of the Creative Quarters on brownfield sites largest investor-led projects for the loca- The ExRotaprint initiative which transformed the former tion of media companies in the former no- Rotaprint printing factory with a focus on ‘work, art and social man’s-land along the Wall, on the banks life’, is one of the most prominent civil society projects in Berlin. of the river Spree. In 2012, the 18,600 m2

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 28 Topic property was acquired by the Swiss Abendrot Foundation and assigned by leasehold to the Holzmarkt Cooperative as a devel- oper. The vision of an artist village, foundation centre, hotel, student housing, urban garden and restaurant will be realised on the site of the legendary Bar 25. (See UD 130 p33-35)

Spectacular open spaces According to the plans of an increasing number of supporters, Berlin’s largest pool, 750 m in length, will be built in a promi- nent place in the city’s historic centre in the immediate vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Museum Island. In a tributary of the Spree, a reed pool and unique habitat is planned for the natural purification of river water. The project is now one of the 21 ‘national projects of urban design’ and receives subsidies of €4 million from the Federal government and the State of Berlin. The most prominent civic cooperative project however, is the one on the Tempelhof Field. In 2010, after almost 100 years of use as an airport, the 4 km2 area – larger than Central Park and Hyde Park – was opened to the public. This happened mainly as a result of pressure from residents groups in adjacent neighbourhoods that significantly lack open space. Since the Berlin blockade of 1948/49, the site with its impos- ing terminal building, is deeply rooted in the consciousness of Berliners. When it opened, more than 230,000 visitors were attracted to walk, run, skate and bike on the taxiways and runways, and to picnic on the extensive lawns. Earlier initiatives argued for its use as a public open space. Thereupon, in summer 2007, the planning administration of the Berlin Senate initi- ated an internet dialogue in which 2, 400 citizens participated actively, evaluating and evolving their ideas together. 68,000 visitors looked at the online dialogue. The proposals discussed were taken on board and for the most part implemented, in 4 conjunction with the opening of the former airfield. 4 Berlin Wedding, based agreements on urban develop- Shortly after the opening, the debate about the integra- ExRotaprint ment – remains an idea. However, the ©ExRotaprint gGmbH- tion of this area into the Berlin development strategy caused Daniela Brahm discourse-model of the Stadtforum has controversies. The intention of the Berlin Senate was to develop changed. This applies not only to new three residential neighbourhoods and a commercial area on the participants and changed problems, edges of the former airfield. The remaining 230 hectares were but also to new forms of dialogue, such to be preserved as green space. In 2011, a citizens’ initiative was as internet-based ones. In this context, established with the aim of overturning these plans through a many civic and experimental initiatives referendum, and preventing any development. After a heated are important and fruitful stimuli for a public debate, a referendum was held in May 2014 on the future change in planning and building cultures. of Tempelhof Field: 739,124 Berlin voted for a law to preserve At the same time, in the context of wider the entire open space as a leisure and recreation area, thus mak- urban development issues, they remain ing the previous plans obsolete. comparatively marginal. As a result, a development and management plan for the Nevertheless, the projects described preservation of the open space on the former airfield is now fulfil an important role in managing social being developed with full public participation. A new process conflict in urban society, regardless of was launched at the end of 2014 with numerous working groups their specific characteristics and strategic and an internet forum, as well as subsequent planning work- importance. Their impact on the creation shops. The draft plan will be discussed and further developed of new models of social and economic life until the autumn of 2015. After that, its political adoption is in the transformation process of Berlin expected. is significant. Many of these projects The debate about the future use of the Tempelhof Field is are part of local economic activities that still ongoing on the internet. However, with 1,800 participants secure their place between the alternative and 300 proposals, the participation is comparatively low. and the global economies. Additionally, Even if there is no viable alternative, this process could become their creativity contributes significantly an alibi. Nevertheless the success of the referendum against a to the formation of memorable places building development is a milestone for citizen participation in that support successful livelihoods in the the planning process. It has ensured, that the citizens of Berlin, city. more than ever, are involved at an early stage in urban develop- • ment planning. Ulrich Becker, Managing Director UrbanPlan GmbH Erhart Pfotenhauer, Planning Group Manager, Social conflict management in the epUrban, Berlin transformation process The examples described represent only a small sample of the plurality of civil society generated projects that have changed the face of Berlin. In 1990, the Stadtforum Berlin initiated an open discourse for the bringing together of the divided city. The model of a ‘city contract’ formulated at the time – community

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 29 Reform by Design Henk Ovink emphasises the importance of water and describes a collaborative approach to create resilient development

1

he Water Environment Federation’s Global Risks Percep- 1 Rebuild by Design: the most vulnerable places, where they tion Survey showcases that future risks (climate change, a ‘sabbatical detour’ were hit hardest by the storm’s devastat- water crises, biodiversity loss and ecosystems collapse, organised around a ing power, fully dependent on others to T safe place outside extreme weather events, natural catastrophes, man made of the institutional. get back on their feet. environmental catastrophes, etc) are increasing in frequency Four phases lead to With Rebuild by Design, a large and and impact. At the same time these risks show a clear and strong replicable, regional, inspired coalition of stakeholders, initi- and implementable interdependency on a regional, most often urban scale. The city proposals ated by the US Department of Housing is the scale where mankind can adapt to and mitigate these risks and Urban Desvelopment, joined forces through a comprehensive approach and by connecting planning, with the ambition to set a new standard design and politics. for resilient development. Ten teams were Water is the global connecting factor. If current practices selected out of a worldwide response continue, two billion people will be effected by 2050, and four of 148 teams of engineers, scientists, billion by 2080. Of all worldwide disasters, 90 per cent are water architects and activists from all over the related. Global urbanisation provides growth, prosperity, eman- world that collaborated with a wide vari- cipation and development opportunities, but climate change, sea ety of agencies: federal, state and local level rise and the increasing impacts of these, risk putting a lot governments, businesses and community of pressure on cities, societies and citizens, on economies and groups, affected citizens and activists ecology. If we don't act, the system will collapse and we will be groups such as Occupy Sandy. Supported the victims of our own failure. by research partners and a group of Water is at the heart of this uncertain future: it is through dedicated funders such as the Rockefeller water that most of the impact of climate change is felt. Water is Foundation, Rebuild by Design became essential for the economy and for social and cultural wellbeing. more than a programme; it evolved into Water quality defines society’s economic and societal prosperity, a movement for resilience directed at the and water risks – too much or too little – define societies’ vulner- hearts and minds of the people. It created ability. In an urban context, water is an asset if right but if not, alliances for change, pushed for research it is a severe risk. And while urbanisation has this emancipatory by design and connected with real capacity – women work and kids learn – it is the collective water projects, linking design to politics and issues that can put urban places at higher risk, thus straining advocating reform through new perspec- once again the emancipatory curve. Water connects economy tives, for a true cultural change. and ecology, and on the urban-regional scale, we can adapt and • mitigate, thus strengthening cities and communities worldwide. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy International Hurricane Sandy in 2012 left a big mark on the North East Water Affairs (Netherlands), Principal Rebuild by Design. Former Special Advisor to the region of the United States, the country’s largest metro-region Presidential Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task and a great economic power, destroying and damaging more Force than 650,000 houses and hundreds of thousands of businesses. Sandy unveiled the social and physical vulnerabilities of this region and their interdependencies. It exposed its tensions, the disconnect between politics and people, and emphasised that there was no clear path forward. The socially vulnerable lived in

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 30 Topic City Making in the 21st Century Hans de Jonge suggests that collaboration, partnerships and flexibility are keys to future urban development

make living labs of parts of cities and use (semi) public processes of co-creation with stakehold- domain ers to generate alternatives that are well rooted in society. Are we going to (re)develop a more civic society with a better balance between societal and individual needs? How does that translate into physical solutions in the making of our cities? And solidarity individuality what is the role of market parties in this? availability selectivity In The Netherlands, after many equality inequality decades of detailed city planning by public bodies, we seem to have forgotten where we came from. When Amsterdam was planned, the city limited itself to defining the underlying structure of ? canals, roads and defence works, and left it to private initiative to ‘fill in the grid’. private market With private capital, the plots were filled and altered over time when change in demand occurred. The first railroad in the next decades: towards another approach? The Netherlands was a privately-run busi- 1 ness. The same happened with the large tracts of land that were reclaimed from 1 the sea: private companies and coopera- n 2050 approximately 70 per cent of the world population 1 Shift in force field tives took care of that. Later when the will live in cities. This is offering challenges in the field state developed into a welfare state, Dutch Iof energy, water, food, waste, mobility and housing of an city development became an example of unseen magnitude. Cities are looking for strategies to deal with successful top-down planning for many these challenges in a globalising world economy, where large decades. And when the public sector companies are organising themselves to deliver services that failed to deliver solutions to growing soci- until recently were in the public domain. Information technol- etal needs, many different solutions were ogy generates numerous possibilities to make cities ‘smart’, generated through Public Private Partner- and individual citizens find each other in communities that are ships. Successful examples are plenty in developing many small-scale solutions for their cities. How do the domain of toll roads, bridges, sewage we develop cities in this era of shifting paradigms? systems, transportation systems, energy Cities are the footprint of society. They are the reflection plants, etc. of the economic, social, technological and political forces that shape our lives. The change of most western societies first The Dutch experience from an agricultural into an industrial economy, then from an What does this mean for city making? In industrial into a post-industrial service economy, and now into my view, it means that private initiatives an idea-driven, creative service economy (Florida, 2010) has and profit driven arrangements are generated different forces that shape our cities. In city planning necessary to make cities, but that city in most developed economies, we have seen a shift in the force governments as representatives of their field in the past three decades. citizens should establish the basic rules From systems that were more oriented to solidarity, avail- of the game under democratic control, ability and equality and initiatives from the public domain, the thus securing the long-term interest of growth of personal wealth of citizens and a process of individu- the civic society. They should leave as alisation have generated more private market initiatives that much as possible open to private initiative are more geared to the individual consumer. The willingness to and stimulate innovative solutions and pay taxes for the good of society has diminished, and spending challenge market parties. They should for personal interest increased. Privately financed communities set clear goals and boundaries and be and clubs have expanded and privately owned public space has reliable over time. In that way they create become a common phenomenon. a stable and clear investment climate for On the other hand the rise of information technology enables all kinds of private initiatives. Not only citizens to make their own data about their own environment, large scale top-down ones, but also small, and through big data they can ‘sense the city’. We are now able to community-driven bottom-up ones.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 31

2 They should allow mix and change of functions over time 2 New York City’s Plan, make legislation and uphold only and should separate long-term, high-impact infrastructural skyline reflects the •where it is necessary decisions from the short-term, low-impact ones. Cities are values of its society Facilitate societal initiatives living organisms and we have never been capable of planning • Initiate where market fails to pick up them in such a way that they are alive from day one. For refer- •societal needs. ence, look at Chandigarh, Canberra or Brasilia. Patience is an important ingredient for city making, but today we seem to Recently the Massachussets Institute of have no time. The only answer to that is the kind of open plan- Technology, Delft University of Technol- ning I described above: fix what is necessary, leave open where ogy and Wageningen University, created possible. Cooperate with market parties in such a way that they Amsterdam Metropolitan Solutions also take responsibility for the less profitable but socially nec- (AMS) in co-operation with the City of essary solutions. But above all: use the intelligence of citizens Amsterdam. The city will serve as living in processes where stakeholders are co-creating new solutions lab for many new experiments in design, for cities. In the meanwhile we have to take care that we create engineering and management of cities, meaningful, beautiful public space. This will appear to be the and many companies will collaborate in greatest asset of cities and a clever investment for private this programme. parties too. If cities fail to develop strategies that facilitate the Altogether I have a tremendous faith developments I described above, they are bound to find out in the vitality of the city. Confronted with that profit-driven private initiatives will spill over into default the challenges to accommodate a growing arrangements for the city. population in a globalised economy, close cooperation between public and private Collaboration with Academia sectors, between institutions and bottom- ‘Making city’ today requires a different set of competences up initiatives of citizens, is vital. This will than we were used to a few decades ago. Multidisciplinary be facilitated by using technology to cre- work in complex settings with multiple stakeholders is offer- ate smart cities that enable co-operation ing numerous challenges. That is why the City of Rotterdam, between many different stakeholders. Erasmus University and Delft University combined forces in With a good understanding of each other’s 2002 and created a successful post-experience, postgraduate interests I am convinced we will find the training. Professionals from different disciplines and different solutions to the challenges we are faced stakeholders work side by side in a two-year part-time MSc with. programme (Master City Developer). They work on challeng- • ing projects from practice while getting academically trained, Professor Hans de Jonge, Chair of Real and they become reflective practitioners. Estate and Development, Delft University of Technology, Chairman of Brink Group and The City of Rotterdam has reviewed its city planning strate- initiator of MSc programme Master City gies in the past years and is now combining these in order to Developer develop the city:

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 32 Topic Leadership, Design and Value Lawrence Barth suggests that Birmingham leads the way in a new, more European approach to city building

stewards promoting the creation of that value through broad-based collaboration and partnership over time. Secondly, as we turn from ambitions to the means of urban transforma- tion, there is a very clear coupling of infrastructural development with a comprehensive emphasis upon all forms of mobility. Throughout the plan, not only is mode variety emphasised, but the condition of the system of streets, spaces, and transport networks is addressed in terms of enhancements to overall mobil- ity and connectivity. There is an emphasis upon extension, balance, diversity, and permeability which serves pedestrian life and cyclists, while simultaneously encouraging the hierarchy and nodality required for successful development of public transport. In this way, investment in infrastructure gains its justification through its role in the broader integra- 1 tion and capacity-building of the city. At irmingham’s Big City Plan has drawn considerable posi- 1 Hamburg, the same time, the stakeholder base for tive attention in recent years for its role in the continued HafenCity’s plan infrastructural development is broad- transformation of the city’s centre, and there are a enabled its leadership ened and the risks of overall investment B to deliver diversity and number of features of the plan which should attract our interest coherence from the lowered. and encourage discussion. As a masterplan it is interesting both earliest phases Thirdly, the plan is based very clearly for the successes it has enabled under adverse conditions and upon the concept of urban areas – their for the ways it invites comparison with international examples. character, integrity, richness, and Perhaps most important among these features is the plan’s focus vocation are emphasised repeatedly. on building partnerships and supporting strategic decisions This contrasts with restrictive land-use by multiple actors. In this respect, the plan follows the vision- planning and encourages the diversifica- ing study by Professor Michael Parkinson, but is also a useful tion and intensification commensurate example of the kind of collective thinking that underpins the with central-city capacity-building. Also, notion of ‘the city as master developer’. However, other features however, these urban areas are not seen of the plan are necessary complements to this focus on strategy as bounded enclaves, but as mutually and partnership, and we may look at these to open a comparative supportive parts of a greater whole. The discussion of lessons to be learned from abroad. areas are understood as layered and interconnected with their surroundings. Birmingham’s clear vision The vision of the plan moves fluidly Firstly, the plan is clear about its ambitions and the way these across scales, so that local proposals can are founded upon current trends and evolving models. Eco- be understood in relation to broader nomic development and job generation come foremost in its metropolitan transformation. This is vision, based on a knowledge-city model which emphasizes the integration through differentiation. growth and development of cultural and educational institu- Emphasising urban areas within the plan tions, creative and digital industries, and a broad range of office promotes two further patterns of suc- and work spaces. Tied together with this ambition is another cessful practice within the overall urban emphasizing high-quality, city-centre living. This is a plan which development process. First, the design acknowledges the advantages which may be gained from the reasoning which ensues aims toward the city’s youthful and diverse population if meaningful support intersection of complexity and coher- can be given to its existing knowledge institutions and the rich ence, such that a consistent and repeat- urban potential of its city centre. Taken together, these ambi- able morphology can offer nevertheless tions and the current economic conditions on which they’re a considerable diversity and flexibility based underpin a strategy to generate value in the medium of spaces. Secondly, the emphasis upon to long-term, and it is clear that the value envisioned can be urban areas in the plan encourages a seen as both social and economic. City leadership must act as complementary approach to delivery. The

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 33 Big City Plan encourages the formation of a robust set of area- based, cross-sectoral delivery mechanisms, such as place-based initiatives and business improvement districts.

European comparisons We may take these features of a promising UK plan as a start- ing point for wider discussion and consideration of seminal plans and projects from other European cities, such as Malmö’s Western Harbour, Hamburg’s Hafencity, and Paris’ Rive Gauche and Bercy. Before we do, however, it is worth considering against what we would place such a collection. All of these are examples of large-scale projects requiring leadership, joined-up vision, and a focus on long-term value. They are noteworthy because they start from the recognition that the current scope, complexity, and, importantly, potential value of urban change exceeds what the market and piecemeal private development can address. Throughout the UK, as in Europe, the regulatory and restrictive bias of planning, together with the market, leave cities poorly equipped to address the uncertainties and risks of 2 redevelopment, precisely at a time when there is greatest oppor- tunity to harness global trends for radical improvement in our cities. The issue is much more than simply having an overview and technical competence to drive change, however. France has a long tradition, extending from the 50s and 60s, establishing in law the instruments to enable state-led leadership through pro- ject-based contracting authorities for large-scale urban change. More recently, in 1999 and 2000, France passed a set of laws to improve the way local governments can act in concert – across boundaries and sectors – in order to fulfil strategic ambitions. The focus shifted to collaborative action, sustainability, social cohesion, and a coherent and consolidated approach among all facets of urban development – infrastructural, economic, and social. Leadership became oriented more toward the building of broadly based competence and capacity. The shift in French laws show that it is not simply a case of taking a grand vision – this had long been possible in both France and the UK – but in enabling a broad set of stakeholders 3 to take collective decisions under conditions that are too com- 2 Paris Rive Gauche, city-centre living. However, the case of plex and dynamic for either the single vision of the state or the Tolbiac district enables Hafencity, with its unique powers as a social housing and wildly dispersed interests of the market. To combat complexity offices to share the contracting authority, allows us to see and risk on the one hand, and take full advantage of forces for same perimeter block, very clearly and didactically the role of positive change, on the other hand, requires stewardship and a creating a successful both design and finely developed legal vehicle for promoting dialogue amongst actors on ambitions, family environment instruments in enabling the manage- 3 Paris Rive Gauche, values, and local conditions. This is the role of plans like those Massena district ment of risk, the broadening of the we have seen in Birmingham, Malmö, and Hamburg. They are brings diversity and stakeholder base, and the rapid pursuit of propositional and flexible rather than restrictive, and highly light to dwellings in a transformation. ambitious rather than merely regulatory. Christer Larsson, high-density residential Hafencity GMBH, as the contracting Director of Planning at the City of Malmö, has long been an advo- scheme authority, not only controls the land cate of ‘value planning’, an approach that emphasises dialogue, but has the power to link the point of its collaborative learning, and the clarification of key ambitions in sale to planning and design approvals urban development. This has been a hallmark of the successful along with an obligation to build and transformation of Malmö over the last two decades, in which we occupy. The emphasis throughout the have seen city government retain the trust both of its citizens process is placed upon building an urban and the business sector as it rapidly shifted its core vision away community of stakeholders committed from declining industries and toward emerging sectors (see to long-term value. The plan and the article on page 20). legal instruments are the tools. The legal However, beyond these emerging characteristics of leader- instruments are perhaps not replicable in ship, the other features of Birmingham’s Big City Plan deserve the UK, but the key ideas are transferable. consideration alongside these European examples. Each of them In the UK, the possibility of area-based is strongly based on the concept of urban areas, promoting planning and delivery vehicles allow us mix, complexity, and coherence through a studied emphasis to similarly address problems of risk and upon morphological consistency and variation, rather than on uncertainty through collective steward- land-use distinctions. Similarly, all of them link infrastructural ship. Design reasoning can support this investment in transport to an insistence upon rich patterns process. In Hafencity, each phase of the of micro-mobility to support broader integration. Hafencity, plan was geared to develop relatively like Birmingham, presents a project for the expansion and complete urban areas in sequence, and diversification of the city centre. The ambitions are also similar: the design emphasis was placed upon the enable the growth of key business sectors, emphasise knowledge intersection of coherence and variety. and cultural institutions, promote accommodation of creative In the earliest phase, the proposition industries, and most especially, cultivate new opportunities for of simple and consistent types enabled

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 34 Topic

In Hafencity, each phase of the plan was geared to develop relatively com- plete urban areas in sequence, and the design emphasis was placed upon the intersection of coherence and variety

cities. In Malmö’s Western Harbour, Hafencity, Rive Gauche and Bercy, design leadership in housing is clearly evident. The Marco Polo residential tower directly adjacent to Unilever’s headquarters in Hafencity demonstrates not only the pos- sibility of high-quality family living in a tower environment, but also a high degree of floorplan variation for a complex social mix, and also the great potential of pri- 4 vate outdoor space in a residential tower. In Rive Gauche, the differentiation of the overall project into distinctive neighbour- hoods enabled design exploration into the particular qualities and advantages of dif- ferent morphological starting points. In the Tolbiac district, the emphasis is upon the possibilities of the perimeter block, while in the Massena district, Christian Portzamparc’s plan called for a rich experimentation with the possibilities of mid-rise point blocks under conditions of high density.

Conclusion The Big City Plan is not in itself a statutory plan, but lends itself to the development of Birmingham Council’s Core Strategy, which does have statutory standing. In addition, it has been adopted by a wide variety of organizations involved in the city’s area-based develop- ment, and can also serve to guide local 5 statutory plans. As the key features of Hafencity to seek a broad set of developers and stakeholders as 4 Hamburg Hafencity: the plan are absorbed into the collective preferred bidders, and then coaxed from them greater levels of the Unilever head- stewardship of the city’s development, quarters and the Marco design and programmatic ambition throughout a consultation Polo residential tower the role of design in the management process prior to final agreement and development. There were offer an example of of risk and creation of value comes into no land-use restrictions, but values were rooted in the larger complex mix sharper relief. Here is where we can learn ambitions of the expansion of the central city, and consequently most from the more detailed and studied 5 St Giles, Renzo promoted both office and residential functions in the early Piano’s design for consideration of contemporary design phases. The simplicity of the types supported these ambitions. London’s Central St. thinking emerging globally. This design However, the consistency and variation that define urban Giles incorporates the competence can support our efforts for areas are not our only design challenges. What is also distinc- changing culture of coherence together with complexity and work to deliver a lively tive about the current period is the dramatic explosion of urban plaza. innovation, and in this way serve both complex networks of collaboration that define innovation-based stewardship and the value proposition economies of today. Workplaces are changing, as are universi- underlying urban change. ties, libraries, museums, stadiums, and so on. All of them are • increasingly oriented toward multiple functions and wider urban Professor Lawrence Barth, lecturer on synergies. With Renzo Piano’s design for St. Giles in London, the urbanism at the Architectural Association transformation of today’s office-building lobby could become a Graduate School resource for a redefined urban plaza. Seattle’s Central Library by OMA not only redefines the experience of being in a library and the services on offer, but offers a new kind of urban resource in its design direction. Examples such as these abound, and this may be extended into new approaches to housing in central

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Topic 35 City Planning as a Collective Endeavour The role of Master Developer

ities develop over generations. Each of the contributors that city developments are facing, as systems move from solidar- reflects on the importance of a long-term view for their ity, availability and equality to greater individuality, selectivity Ccity, composed of a commitment to a vision and achieved and inequality. Malmö, a city based on heavy industry which 30 through incremental steps. The role of the city authority is to years ago faced a declining economy, sought a strong vision and focus on integrating the past, present and future, by managing political leadership. It has repositioned itself through focusing change, not primarily by relying on a fixed master plan but on a green agenda of environmental sustainability, social equal- by establishing processes to support collaboration and co- ity and working together to establish shared values through production within a guiding framework. HafenCity is an example dialogue. Berlin before re-unification was a city split by ideology, of what Professor Bruns-Berentelg, its CEO, describes as ‘actor- with the western sectors dependent on central government centred induced development’, where increased complexity and support. Post re-unification and now the seat of government, the uncertainty requires a planning approach on many different city is developing its role as a creative hub. The pre-unification levels, physical, technical and socio–cultural, as well as the legacy of a large student population and alternative lifestyles involvement of a range of stakeholders, including users and civil has supported a culture of experimentation, which is moulding society. HafenCity, an enlargement of Hamburg’s city centre by the character of the city through small-scale infill initiatives, almost 40 per cent, is more than a construction site; it is equally and opening up larger unused areas such as Templehof to concerned with economic, social and cultural development. It is public debate. These initiatives, external to the formal planning innovative in its approach, focused on quality, learning through process, are initiating change through small-scale examples and evaluation, reflection and feedback. Barth describes HafenCity on the larger sites. They are stimulating new mechanisms for as a process of building a community of stakeholders, commit- participation, ownership and delivery. ted to long-term value, and addressing problems of risk and In the Netherlands, Utrecht’s central station presents a uncertainty through collective stewardship. 30-year long-term regeneration project likely to have had an Our two UK contributors, both with eminent careers leading impact across the city and its immediate region. The process, local authority teams, offer pointers towards a more collabora- with strong themes and values established by referendum, tive inclusive approach. Studdert’s description of the develop- was implemented incrementally with the city as ‘ring master’. ment of a planning strategy for Cambridge and its sub-region, It began as a blueprint masterplan which, after the local recognises the value of the work of Cambridge Futures, a joint referendum, developed to become a collaborative process of co- initiative between town and gown, to the planning authority, creation and co-production. The director of the project, Albert when framing the issues and options for the city development Hutschemaekers likens the process to open-heart surgery: ‘the plan. Whilst Cambridgeshire Horizons Quality Charter for client must stay alive, all specialists have their own opinions Sustainable Growth sets high expectations and a sound platform and the family needs to be informed constantly’. Henk Ovink, for the current Quality Panel, Cambridge is a story of high ambi- previously Director for Spatial Planning at the Dutch Ministry for tions, with strong support from civil society, but as is often the Infrastructure and Environment, provides a global perspective case, slow in delivery. Studdert sees ‘local authorities operating of applying a collaborative approach that connects, planning, largely as regulators of a dysfunctional market rather than an design and politics to tackle the crisis of water, its risks and as an active partner’. Peter Bishop talks about the parochialism opportunities of ‘city hall’ governance, and the implications of the shift from In this era of rapid change, the masterplan becomes a device being the sole provider of services to becoming an enabler of for managing progressive urban transformation, through a public/private delivery agencies. He reminds us that cities are process of commitment, collaboration and co-operation. The complex, that democracy can be difficult, and that framing process is one of creating a big vision, established and delivered robust, resilient and balanced solutions takes time. Planning in in partnership with local people and stakeholders through an a democracy is about brokerage and leadership, for which the iterative journey. The state provides the infrastructure for cities city has to earn the right to lead by making good things happen. and their citizens to thrive, and the certainty to make decisions Planning, he argues, should be ‘permissive not restrictive’, citing in a timely manner. Cities provide long-term vision, leadership the breakthrough for Kings Cross and St Giles when planners and facilitation, supporting the success of their citizens, seeking stepped outside their ‘comfortable regulatory role’. sustainable and equitable outcomes for all. Civil society contrib- Irish planning, based on the British legal system, is tempered utes to the ambitions of the city, through social, ‘green’ and and by European experience. City leadership comes from the city economic enterprises, stimulating resilience, prosperity, global manager appointed by the State. Dick Gleeson, as an instinc- competitiveness and innovation. tive ‘collaborative urbanist’, moved between the formal role of • making and regulating the statutory development plan, and the John Worthington participative role. Drawing on the energy of the city to initiate Rosalie Callway small-scale local change led to establishing Creative Dublin, an informal partnership between the city, its agencies, the universi- ties and business. The continental articles highlight the greater autonomy of other European cities, with their different legal structures and strong emphasis on community, collaboration, and equality. They provide strong models, whilst also showing the pressures

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 36 The National Urban Design Awards 2015

The National Urban Design Awards 2015 11 March 2015, Victory Services Club, London

1 2 The Urban Design awards have now been in for the excellent dinner to be served. The Initiatives Studio and Bespoke. Thanks are existence for eight years, developing from a guitar duo of Charles Alexander and John therefore due to the sponsors as well as to relatively modest initiative by John Billing- Blackwell with vocalist Liz Fletcher provided all those that helped making the evening a ham to a more wide-ranging competition music during this interval. The last of the success, including those who attended; and that now includes awards for practices, the awards, for Lifetime Achievement, was given congratulations to all winners and shortlist- public sector, students, developers, books to Terry Farrell who couldn’t be there in per- ed entrants. and lifetime achievement. At the same son but was shown on film being interviewed The Urban Design award ceremony is time the award ceremony has expanded in by Jeremy Hernalesteen. now a highlight in the professional calendar. size (140 people attended this year) and After the presentation ceremony, par- The UDG needs to put the price up for the quality, culminating this year with a new ticipants lingered for some time, networking ticket of the awards evening: those that at- format – suggested by Noha Nasser, Chair and discussing the evening which by all ac- tended got a very good meal and abundant of the Awards group – that allowed for more counts was a great success. In developing alcohol for a mere £20. It must have been networking, conviviality and, not to be ne- the awards for future years, the UDG needs the best value deal in town! glected, better food. more entrants to all awards categories and During the first hour, attendees mingled more practices attending the event. There informally and networked, with drinks in are many more good schemes around the Practice Award their hands. The next part of the evening, country, both from the public and private Winner the more formal one, was organised around sector that should be known to a wider audi- URBED for the Trent Basin scheme in tables for twelve people. After a welcom- ence; there are exemplary developers that Nottingham ing by UDG Chair Katy Neaves, David Rudlin need to come forward; there are pioneer- of URBED gave a stimulating, humorous and ing local authorities taking initiatives that Shortlisted very visual key-note address (reproduced on could be replicated elsewhere. The awards HTA Design LLP for the South Acton page 8–9). are there to make sure these get recognition. Masterplan, Former Chair of the UDG, Amanda Reyn- All those reading this article should think of John Thompson & Partners for the St Clem- olds then introduced the awards which, as entering for one of the awards and tell their ent’s Hospital, Bow, in previous years, showcase some great ex- colleagues to do so. Levitt Bernstein for the Ocean Estate Re- amples of urban design work produced in As in the past, the short-listed entries generation, Tower Hamlets, the UK over the past 12 months. For four of in the Practice and Public Sector catego- All shortlisted entries published in UD 132. the six categories, the shortlisted candi- ries were published in Urban Design and dates had prepared short videos which were the UDG membership was invited to vote for Public sector award shown before Janet Tibbalds presented the the winner. The Student and the Developer Winner winners with their awards on behalf of the Award were chosen by the UDG executive, Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust, Francis Tibbalds Trust. The exception to this the Book Award by the reviewing judges and Birmingham City Council format was the Book Award which was in- the Lifetime Achievement award by the UDG troduced by Louie Sieh, chair of the panel of Trustees. Shortlisted judges for this category. Half-way through The awards evening was generously London Borough of Hackney for King’s Cres- the proceedings there was a pause to allow sponsored by publishers Routledge, Urban cent Community Orchard Pocket Park

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 The National Urban Design Awards 2015 37

1, 2 UDG members enjoying a meal and listening to key note speech

3 5

6

4 7 Telford and Wrekin Council for Southwater Shortlisted Shortlisted Regeneration of Town Centre Food City, CJ Lim, Routledge Karina Wahyuni Utami, Cardiff University, All shortlisted entries published in UD 133. Sustainable Urban Metabolism, Paulo Ferrão Breaking Down Barriers – Birmingham Cen- and John E. Fernandez, MIT Press tral Mosque Developer’s award The Nature Of Urban Design: A New York Adriyan Kusum, University of Nottingham Winner perspective on resilience, Alexandros Nottingham Mediapark Barratt Homes Southern Region for Washburn, Island Press Siti Anis; Sen Chen; Osman Khalifa, Bentley Priory (Phase 1), Stanmore The City as a Tangled Bank: Urban Design Strathclyde University Regeneration of Urban trumpington Meadows, Cambridge vs Urban Evolution, Terry Farrell, John Wiley Neighbourhood. Montague Park (Phase 1), Wokingham and Sons • Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Sebastian Loew Special commendation was given to Towns, Victor Dover and John Massengale, Davidson Homes John Wiley and Sons, Inc

Designing Urban Transformation, Aseem 3 David Rudlin giving Book award Inam, Routledge key note speech, Winner All shortlisted entries published in UD 133. with Katy Neaves and Amanda Reynolds Smart Cities: Big data, civic hackers, and 4 The student award the quest for a new utopia Students award announced by by Anthony M. Townsend, W. W. Norton & Winner Sebastian Loew being Company Clara Kohler of Cardiff University for her presented by Janet Tibbalds to Clara project of Re-imagining Swansea High Street Kohler. Runner up – The Green Lanes. 5–7 shortlisted student How to study public life, Published in the next two pages. projects, top to bottom Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre, Island Press Karina Wahyuni Utami, Adriyan Kusum, Siti Anis, San Chen, Osman Khalifa

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Urban Design Awards 2015 -Student Award Entry 38 StudUrban Designent Awards Awar 2015d -Student Winner Award Entry 2015 RE-IMAGININGUrban Design Awards 2015 -Student SWANSEA Award Entry HIGH STREET: THERE-IMAGININGRE-IMAGINING GREEN LANES SWANSEASWANSEA HIGHHIGH STREET:STREET: ClaraTHETHE Köhler GREENGREEN exploresR e-imagining LANESLANES the informal activation Swansea of medieval alleyways High ClaraClara Köhler Köhler explores exploresStreet: the the informal informal The activationactivation Green ofof medievalmedieval Lanes alleywaysalleyways Clara Köhler explores the informal activation of medieval alleyways BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT DuringBACKGROUND medieval times, TO theTHE High PROJECT Street EXISTING PROPOSED primary road BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT EXISTING railway PROPOSED railway secondaryprimary road road in SwanseaBADuringCKGR medieval wasOU aN bustlingD TOtimes, THE shoppingthe P RHighOJE StreetCTarea. station station EXISTING PROPOSED shared space During medieval times, the High Street railway railway primarysecondary road road Duringin Swansea medieval was times,a bustling the Hshoppingigh Street area. in station station However, after the Second World War, the pedestriansecondaryshared space road railway railway connection in Swansea was a bustling shopping area. to Swansea Met station to Swansea Met station SHowever,wansea was after a bustling the Second shopping World area. War, H theow- sharedpedestrian space city centre moved to the south-west, and University High Street University High Street to river- to river- semi-publicconnection to Swansea Met to Swansea Met However, after the Second World War, the side side pedestrianpedestrian today,ever,city the centre after High the moved Street Second to has theWorld lost south-west, War, its original the city and University High Street University High Street connectionconnectionsemi-public to Swansea Met to river- to Swansea Met to river- side side pedestrian city centre moved to the south-west, and University King‘s Lane High Street University King‘s Lane High Street semi-publicconnection function.centretoday, movedThethe High area to theStreetaround south-west, has this lost once its and original today, to river- to river- major node side side pedestrian today, the High Street has lost its original King‘s Lane King‘s Lane connection so vibrantthefunction. High street S treetThe areafaces has lostaround many its original problems this once function. major node King‘s Lane King‘s Lane function. The area around this once Parc Tawe Parc Tawe major node suchTsohe as vibrant area vacancy, around street physical this faces once manydecline so vibrant problems and streeta retail outlet retail outlet Parc Tawe Parc Tawe sofacessuch vibrant asmany vacancy, street problems faces physical such many asdecline problemsvacancy, and phys a - retail outlet retail outlet negative stigma. Against this background Parc Tawe Parc Tawe thesuchicalnegative Urban declineas vacancy, Design stigma. and Groupa physical Againstnegative of Swanseadecline thisimage. background Aand gainstCity a retail outlet retail outlet negative stigma. Against this background city centre city centre thisthe Urbanbackground Design the Group Urban of Design Swansea Group City shopping area shopping area Council commissioned a strategic urban city centre city centre theofCouncil SUrbanwansea commissioned Design City Council Group commissioned a of strategic Swansea urban City a shopping area shopping area design framework in order to explore city centre city centre theCouncilstrategicdesign potential frameworkcommissioned urban for the design High in orderframework a Street strategic to exploreto inbe urban order to shopping area shopping area re-vitaliseddesignexplorethe potential framework the through potential for the thein for orderHigh overarching the Street toHigh explore S totreet topic be to the potential for the High Street to be of 'greening'.bere-vitalised re-vitalised The through through following the the overarching designoverarching project topic the strategic east-west connection from between High Street as a proposed shared re-vitalised through the overarching topic 1 wasof conducted ‘greening’.'greening'. Tin heThe response following following to design adesign brief project set project thethe university strategic down east-west to the connection the river by from spacebetween and Highthe green Street lanes. as a proposed These are shared to be of 'greening'. The following design project the strategic east-west connection from between High Street as a proposed shared outwas in this conducted framework in in response response and was to to informeda abrief brief set set out openingbythe opening university up and up and activatingdown activating to the the thethe alleyways riveralleyways by in markedofspace temporarily and firstly the movable through green lanes. trees the introductionTheseand street are to be was conducted in response to a brief set the university down to the the river by space and the green lanes. These are to be by theinout this previouslyin frameworkthis framework undertaken and was and informed was site informed analysis, by the orderinopening order to use to up use these and these activatingforgotten forgotten thespaces spaces alleyways more more in offurniture,marked temporarily firstlywhich movable couldthrough then treesthe be introduction solidified and street by out in this framework and was informed opening up and activating the alleyways in marked firstly through the introduction communitypreviouslyby the previously involvement undertaken undertaken site and analysis, precedent site analysis,commu - efficientlyefficientlyorder to anduse and thesere-integrate re-integrate forgotten them them spaces intointo more thethe furniture,permanentof temporarily which fixtured movable could over then time, trees be carrying and solidified street the bynitycommunity the involvement previously involvement and undertaken precedent and siteprecedent studies. analysis, orderpublicefficiently to realm use and theseof S re-integratewansea. forgotten themspaces into more the characteroffurniture, temporarily and which identity movable could of thethen trees green be and solidified lanes street studies.community involvement and precedent publicefficiently realm and of Swansea re-integrate (see themabove). into the byfurniture, permanent which fixtured could overthen time, be solidified carrying studies. public realm of Swansea (see above). theintoby character permanentthe High S andtreet. fixtured identity over of time,the green carrying studies. public realm of Swansea (see above). bythe permanent character andfixtured identity over of time, the green carrying AIMAIM OF OF THE THE PROJECT PROJECT THETHE GREEN GREEN LANES LANES lanes into the High Street. WithAIM itsOF strong THE north-southPROJECT direction the TTHEhe east-west GREEN lanes LANES have the potential to be- ANthelanes characterACT intoIV Ethe GREENING and High identity Street. S ofTRA theT EGYgreen With its strong north-south direction the The east-west lanes have the potential AIMHWithigh OFS itstreet THEstrong functions PROJECT north-south as an important direction con the- THEcomeThe east-westGREEN an asset forLANES lanes the havewhole the neighbourhood, potential Tlanes he proposed into the greening High Street. strategy for the re- High Street functions as an important to become an asset for the whole AN ACTIVE GREENING STRATEGY WithnectionHigh its Street strongbetween functions north-south the city as centre an directionimportant and the the Thetoto make become east-west up foran lanestheasset lack havefor of the publicthe whole potential space in the use AN of ACTIVE the lanes GREENING consists of two STRATEGY approaches, connection between the city centre and neighbourhood, make up for the lack The proposed greening strategy for Highrailwayconnection Street station. functions between However, theas an becausecity important centre of the and toareaneighbourhood, become and help an strenghtenasset make for theup the forwhole social the lackbonds oneANThe for ACTIVE proposed activating GREENING greening the lanes strategy through STRATEGY for com - the railway station. However, because of public space in the area and help the re-use of the lanes consists of two connectioninherentthe railway topography between station. andHowever,the citythe fact centre because that and it runs neighbourhood,ofof residents, public space workers in make the and areaup visitors for and the helpalike lack by munityThethe re-useproposed events of andthe greening lanesone for consists strategy improving of for twothe en- of the inherent topography and the fact strenghtening the social bonds of approaches, one for activating the lanes theparallelof therailway inherent to two station. major topography However, streets with and because onlythe fact one ofprovidingstrenghtening public spacespaces inthe to the stay,social area play bonds and and help ofmeet. As vironment.theapproaches, re-use Tofhe theone activation lanes for activating consists strategy theof explores two lanes thatoflinkthat itthe runsacross it inherent runs parallel for parallel vehicles, topography to twoto twothe major H majorandigh streets Sthetreet streets fact is residents,strenghteningwellresidents, as making workers workers the and areasocial and visitors safer visitors bonds and alike of changingalike by by throughhowapproaches,through greening community community canone befor combined eventsactivating events and and with the one one com lanes - withthatpoorlywith only it only runs connectedone one parallel link link across to acrossto its two surrounding for formajor vehicles, vehicles, streets areas. providingresidents,people’sproviding perception,spaces workers spaces to to stay, and the stay, visitorsgreenplay play and lanes and alike meet. meet.can by im - formunity,throughfor improving improving arts community and the the culture environment. environment. events as well and as Theoneretail. The thewithForthe High pedestriansHighonly Street oneStreet islink poorlythere is acrosspoorly are connected several forconnected vehicles, small- to to AsprovidingproveAs well well asthe asmaking first spaces making impression the to the stay, area area play saferof Ssaferwansea and and and meet. when activationIfortactivation seeks improving to strategybring strategy the people environment.explores explores to the howlanes how Thegreening greeningand itsthe surroundingscaleits Highsurrounding alleyways Street areas. isin areas. poorlyan Foreast-west For pedestriansconnected pedestrians direction to changingAscomingchanging well asfrom people‘s makingpeople‘s the train perception, the perception, station, area safer and the the and becomegreen green a canincreaseactivationcan be be combined combined their strategy usage with with throughexplores community, community, temporary how greening arts arts and thereitsembeddedthere surrounding are are several several within small-scale areas. thesmall-scale medieval For pedestrians alleywas alleywas structure in in of laneschangingspecificlanes can can improvefeature people‘s improve for the Sperception, thewansea first first impression as impression a the green green city. andregularcanand culture be culture events,combined as as wellhappenings well with as as retail. retail.community, or Itinstallations. It seeks seeks arts to to east-westtheretheeast-west place, are direction several butdirection those small-scale embedded areembedded perceived withinalleywas within as thedark, in the oflanesO ofSwanseaf specialSwansea can improveimportancewhen when coming comingthe are first from the from impression intersections the the train train bringTandbringhe greening culture people people as andto to wellthe thephysical lanesas lanes retail. improvementand and It increase increase seeks to of medievaleast-westunfriendlymedieval structure direction structureand unsafe. of embedded theof Tthe hisplace, place,project butwithin but aimsthose those the to station,ofbetweenstation, Swansea in Hintheigh thewhen end S treetend becomingcoming becoming as a proposed from a specifica thespecific shared train theirthebringtheir lanes usage usagepeople through through through to the informal lanestemporary temporary asand well increase and andas formal aremedievalstrengthenare perceived perceived structure theas dark, asstrategic dark, of unfriendly the unfriendly east-west place, andbut connec and those - featurestation,spacefeature forand infor Swansea thethe Swansea green end becomingas lanes. as a greena green These acity. specificcity. are Of to Of regulartransformationstheirregular usage events, events, through happenings are happenings to temporary be managed or or installations installations and and unsafe.aretionunsafe. perceived fromThis This the project projectuniversityas dark, aims aims unfriendly downto strengthento tostrengthen the and the river specialfeaturebespecial marked importance for importance firstlySwansea through are asare the a thegreen the intersections intersections introduction city. Of (seeledregular(see by below).The below).The a proposedevents, greeninghappenings greeninggrowing and and or communityphysical physicalinstallations unsafe. This project aims to strengthen special importance are the intersections (see below).The greening and physical

retailretail ACTIVATIONACTIVATION

openopen facades facades street vending ACTIVATION streetretail vending Greening as an outdooroutdoor seating seating Greening as an open facades economic,economic, street vending Greening as an outdoor seating culturalcultural and and communalcommunaleconomic, act act artsarts & & cultural and cocmmommuniunityty thatthat can can cultureculture communal act sceeningsceening improveimprove the the music & literature arts & music & literature exhibitionsexhibitions environmentthat can comeetmm & playunity environment meet & play publicpublicculture art art improve the sceening installationsinstallations andand get get people people music & literature exhibitions environment meet & play public art together.together. installations and get people together. greeninggreening greening

MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

GreeningGreeningMANAGEMENT as as a a foodfood participatory,participatory, social social Greening as a centrecentre andand informal informal process process food participatory, social managedmanaged by by the the centre growingandgrowing informal centre centre process in in managed by the growing collaborationcollaboration growing growing centre in centre withwith major major centre collaboration growing institutions.institutions. community creativecreative with major community centre hub centrecentre hub institutions. community creative centre hub 2 3

01 —Urban01 Clara — Clara Köhler Design Köhler – Re-imagining – ― Re-imagining Summer Swansea Swansea 2015 High ― High IStreetss Streetue – 135 The – The Green Green Lanes Lanes 01 — Clara Köhler – Re-imagining Swansea High Street – The Green Lanes Urban Design Awards 2015 -Student Award Entry Student Award Winner 2015 39 Urban Design Awards 2015 -Student Award Entry

1 Strengthening the east- ↙westStrengthening connections the east-west connections2 Perspective of the High ↙↙ Perspective of the High ↙ King's Lane area plan ↙StreetStrengthening and New theLane east-west Street and New Lane Section through the New connections3 Greening Strategy ↓ 4 King’s Lane area plan ↓↙↙ Greening Perspective Strategy of the High ↙ King'sLane terraces Lane area plan 5 Section through the Street and New Lane ↓ Section through the New New Lane terraces improvement↓ Greening Strategy of the lanes through towards High Street with residential use become more engagedLane terraces and take ownership informal as well as formal transformations above.The community and growing centre of the spaces through greening. isimprovementcentre to be in managed direct of collaboration the and lanes led by through awith proposed an adja - towardsspaceincorporated for High urban Streetin agriculture that with block residential and face community onto use King's becomeof the area, more with engaged the growing and take centre ownership firstly cent food centre and the planned creative gardening. A previously demolished building being located in a vacant shop and using the growinginformal and as well community as formal centre transformations in direct above.TheLane and ancommunity open space and to growing the east centre of the ofTHE the spacesPROCESS through greening. hub of Coastal Housing's Urban Village. plot is transformed into the New Lane, a existing open spaces such as the demol- collaborationis to be managed with and an ledadjacent by a proposed food centre incorporatedblock, which inprovides that block space face for onto urban King's Suggested is a step-by-step transformation public space providing a series of terraces ished building plot for informal growing with andgrowing the planned and community creative centrehub of inCoastal direct Laneagriculture and an andopen community space to the gardening. east of the THEof the PROCESS area, with the growing centre KING’S LANE AREA DESIGN FOCUS as stages for a more informal and organic moveable and temporary structures. This Housing'scollaboration Urban with Village. an adjacent food centre block,A previously which provides demolished space buidling for urban plot is Suggestedfirstly being is a locatedstep-by-step in a vacant transformation shop and The design focuses on the area where High occupation. The terraces are flexible enough helps establishing a culture whilst testing and the planned creative hub of Coastal agriculturetransformed and into community the 'New gardening.Lane', a public ofusing the area, the existingwith the open growing spaces centre such as Street and King’s Lane meet. The block to to adapt to different requirements and ac- people‘s interest and the viability of the KING‘SHousing's LANE Urban AREA Village. DESIGN FOCUS Aspace previously provides demolished a series of buidling terraces plot as is firstlythe demolished being located building in a vacant plot forshop informal and the south of King’s Lane is reconfigured with tivities, encouraging individuals to become growing centre as an institution. In collabo- The design focuses on the area where transformedstages for a more into the informal 'New Lane', and organic a public usinggrowing the existing with moveable open spaces and temporary such as retail frontages towards High Street with more engaged and take ownership of the ration with Coastal Housing, the King‘s Lane HighKING‘S Street LANE and AREAKing's LaneDESIGN meet FOCUS (See spaceoccupation. provides The a series terraces of terraces are flexible as thestructures. demolished This building helps establishing plot for informal a Theresidential design use focuses above. on T hethe community area where and stagesspaces forthrough a more greening. informal and organic growingarea is developed with moveable with residential and temporary and public below).growing Thecentre block incorporated to the south in that of King‘s block enough to adapt to different requirements functionsculture, astesting anchor people‘s uses. Both interest lanes and are LaneHigh isStreet reconfigured and King's with Lane retail meet frontages (See occupation.and activities, The encouraging terraces are individualsflexible to structures.the viability This of helpsthe growing establishing centre a as an below).faces onto The King’s block Lane to the and south an open of King‘sspace enoughTHE PR toOC adaptESS to different requirements culture,renovated testing in consultation people‘s interest with the and residents to the east of the block, which provides Suggested is a step-by-step transformation throughinstitution. interventions In collaboration such as paving, with Coastal light- Lane is reconfigured with retail frontages and activities, encouraging individuals to theHousing, viability the of theKing‘s growing Lane areacentre is asdeveloped an institution.ing, seating andIn collaboration trees. The final with stage Coastal would bewith the residentialconstruction and on thepublic New functions Lane plot asas inner courtyard Housing, the King‘s Lane area is developed publicanchor space uses. where Both formal lanes terracesare renovated pose the in withconsultation residential with and the public residents functions through as inner courtyard anchorstages for uses. informal Both lanesactivation, are renovated greening and in streetinterventions life. such as paving, lighting, consultationseating and with trees. the The residents final stage through would b interventions such as paving, lighting, retail LESSbe theONS construction LEARNED on the 'New Lane' +15,10 the creative hub seating and trees. The final stage would b plot as public space where formal terraces retail The project revolves around the idea that +13,90 be the construction on the 'New Lane' King‘s Lane shared space upcycling +15,10 the creative hub pose the stages for informal activation, retail space plotrather as than public solely space being where a physically formal terraces de- +9,05 +13,90 greening and street life. King‘s Lane shared space upcycling signed and constructed object, public space growing& pose the stages for informal activation, retailretail space community can also be approached in a more informal centre +9,05 greening and street life. +8,95 growing& LESSONS LEARNED retailretail way of space production through social and community +7,50 +14,30 centre b +8,95 The project revolves around the idea underground storage urban gardening LESSONScultural activation. LEARNED For this, community e retail project retail +7,50 that rather than solely being a physically +14,30 b involvement and consideration of the needs storage urban gardening The project revolves around the idea +14,50 changeunderground of e project designed and constructed object, public retail levels +7,65 thatof local rather people than is solelyvital, in being order a tophysically provide in plan courtyard space can also be approached in a more +14,50 retail change of opportunities for them to take ownership of levels designed and constructed object, public +7,65 e in plan theinformal spaces. way The ofdesign space process production also showed retail courtyard space can also be approached in a more High Street shared space meeting point through social and cultural activation. e informalthat urban way design of space is more production than just the ar-

High Street shared space meeting For this, community involvement and the volcano point throughrangement social of physical and cultural objects activation. or uses, it is the strand c Foraboutconsideration this, building community relationships of the involvement needs and of facilitatinglocal and people the volcano +8,90 the strand d is vital, in order to provide opportunities c considerationpartnerships between of the needs different of local stakeholders people seating multi-functional+8,90 steps performance way down dto andfor groups. them to A ndtake in ownershipdoing so, understanding of the space. +12.10 is vital, in order to provide opportunities space the river outdoor seating multi-functional The design process also showed that New Lane library performance way down to forhow them urban to design take ownership is ultimately of aboutthe space. the +12.10 steps d +14,10 terraces space the river urban design is more than just the outdoor Thepeople design who processbring life also to the showed spaces. that New Lane library +14,10 • d terraces urbanarrangement design is ofmore physical than justobjects the or uses, arrangementit is about building of physical relationships objects or anduses, hostel c itfacilitating is about building partnerships relationships between and different hostel c facilitatingstakeholders partnerships and groups. between In doing different so, stakeholdersunderstanding and how groups. urban In doingdesign so, is understandingultimately about how the urban people design who is bring life ultimatelyto the spaces. about the people who bring life 4 to the spaces.

oce

oce

oce

trees and furniture oce high street shared space indicating ‚the green lane‘ outdoor library ower beds retail high street trees and furniture shared space indicating ‚the green lane‘ outdoor library +14,10 herb garden +13,70 ower beds retail seating steps +12,50 multi-functional +14,10 herb garden +12,10 outdoor theatre +13,70 performance space seating steps +12,50 multi-functional +12,10 outdoor theatre performance space the strand +8,90 the strand +7,50 +8,90

+7,50

5 Clara Köhler –Urban Re-imagining Design Swansea ― Su Highmmer Street 2015 – The ― Green Iss Lanesue 135 —02 Clara Köhler – Re-imagining Swansea High Street – The Green Lanes —02 40 Book reviews

Completing Our Streets must inevitably meet, more than likely at a the book. Both emphasise the fact that ur- junction which is one of the most danger- ban development and planning cannot be Barbara McCann, Island Press, 2013, ous parts of any route. If only the Complete seen as they were in the last century; citi- Streets movement had looked across the zen participation, bottom-up initiatives are £35.00, ISBN 978-1610914307 Atlantic they might have avoided falling into now established, new solutions are needed this trap. to face a new set of problems. City cen- There are times when a book covering a nar- Completing Our Streets, is however, a tres, neglected for a long time, are having row issue raises wider concerns and points useful book for guideline and handbook a renaissance but the periphery should not at significant weaknesses in the urban de- writers. There is much good sense. It is now be marginalised and requires different sign scene. This is such a book. The book is clearly written and economically laid out. approaches. Some cities are growing fast well structured, clearly written, driven by a Interestingly, there is evidence that trad- and their inhabitants are scared to see their passionate belief in its message, a message ers on complete streets note an increase in environment change; others are declining that McCann explained in UD 125. business, much the same message that fol- equally fast and need to find new functions. Completing Our Streets is a hand- lowed early pedestrianisation schemes in Striking the Right Balance is the title of the book and polemic seeking to promote the the UK. Plus ça change! second essay, followed by Permanent Ur- doctrine that streets should be more than • ban Redevelopment, both trying to address efficient surfaces for motor vehicles. Un- Richard Cole architect and planner, formerly these challenges. The last essay, Research fortunately it seems that in spite of being Director of Planning and Architecture of the –Driven Design is based on work done by aware of our journal, Barbara McMann has Commission for New Towns students and staff of the Berlin Technical never heard of European experience that University together with a multiplicity of stretches back to the 70s. In the days of stakeholders on Gropiusstadt, a huge 1960s Google Search, it is sad that our American Transforming Cities – housing scheme which was used as a live colleagues are so unaware of the ‘reclaim- laboratory. ing our streets’ movement here. Such an Urban Interventions in The shortlisted projects respond to the omission is a failure of both sides, ours for Public Space preoccupations discussed; they can be per- failing to promote our experience and theirs manent or temporary interventions, large or for apparently believing their experience is Kristin Feireiss and Oliver G.Hamm small, physical or social, and are grouped unique. We must do better. (eds), Jovis, Berlin, 2015, £32.00, under headings that give the flavour of their To end this rant I note that Completing ISBN 978-3-86859-337-2 aims: Converting Urban Infrastructures, Our Streets is praised by Gabe Klein, Chica- Urbanising the Periphery, Revitalising ‘Non- go’s Commissioner for Transport. This is the Places’, Upgrading Neglected City Centres, city that sold street parking rights to Morgan As the governing body of a city that has Social Projects in Public Space, Educational Stanley, blocking any hopes of introducing been transforming itself continuously for and Cultural Initiative in the City and Im- bicycle lanes along the city’s main routes. most of the last fifty years, Berlin’s Senate proving the Housing Environment. Some are Bicycle lanes are an integral element of Mc- instituted the Urban Intervention Award using recycled materials, one is a jacket to Cann’s complete streets. Berlin to showcase urban projects that make help people maintain their equilibrium in The book has good intentions and a contribution to the quality of life in Euro- the tube, another the burying of an urban contains a guide to ways of changing in- pean cities. This bilingual (German-English) motorway underground to create a park, stitutional attitudes which is at the heart book sponsored by the Senate, documents etc. The background, purpose and outcome of McCann’s message. She claims not to the 47 projects shortlisted for the award. of each one is given in a brief paragraph and promote design solutions, but by show- The diversity presented is somewhat over- illustrated in a way that makes it immedi- ing examples of success she cannot avoid whelming and therefore the interventions ately accessible. appearing to endorse particular solutions. are grouped under seven headings and The Award itself is an encouraging ini- To this European mind, the illustrations do preceded by a Preface and five introductory tiative and the book should stimulate and raise concerns. I fear that by promoting sep- essays. One glaring criticism must be made inspire urban designers and their clients to arate routes for cars, bikes and people, the at the outset: there is no table of contents approach their work in a new imaginative Complete Streets movement will be missing or index, which is a pity though it doesn’t way. Readers will admire the results and the point that movement systems should be diminish the interest of the book. be tempted to see the real thing and learn available to all, and that we should be aim- The initiator of the award, Regula more about them. ing for safe shared surfaces. Separation of Lüscher is the author of the Preface and • modes just divides different users, until they the first essay, which shares the title with Sebastian Loew

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Book reviews 41

The Fabric of Place to the King’s Cross masterplan: I learned value of weeds to pre-industrial society, the about this tool years ago but have not pre- array of allotment food, and clever recy- Allies and Morrison, edited by viously seen it published. I liked too the cling, with a calm and poetic feel. The Bee examination of a number of types of plan Roads booklet contains a fascinating map Bob Allies and Diane Haigh. drawing used in the same masterplan pro- of the route that bees took around one al- Artifice, London, 2014, £19.95, cess, for different purposes of analysis and lotment site and the subsequent analysis of ISBN 978-1908967381 communication. the 200 different pollen grains found in one This book demonstrates a satisfyingly small sample of local honey. This emphasis In recent years, there has been a growth mature approach to urbanism. There is no on every-day and ordinary places that have of books about architectural/urban design flashiness: it is sober and thoughtful, learn- not been formally designed, and in some practices which, apart from anything else ing from history, employing techniques of cases hope to stay hidden in our towns and they may be, are clearly marketing tools for building typology and urban morphology, cities, is refreshing and an education about the practice. On my shelves I have books emphasising the processes of the shaping leaving places alone. about Terry Farrell, Dixon Jones, MJP Archi- of space and placemaking. Where urban The excellent photography and tects, Edward Cullinan Architects, Eric Parry design generates architecture, space is en- film-making describe quiet yet vibrant com- Architects, and several others. They vary in closed by eloquently articulated tectonic munities, and help to convey great value to their nature: some are written by the prac- surfaces: a civilised background for human what might otherwise be scorned as com- tice, some by a commissioned author; some activity. monplace or suburban pursuits. As the are a straightforward record of designs and • author says: projects, some more reflective. Joe Holyoak ‘Walking through the allotment gate, This book from Allies and Morrison is of you step away from the clamour and ten- the thoughtful and reflective variety – even sions of the street and enter a quiet place, modest. It has no narrative to tell. You will a place of hope and order, where people not learn about the history of the practice. Black Country Allotment connect with plants, the seasons and each It does not try to hit you over the head with Society other.’ hype about how good the practice is. It is • fairly unstructured, rather like a loose-leaf Susie Parr, Multistory, West Bromwich Louise Thomas, independent urban designer folder of pieces assembled between cov- 2014. £15.00 to residents of the Black ers. But it conveys very well that the firm is Country (plus P&P), or £25.00 plus a creative group of people with an impres- P&P for the rest of the UK sive track record of intelligent interventions in cities. The contents are in the form of three dif- Unlike any other books and pamphlets that ferent types of elements – essays on a series have been in reviewed in these pages, this of subjects (the city, density, typology, ur- specially commissioned box of booklets ban space, tall buildings), case studies and celebrate the value of allotments to nature, observations – all interspersed. The essays but also to people – here eight residents of are written by a number of individuals, the Sandwell in the West Midlands. The author short observations are, for some reason, Susie Parr has produced nine illustrated uncredited. The case studies of Allies and booklets with accompanying postcards, Morrison’s work range in scale from the 2012 two very interesting maps, a pencil, plant Olympic campus and Argent’s King’s Cross markers, wildflower seeds, and a DVD of Bee development, down to a small residential in- Movies by film maker Chris Keenan about fill in an Oxfordshire village. The connections Black Country beekeepers. between the three elements are not ham- Commissioned by Multistory – a Black mered home: the reader is left to find them. Country community arts organisation – this All three elements are beautifully il- boxed set is about Black Country life, and lustrated with a variety of photographs, the allotments provide the author with the sketches, figure-ground plans and many means to do that. After two years of regular other kinds of drawings. I was particularly visits and in different seasons, Parr portrays pleased to see the A to Z Map test applied the resourceful plot-holders, focuses on the

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 42 Index

Allies & Morrison: Atkins plc BOYLE + SUMMERS Urban Practitioners Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, Canute Chambers Practice 85 Southwark Street, London SE1 0HX London NW1 3AT Canute Road T 020 7921 0100 T 020 7121 2000 Southampton S014 3AB C a nthony Rifkin C Paul Reynolds T 02380 63 1432/ 07824 698033 Index E [email protected] e [email protected] C richard Summers W www.urbanpractitioners.co.uk W www.atkinsglobal.co.uk E [email protected] Specialist competition winning urban Interdisciplinary practice that offers a W www.boyleandsummers.co.uk The following practices and urban regeneration practice combining range of built environment specialists Space-shapers, place-makers, street design courses are members economic and urban design skills. working together to deliver quality designers and development promoters. of the Urban Design Group. Projects include West Ealing and places for everybody to enjoy. Value generators, team workers and Please see the UDG’s website Plymouth East End. site finders. Strategists, pragmatists, www.urbandesigndirectory.com for Barton Willmore specialists and generalists. more details. Amec Foster Wheeler Partnership Visioneers, urbanists, architects and Environment & READING masterplanners. Those wishing to be included in future Infrastructure UK Ltd Beansheaf Farmhouse, Bourne Close, issues should contact the UDG, Gables House Kenilworth Road, Calcot, Reading, Berks RG31 7BW BPUD Ltd 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ Leamington Spa, Warwicks CV32 6JX T 0118 943 0000 155 Hurdsfield Road, Macclesfield T 020 7250 0892 T 01926 439 000 C james de Havilland, Nick Sweet Cheshire SK10 2QX C kathleen Lucey C David Thompson, Technical and Dominic Scott T 01625 262924 e [email protected] Director MANCHESTER C bob Phillips w www.udg.org.uk e [email protected] Tower 12, 18/22 Bridge Street E [email protected] W www.amecfw.com. Spinningfields W www.bpud.co.uk ADAM Urbanism Masterplanning, urban design, Manchester M3 3BZ A multi-disciplinary town planning and Old Hyde House development planning and landscape T 0161 817 4900 urban design consultancy dedicated to 75 Hyde Street within broad-based multidisciplinary C Dan Mitchell the delivery of high quality development Winchester SO23 7DW environmental and engineering e masterplanning@bartonwillmore. solutions working with public, private T 01962 843843 consultancy. co.uk and community organisations. C hugh Petter, Robert Adam W www.bartonwillmore.co.uk e [email protected] Applied_ Concept through to implementation on Broadway Malyan [email protected] 26-27 Great Sutton Street complex sites, comprehensive design 3 Weybridge Business Park w www.adamurbanism.com London EC1V ODS guides, urban regeneration, brownfield Addlestone Road, Weybridge, World-renowned for progressive, T 020 7017 8488 sites, and major urban expansions. Surrey KT15 2BW classical design covering town and C richard Simon T 01932 845599 country houses, housing development, E [email protected] The Bell Cornwell C jeff Nottage urban masterplans, commercial W www.applied-espi.com Partnership E [email protected] development and public buildings. Applied develops globally renowned Oakview House, Station Road, Hook, W www.broadwaymalyan.com wayfinding strategies and systems. Hampshire RG27 9TP We are an international interdisciplinary Alan Baxter & Associates Experts in dealing with complex T 01256 766673 practice which believes in the value of 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ information and environments, C s imon Avery place-making-led masterplans that are T 020 7250 1555 combining editorial and design e [email protected] rooted in local context. C a lan Baxter aptitude that keeps the end user at the w www.bell-cornwell.co.uk e [email protected] fore. Applied add value through well- Specialists in Masterplanning and the Brock Carmichael w www.alanbaxter.co.uk researched and intelligent analysis of coordination of major development Architects An engineering and urban design city legibility and a creative approach to proposals. Advisors on development 19 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9JQ practice. Particularly concerned with information. plan representations, planning T 0151 242 6222 the thoughtful integration of buildings, applications and appeals. C m ichael Cosser infrastructure and movement, and the AREA e [email protected] creation of places. Grange, Linlithgow Bidwells Masterplans and development briefs. West Lothian EH49 7RH Bidwell House, Trumpington Road Mixed use and brownfield regeneration Albonico Sack Metacity T 01506 843247 Cambridge CB2 9LD projects. Design in historic and Architects & Urban C karen Cadell/ Julia Neil T 01223 559404 sensitive settings. Integrated Designers e [email protected] C Philip Ayres landscape design. 56 Gwigwi Mrwebi Street w www.area.uk.com E [email protected] Market Theatre Precinct Making places imaginatively to deliver W www.bidwells.co.uk Building Design Partnership Newtown, Johannesburg the successful, sustainable and Planning, Landscape and Urban 16 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, South Africa humane environments of the future. Design consultancy, specialising London EC1V 4LJ T +27 11 492 0633 in Masterplanning, Townscape T 020 7812 8000 C m onica Albonico Arnold Linden Assessment, Landscape and Visual C a ndrew Tindsley e [email protected] Chartered Architect Impact Assessment. e [email protected] w www.asmarch.com 31 Waterlow Court, Heath Close w www.bdp.co.uk A multi-disciplinary practice Hampstead Way Boyer Planning BDP offers town planning, specialising in large scale, green field, London NW11 7DT Crowthorne House, Nine Mile Ride Masterplanning, urban design, urban regeneration and upgrading T 020 8455 9286 Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 3GZ landscape, regeneration and strategies, as well as residential, C a rnold Linden T 01344 753220 sustainability studies, and has teams special and educational projects. Integrated regeneration through the C s teve Punter based in London, Manchester and participation in the creative process of e [email protected]. Belfast. Allen Pyke Associates the community and the public at large, w www.boyerplanning.co.uk The Factory 2 Acre Road, of streets, buildings and places. Offices in Wokingham, Colchester, Burns + Nice Kingston-upon-Thames KT2 6EF Cardiff, Twickenham and London. 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ T 020 8549 3434 Assael Architecture Planning and urban design consultants T 020 7253 0808 C David Allen/ Vanessa Ross Studio 13, 50 Carnwath Road offering a wide range of services C marie Burns/ Stephen Nice e [email protected] London SW6 3FG to support sites throughout the e [email protected] w www.allenpyke.co.uk T 020 7736 7744 development process: from appraisals w www.burnsnice.com Innovative, responsive, committed, C r ussell Pedley to planning applications and appeals. Urban design, landscape architecture, competitive, process. Priorities: people, e [email protected] environmental and transport planning. spaces, movement, culture. Places: w www.assael.co.uk Masterplanning, design and public regenerate, infill, extend create. Architects and urban designers consultation for community-led work. covering mixed use, hotel, leisure and residential, including urban frameworks and masterplanning projects.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Index 43

Capita Property and Clarke Klein & Chaudhuri David Lock Associates Ltd FaulknerBrowns Infrastructure Architects 50 North Thirteenth Street, Dobson House, Northumbrian Way, Alexandra Court, 36 Church Street 22 Bloomsbury Street, Central Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 6QW Great Baddow, Chelmsford London WC1B 3QJ Milton Keynes MK9 3BP T 0191 268 3007 Essex CM2 7HY T 020 7637 9719 T 01908 666276 C b en Sykes T 01245 361611 C w endy Clarke C w ill Cousins e [email protected] C r ichard Maloney e [email protected] e [email protected] w www.faulknerbrowns.co.uk e [email protected] Small design-led practice focusing w www.davidlock.com FaulknerBrowns is a regionally-based W www.capita.co.uk/property on custom solutions for architectural, Strategic planning studies, architectural design practice with a Masterplans, urban design, urban planning or urban design projects. area development frameworks, national and international reputation. regeneration, historic buildings, project Exploring the potential for innovative development briefs, design guidelines, From a workload based initially on management, planning, EIA, landscape urban design. Masterplanning, implementation education, library, sports and leisure planning and design. strategies, environmental statements. buildings, the practice’s current Clifton Emery Design workload includes masterplanning, Carter Jonas 3 Silverdown Office Park Define offices, healthcare, commercial mixed Berger House, 36-38 Berkeley Square Fair Oak Close, Exeter Unit 6, 133-137 Newhall Street use, industrial and residential, for both London W1J 5AE Devon EX5 2UX Birmingham B3 1SF private and public sector clients T 020 7016 0720 T 01392 368866 T 0121 237 1901 C rebecca Sanders C neil Emery or Daniel Clifton C a ndy Williams Feria Urbanism E [email protected] E [email protected] e [email protected] Second Floor Studio, 11 Fernside Road W www.carterjonas.co.uk/our- W www.cliftonemerydesign.co.uk w www.wearedefine.com Bournemouth, Dorset BH9 2LA services/planning-development.aspx Specialists in placemaking, offering Define specialises in the promotion, T 01202 548676 Multidisciplinary practice working a multidisciplinary and collaborative shaping and assessment of C r ichard Eastham throughout the UK, specialising in approach to creating inspiring places development. Our work focuses on e [email protected] urban design and masterplanning, and delivering quality. With expertise strategic planning, masterplanning, w www.feria-urbanism.eu place-making, new settlements and in urban design, masterplanning, urban design codes, EIA, TVIA, estate Expertise in urban planning, urban extensions, urban regeneration, architecture and landscape strategies, public realm design, masterplanning and public sustainability and community architecture, we balance the competing consultation strategies, urban design participation. Specialisms include consultation. Complemented by needs of development, ensuring audits and expert witness. design for the night time economy, in-house architecture, planning, schemes are inspiring, environmentally urban design skills training and local development, investment, property and aware, technically sound and DHA Planning & Urban community engagement. minerals teams. commercially astute. Design Eclipse House, Eclipse Park, Fletcher Priest Architects CH2M Hill Colour Urban Design Limited Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Middlesex House Elms House, 43 Brook Green Milburn House, Dean Street, Kent ME14 3EN 34/42 Cleveland Street Hammersmith, London W6 7EF Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE T 01622 776226 London W1T 4JE T 020 3479 8000 T 0191 242 4224 C m atthew Woodhead T 020 7034 2200 C robert Schmidt / Duncan London office e [email protected] F 020 7637 5347 Whatmore 60 Lombard Street w dhaplanning.co.uk C j onathan Kendall E [email protected] London EC3V 9EA Planning and Urban Design e [email protected] w www.ch2m.com T 020 7387 8560 Consultancy offering a full range w www.fletcherpreist.com Global leader in full-service master C Peter Owens of Urban Design services including Work ranges from city-scale planning & site optimisation, urban e [email protected] Masterplanning, development briefs masterplans (Stratford City, Riga) to design, and programme management w www.colour-udl.com and design statements. architectural commissions for high- services for public & private clients. We Office also in London. Design oriented profile professional clients. are committed to delivering innovative, projects with full client participation. Doyle Town Planning & practical and sustainable solutions. Public spaces, regeneration, Urban Design FPCR Environment development, Masterplanning, 86-90 Paul Street & Design Ltd Chapman Taylor LLP residential, education and healthcare. London EC2A 4NE Lockington Hall, Lockington 10 Eastbourne Terrace, T 020 3305 7476 Derby DE74 2RH London W2 6LG Conroy Crowe Kelly C michael Doyle T 01509 672772 T 020 7371 3000 Architects & Urban E [email protected] C Tim Jackson e [email protected] Designers W www.michael-doyle.com e [email protected] w www.chapmantaylor.com 65 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Urban design and masterplanning w www.fpcr.co.uk MANCHESTER T 00 353 1 661 3990 practice specialising in placemaking Integrated design and environmental Bass Warehouse, 4 Castle Street C Clare Burke at the interface with transport practice. Specialists in Masterplanning, Castlefield, Manchester M3 4LZ e [email protected] infrastructures, city and city centre urban and mixed use regeneration, T 0161 828 6500 w www.cck.ie design, historic quarters, new development frameworks, EIAs and e [email protected] Architecture, urban design, settlements and extensions. public inquiries. Chapman Taylor is an international Masterplanning, village studies. Mixed firm of architects and urban designers use residential developments with a FarrellS Framework Architecture specialising in mixed use city centre strong identity and sense of place. 7 Hatton Street, London NW8 8PL and Urban Design regeneration and transport projects T 020 7258 3433 3 Marine Studios, Burton Lane, throughout the world. Offices in David Huskisson Associates C max Farrell Burton Waters, Lincoln LN1 2WN Bangkok, Brussels, Bucharest, 17 Upper Grosvenor Road, E [email protected] T 01522 535383 Düsseldorf, Kiev, Madrid, Milan, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2DU w www.terryfarrell.com C g regg Wilson Moscow, New Delhi, Paris, Prague, Sao T 01892 527828 Architectural, urban design, planning e [email protected] Paulo, Shanghai and Warsaw. C n icola Brown and Masterplanning services. New W www.frameworklincoln.co.uk e [email protected] buildings, refurbishment, conference/ Architecture and urban design. A CITY ID W www.dha-landscape.co.uk exhibition centres and visitor commitment to the broader built 23 Trenchard Street Landscape consultancy offering attractions. environment and the particular dynamic Bristol BS1 5AN Masterplanning, streetscape and of a place and the design opportunities T 0117 917 7000 urban park design, estate restoration, presented. C m ike Rawlinson environmental impact assessments. e [email protected] w cityid.co.uk Place branding and marketing vision Masterplanning, urban design, public realm strategies, way finding and legibility strategies, information design and graphics.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 44 Index

Garsdale Design Limited Hawkins\Brown Jon Rowland Urban Design Lavigne Lonsdale Ltd High Branthwaites, Frostrow, 60 Bastwick Street, London EC1V 3TN 65 Hurst Rise Road, Oxford OX2 9HE 38 Belgrave Crescent, Camden Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5JR T 020 7336 8030 T 01865 863642 Bath BA1 5JU T 015396 20875 C David Bickle C j on Rowland T 01225 421539 C Derrick Hartley e [email protected] e [email protected] TRURO e i [email protected] w www.hawkinsbrown.co.uk w www.jrud.co.uk 55 Lemon Street, Truro w www.garsdaledesign.co.uk Multi-disciplinary architecture and Urban design, urban regeneration, Cornwall TR1 2PE GDL provides Masterplanning and urban design practice specialising in development frameworks, site T 01872 273118 urban design, architecture and heritage mixed use regeneration, educational appraisals, town centre studies, design C m artyn Lonsdale services developed through 25 years Masterplanning, sustainable rural guidance, public participation and e [email protected] wide ranging experience in the UK and development frameworks, transport Masterplanning. w www.lavigne.co.uk Middle East. infrastructure and public urban realm We are an integrated practice of design. JTP masterplanners, Urban Designers, Gillespies 23-25 Great Sutton Street Landscape Architects and Product LONDON • GLASGOW • MANCHESTER • HOK international Ltd London ECIV 0DN Designers. Experienced in large LEEDS • OXFORD • ABU DHABI Qube, 90 Whitfield Street T 020 7017 1780 scale, mixed use and residential 1 St John’s Square London W1T 4EZ C m arcus Adams Masterplanning, health, education, London EC1M 4DH T 020 7636 2006 e [email protected] regeneration, housing, parks, public T 020 7253 2929 C Tim Gale Edinburgh realm and streetscape design. London e [email protected] 2nd Floor Venue studios, 15-21 E [email protected] W www.hok.com Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL LDA Design Oxford/Abu Dhabi HOK delivers design of the highest T 0131 272 2762 14-17 Wells Mews, London W1T 3HF E [email protected] quality. It is one of Europe’s leading C a lan Stewart T 020 7467 1470 Glasgow architectural practices, offering e [email protected] C Vaughan Anderson E [email protected] experienced people in a diverse range w www.jtp.co.uk [email protected] Manchester of building types, skills and markets. Addressing the problems of physical, W www.lda-design.co.uk E [email protected] social and economic regeneration GLASGOW Leeds HTA Design LLP through collaborative interdisciplinary Sovereign House, E [email protected] 106-110 Kentish Town Road community based planning. 158 West Regent Street W www.gillespies.co.uk London NW1 9PX Glasgow G2 4RL Urban design, landscape architecture, T 020 7485 8555 Kay Elliott T 0141 2229780 architecture, planning, environmental C simon Bayliss 5-7 Meadfoot Road, Torquay C kirstin Taylor assessment, planning supervisors and E [email protected] Devon TQ1 2JP E [email protected] project management. W www.hta.co.uk T 01803 213553 Offices also in Oxford, Peterborough HTA Design LLP is a multi-disciplinary C m ark Jones & Exeter Globe Consultants Ltd practice of architecture, landscape e [email protected] Multidisciplinary firm covering all 26 Westgate, Lincoln LN1 3BD design, planning, urban design, w www.kayelliott.co.uk aspects of Masterplanning, urban T 01522 546483 sustainability, graphic design and International studio with 30 year history regeneration, public realm design, C l ynette Swinburne communications based in London and of imaginative architects and urban environmental impact and community e lynette.swinburne@globelimited. Edinburgh, specialising in regeneration. designers, creating buildings and places involvement. co.uk Offices in London & Edinburgh. that enhance their surroundings and add w www.globelimited.co.uk financial value. Levitt Bernstein Provides urban design, planning, Hyland Edgar Driver Associates Ltd economic and cultural development One Wessex Way, Colden Common, Land Use Consultants 1 Kingsland Passage, London E8 2BB services across the UK and Winchester, Hants SO21 1WG 43 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD T 020 7275 7676 internationally, specialising in T 01962 711 600 T 020 7383 5784 C g lyn Tully sustainable development solutions, C j ohn Hyland C adrian Wikeley e [email protected] masterplanning and regeneration. e [email protected] E [email protected] w www.levittbernstein.co.uk w www.heduk.com GLASGOW Urban design, Masterplanning, full GM Design Associates Ltd Innovative problem solving, driven 37 Otago Street, Glasgow G12 8JJ architectural service, lottery grant bid 22 Lodge Road, Coleraine by cost efficiency and sustainability, T 0141 334 9595 advice, interior design, urban renewal Co. Londonderry BT52 1NB combined with imagination and C martin Tabor consultancy and landscape design. Northern Ireland coherent aesthetic of the highest E [email protected] T 028 703 56138 quality. W www.landuse.co.uk LHC Urban Design C b ill Gamble Urban regeneration, landscape Design Studio, Emperor Way, Exeter e [email protected] IBI Group design, masterplanning, sustainable Business Park, Exeter, Devon EX1 3QS w www.g-m-design.com Chadsworth House development, environmental planning, T 01392 444334 Architecture, town and country Wilmslow Road, Handforth environmental assessment, landscape C j ohn Baulch planning, urban design, landscape Cheshire, SK9 3HP planning and management. Offices e [email protected] architecture, development T 01625 542200 also in Bristol and Edinburgh. W www.lhc.net frameworks and briefs, feasibility C andrew Clarke Urban designers, architects and studies, sustainability appraisals, E [email protected] Landscape Projects landscape architects, providing an public participation and community W www.ibigroup.com 31 Blackfriars Road, Salford integrated approach to strategic engagement. We are a globally integrated urban Manchester M3 7AQ visioning, regeneration, urban renewal, design, planning, architecture, town T 0161 839 8336 Masterplanning and public realm Hankinson Duckett planning, master planning, landscape C neil Swanson projects. Creative, knowledgeable, Associates architecture, engineering and E [email protected] practical, passionate. The Stables, Howberry Park, Benson technology practice. W www.landscapeprojects.co.uk Lane, Wallingford OX10 8BA We work at the boundary between Liz Lake Associates T 01491 838 175 IDP GROUP architecture, urban and landscape Western House, Chapel Hill C b rian Duckett 27 Spon Street design, seeking innovative, sensitive Stansted Mountfitchet e [email protected] Coventry CV1 3BA design and creative thinking. Offices in Essex CM24 8AG W www.hda-enviro.co.uk T 024 7652 7600 Manchester & London. T 01279 647044 An approach which adds value through C luke Hillson C m att Lee innovative solutions. Development E [email protected] Lanpro Services e [email protected] planning, new settlements, W www.weareidp.com 4 St Mary’s House w www.lizlake.com environmental assessment, re-use of We are IDP. We enhance daily life Duke Street, Norwich NR3 1QA Urban fringe/brownfield sites where redundant buildings. through architecture. We use design T 01603 631 319 an holistic approach to urban design, creativity, logic, collaboration and C jun Lee landscape, and ecological issues can pragmatism to realise places and E [email protected] provide robust design solutions. space. Ideas, delivered. W www.lanproservices.co.uk Multi-disciplinary consultancy providing specialist advice in the fields of town planning, masterplanning, urban design, project management and monitoring, landscape architecture and interior design.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Index 45

LSI Architects LLP New Masterplanning Limited PD Lane Associates +Plus Urban Design Ltd The Old Drill Hall, 23 A Cattle Market 2nd Floor, 107 Bournemouth Road, 1 Church Road, Greystones Spaceworks, Benton Park Road Street, Norwich NR1 3DY Poole, Dorset BH14 9HR County Wicklow, Ireland Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7LX T 01603 660711 T 01202 742228 T 00 353 1287 6697 T 0844 800 6660 C David Thompson C a ndy Ward C m alcolm Lane C richard Charge, Tony Wyatt [email protected] e office@new Masterplanning.com e [email protected] E [email protected] W www.lsiarchitects.co.uk w www.new Masterplanning.com W www.pdlane.ie W www.plusud.co.uk Large scale Masterplanning and Our skills combine strategic planning Urban design, architecture and Specialist practice providing strate- visualisation in sectors such as health, with detailed implementation, design planning consultancy, specialising gic masterplanning, urban design education and business, and new flair with economic rigour, independent in Masterplanning, development guidance, analysis, character sustainable settlements. thinking with a partnership approach. frameworks, site layouts, applications, assessment and independent appeals, project co-ordination. design advisory expertise. Malcolm Moor Urban Design Nicholas Pearson 27 Ock Mill Close, Abingdon Associates Pegasus Group PM DEVEREUX Oxon OX14 1SP 30 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN Pegasus House 200 Upper Richmond Road, T 01235 550122 T 01225 445548 Querns Business Centre London SW15 2SH C m alcolm Moor C simon Kale Whitworth Road, Cirencester GL7 1RT T 020 8780 1800 e [email protected] E [email protected] T 01285 641717 C alex Johnson w www.moorud.com W www.npaconsult.co.uk C michael Carr e a [email protected] Master planning of new communities, Masterplanning, public realm design, E [email protected] W www.pmdevereux.com urban design, residential, urban streetscape analysis, concept and W www.pegasuspg.co.uk Adding value through innovative, capacity and ecofitting studies, design detail designs. Also full landscape Masterplanning, detailed layout and ambitious solutions in complex involvement with major international architecture service, EIA, green architectural design, design and urban environments. projects. infrastructure, ecology and biodiversity, access statements, design codes, environmental planning and sustainable design, development Pod Melville Dunbar Associates management. briefs, development frameworks, 99 Galgate,Barnard Castle Studio 2, Griggs Business Centre expert witness, community involvement Co Durham DL12 8ES West Street, Coggeshall, Essex CO6 NJBA A + U and sustainability appraisal. Part of the T 0845 872 7288 1NT 34 Upper Baggot Street multidisciplinary Pegasus Group. C a ndy Dolby T 01376 562828 Dublin 4, IRE – D4, Ireland E [email protected] C m elville Dunbar T 00 353 1 678 8068 Philip Cave Associates Newcastle e [email protected] C noel J Brady 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ G27 Toffee Factory W www.melvilledunbarassociates. e [email protected] T 020 7250 0077 Lower Steenbergs Yard com w www.12publishers.com/njba.htm C Philip Cave Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 2DF Architecture, urban design, planning, Integrated landscapes, urban design, e [email protected] C Craig Van Bedaf Masterplanning, new towns, urban town centres and squares, strategic w www.philipcave.com w www.designbypod.co.uk regeneration, conservation studies, design and planning. Design-led practice with innovative yet Masterplanning, site appraisal, layout design guides, townscape studies, practical solutions to environmental and architectural design. Development design briefs. Node Urban Design opportunities in urban regeneration. frameworks, urban regeneration, 33 Holmfield Road Specialist expertise in landscape design codes, briefs and design and Metropolis Planning and Leicester LE2 1SE architecture. access statements. Design T 0116 2708742 4 Underwood Row, London N1 7LQ C nigel Wakefield Phil Jones Associates Pollard Thomas Edwards T 020 7324 2662 E [email protected] Seven House, High Street Architects C greg Cooper W www.nodeurbandesign.com Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2UQ Diespeker Wharf, 38 Graham Street, E [email protected] An innovative team of urban design, T 0121 475 0234 London N1 8JX W ww.metropolispd.com landscape and heritage consultants C nigel Millington T 020 7336 7777 Metropolitan urban design solutions who believe that good design adds E [email protected] C r obin Saha-Choudhury drawn from a multi-disciplinary studio value. Providing sustainable urban W www.philjonesassociates.co.uk/ andrew Beharrell of urban designers, architects, planners design and masterplan solutions at all One of the UK’s leading independent E [email protected] and heritage architects. scales of development with a focus on transport specialists offering the w www.ptea.co.uk the creation of a sense of place. expertise to deliver high quality, viable Masterplanners, urban designers, Mouchel developments which are design-led developers, architects, listed building 209-215 Blackfriars Road Novell Tullett and compliant with urban design best and conservation area designers; London SE1 8NL The Old Mess Room practice. specialising in inner city mixed use high T 020 7803 2600 Home Farm density regeneration. C l udovic Pittie Barrow Gurney BS48 3RW Plainview Planning e l [email protected] T 01275 462476 5 Strand Court, Bath Road Project Centre Ltd w www.mouchel.com C s imon Lindsley Cheltenham GL53 7LW Level 4, Westgate House Integrated urban design, transport and E [email protected] T 01242 501 003 Westgate, London W5 1YY engineering consultancy, changing the w www.novelltullett.co.uk C adam Rabone T 020 7421 8222 urban landscape in a positive manner, Urban design, landscape architecture E [email protected] C David Moores creating places for sustainable living. and environmental planning. W www.plainview.co.uk e [email protected] w www.projectcentre.co.uk Nathaniel Lichfield & Paul Drew Design Ltd PLANIT i.e. LLP Landscape architecture, public realm Partners Ltd 23-25 Great Sutton Street The Planit Group design, urban regeneration, street 14 Regent’s Wharf, All Saints Street, London EC1V 0DN 2 Back Grafton Street lighting design, planning supervision, London N1 9RL T 020 7017 1785 Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1DY traffic and transportation, parking and T 020 7837 4477 C Paul Drew T 0161 928 9281 highway design. C n ick Thompson e [email protected] C Peter Swift e [email protected] w www.pauldrewdesign.co.uk E [email protected] PRP Architects w www.nlpplanning.com Masterplanning, urban design, w www.planit-ie.com 10 Lindsey Street, Also at Newcastle upon Tyne and residential and mixed use design. Public realm solutions informed by London EC1A 9HP Cardiff Creative use of design codes and other robust urban design. We create quality T 020 7653 1200 Urban design, Masterplanning, briefing material. spaces for people to live, work, play C andy von Bradsky heritage/conservation, visual appraisal, and enjoy. E [email protected] regeneration, daylight/sunlight Architects, planners, urban designers assessments, public realm strategies. Planning Design Practice and landscape architects, specialising 4 Woburn House, Vernon Gate in housing, urban regeneration, health, Derby DE1 1UL education and leisure projects. T 01332 347 371 C scott O’Dell E [email protected] W www.planningdesign.co.uk We are a multi-disciplinary practice offering services in planning, architecture and urban design who seek to create better places.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 46 Index

Randall Thorp Scott Brownrigg Ltd Sheppard Robson Stride Treglown Canada House, 3 Chepstow Street, St Catherines Court, 46-48 77 Parkway, Camden Town, Promenade House, The Promenade Manchester M1 5FW Portsmouth Road, Guildford GU2 4DU London NW1 7PU Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NE T 0161 228 7721 T 01483 568 686 T 020 7504 1700 T 0117 974 3271 C Pauline Randall C alex Baker C Charles Scott C graham Stephens e [email protected] e [email protected] e [email protected] grahamstephens@stridetreglown. W www.randallthorp.co.uk w www.scottbrownrigg.com w www.sheppardrobson.com com Masterplanning for new developments Integrated service of architecture, Manchester W www.stridetreglown.com/ and settlements, infrastructure design urban design, planning, 27th Floor, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza and urban renewal, design guides and Masterplanning, involved in several Manchester M1 4BD Stuart Turner Associates design briefing, public participation. mixed use schemes regenerating inner T 0161 233 8900 12 Ledbury, Great Linford, city and brownfield sites. Planners, urban designers and Milton Keynes MK14 5DS Random Greenway architects. Strategic planning, urban T 01908 678672 Architects Scott Tallon Walker regeneration, development planning, C s tuart Turner Soper Hall, Harestone Valley Road Architects town centre renewal, new settlement e [email protected] Caterham Surrey CR3 6HY 19 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 planning. w www.studiost.co.uk T 01883 346 441 T 00 353 1 669 3000 Architecture, urban design and C r Greenway C Philip Jackson Signet Urban Design environmental planning, the design of e rg@randomgreenwayarchitects. E [email protected] Rowe House, 10 East Parade new settlements, urban regeneration co.uk w www.stwarchitects.com Harrogate HG1 5LT and site development studies. Architecture, planning and urban Award winning international practice T 01423 857510 design. New build, regeneration, covering all aspects of architecture, C richard Walshaw studio | REAL refurbishment and restoration. urban design and planning. E [email protected] Oxford Centre for Innovation W www.signetplanning.com New Road, Oxford OX1 1BY Richard Coleman Scott Worsfold Associates A team of talented urban T 01865 261461 Citydesigner The Studio, 22 Ringwood Road design professionals providing C r oger Evans 14 Lower Grosvenor Place, Longham, Dorset BH22 9AN masterplanning, detailed layout and e [email protected] London SW1W 0EX T 01202 580902 architectural design, design and w www.studioreal.co.uk T 020 7630 4880 C gary Worsfold / Alister Scott access statements, design codes and Urban regeneration, quarter C lakshmi Varma E [email protected] / alister@ development frameworks throughout frameworks and design briefs, town e [email protected] sw-arch.com the UK. centre strategies, movement in towns, Advice on architectural quality, W www.garyworsfoldarchitecture. Masterplanning and development urban design, and conservation, co.uk Smeeden Foreman ltd economics. historic buildings and townscape. An award winning practice of chartered Somerset House, Low Moor Lane Environmental statements, listed architects, urban designers and experts Scotton, Knaresborough HG5 9JB Terra Firma Consultancy buildings/area consent applications. in conservation, all with exceptional T 01423 863369 Cedar Court, 5 College Street graphic skills and an enviable record in C m ark Smeeden Petersfield GU31 4AE RICHARDS PARTINGTON planning consents. e [email protected] T 01730 262040 ARCHITECTS w www.smeedenforeman.co.uk C l ionel Fanshawe Unit G, Reliance Wharf, Shaffrey Associates Ecology, landscape architecture e contact@terrafirmaconsultancy. Hertford Road, London N1 5EW 29 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 and urban design. Environmental com T 020 7241 7770 T 00 353 1872 5602 assessment, detailed design, contract W www.terrafirmaconsultancy.com C r ichard Partington C g ráinne Shaffrey packages and site supervision. Independent landscape architectural e [email protected] e [email protected] practice with considerable urban w www.rparchitects.co.uk W www.shaffrey.ie Soltys: Brewster Consulting design experience at all scales from EIA Urban design, housing, retail, Urban conservation and design, with a 4 Stangate House, Stanwell Road to project delivery throughout UK and education, sustainability and particular commitment to the Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan CF64 2AA overseas. commercial projects that take regeneration of historic urban centres, T 029 2040 8476 a responsible approach to the small towns and villages, including new C s imon Brewster THrive environment and resources. development. e [email protected] Building 300, The Grange w www.soltysbrewster.co.uk Romsey Road, Michelmersh Richard Reid & Associates Sheils Flynn Ltd Urban design, masterplans, design Romsey SO51 0AE Whitely Farm, Ide Hill, Bank House High Street, Docking, strategies, visual impact, environmental T 01794 367703 Sevenoaks TN14 6BS Kings Lynn PE31 8NH assessment, regeneration of urban C g ary Rider T 01732 741417 T 01485 518304 space, landscape design and project e g [email protected] C r ichard Reid C e oghan Sheils management. w www.thrivearchitects.co.uk E [email protected] e [email protected] Award winning multi-disciplinary W www.richardreid.co.uk W www.sheilsflynn.com spacehub practice encompassing architecture, Award winning town centre Grimsby Street Studio, urban design, masterplanning, design RPS regeneration schemes, urban strategies 20a Grimsby Street coding, regeneration, development Bristol, Cambridge, London, Newark, and design guidance. Specialists in London E2 6ES frameworks, sustainable design/ Southampton & Swindon community consultation and team T 020 7739 6699 planning and construction. Residential T 0800 587 9939 facilitation. C giles Charlton and retirement care specialists. e [email protected] E [email protected] w www.rpsgroup.com Shepheard Epstein Hunter W www.spacehubdesign.com Tibbalds Planning & Urban Part of the RPS Group providing a Phoenix Yard, 65 King’s Cross Road, spacehub is a young design studio, Design wide range of urban design services London WC1X 9LW specialising in public realm, landscape, 19 Maltings Place, 169 Tower Bridge including Masterplanning and T 020 7841 7500 ecology and urban design. We are Road, London SE1 3JB development frameworks, design C s teven Pidwill passionate and committed to creative T 020 7089 2121 guides and statements. e [email protected] thinking and collaborative working. C katja Stille W www.seh.co.uk e [email protected] SAVILLS (L&P) LIMITED SEH is a user-friendly, award-winning Spawforths w www.tibbalds.co.uk 33 Margaret Street architects firm, known for its work in Junction 41 Business Court, East Multi-disciplinary practice of urban London W1G 0JD regeneration, education, housing, Ardsley, Leeds WF3 2AB designers, architects and planners. T 020 3320 8242 Masterplanning, mixed use and T 01924 873873 Provides expertise from concept w www.savills.com healthcare projects. C a drian Spawforth to implementation in regeneration, SOUTHAMPTON e [email protected] masterplanning, urban design and 2 Charlotte Place, w www.spawforths.co.uk design management to public and Southampton SO14 0TB Urbanism with planners and architects private sector clients. T 02380 713900 specialising in Masterplanning, C Peter Frankum community engagement, visioning and e [email protected] development frameworks. Offices throughout the World Savills Urban Design creates value from places and places of value. Masterplanning, urban design, design coding, urban design advice, planning, commercial guidance.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 Index 47

Townscape Solutions Urban Innovations West Waddy ADP LLP 208 Lightwoods Hill, Smethwick 1st Floor, Wellington Buildings, The Malthouse, 60 East St. Helen West Midlands B67 5EH 2 Wellington Street, Belfast BT16HT Street, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 5EB Education T 0121 429 6111 T 028 9043 5060 T 01235 523139 C k enny Brown C Tony Stevens/ Agnes Brown C Philip Waddy e kbrown@townscapesolutions. e [email protected] e [email protected] Index co.uk W www.urbaninnovations.co.uk w westwaddy-adp.co.uk w www.townscapesolutions.co.uk The partnership provides not only Experienced and multi-disciplinary team Specialist urban design practice feasibility studies and assists in site of urban designers, architects and town ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY offering a wide range of services assembly for complex projects but planners offering a full range of urban Department of Engineering & Built including masterplans, site layouts, also full architectural services for major design services. Environment, Marconi Building design briefs, design and access projects. Rivermead Campus, Bishop Hall Lane statements, expert witness and 3D White Consultants Chelmsford CM1 1SQ illustrations. URBED (Urbanism Enterprise House, 127-129 Bute Street T 01245 683 3952 Environment & Design) Cardiff CF10 5LE C Dr Dellé Odeleye TP bennett LLP Manchester T 029 2043 7841 e [email protected] One America Street, London SE1 0NE 10 Little Lever Street, C s imon White W Full time: T 020 7208 2029 Manchester M1 1HR E [email protected] www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/ C Peter Davis T 0161 200 5500 W www.whiteconsultants.co.uk home/prospectus/pg/Urban_ E [email protected] C j ohn Sampson A holistic approach to urban Design.html W www.tpbennett.com e [email protected] regeneration, design guidance, public Part time: Development planning, urban design, w www.urbed.coop realm and open space strategies and www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/ conservation and Masterplanning LONDON town centre studies for the public, home/prospectus/pg/_urban_ – making places and adding value The Building Centre private and community sectors. design.html through creative, progressive, dynamic 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT MSc in Urban Design, Post Grad and joyful exploration. C nicholas Falk WYG Planning & Diploma or Certificate in Urban Design. T 07811 266538 Environment The emphasis is on sustainable urban Turley Sustainable Urbanism, Masterplanning, 100 St. John Street design and cultural approaches 10th Floor, 1 New York Street Urban Design, Retrofitting, London EC1M 4EH to place-shaping. The course is Manchester M1 4HD Consultation, Capacity Building, T 020 7250 7500 based upon key requirements in the T 0161 233 7676 Research, Town Centres and C Colin James ’Recognised Practitioner in Urban C jaimie Ferguson – Director of Urban Regeneration. E [email protected] Design’ designation. It can be taken full Design & Masterplanning W www.wyg.com time (1 year) or part time (2 years). E [email protected] URBEN Offices throughout the UK W www.turley.co.uk 33a Wadeson Street Creative urban design and Cardiff University Offices also in Belfast, Birmingham, London E2 9DR masterplanning with a contextual Welsh School of Architecture and Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, T 0203 005 4859 approach to place-making and a School of City & Regional Planning Leeds, London and Southampton. T 0845 054 2992 concern for environmental, social and Glamorgan Building Integrated urban design, C e lizabeth Reynolds economic sustainability. King Edward VII Avenue masterplanning, sustainability and e [email protected] Cardiff CF10 3WA heritage services provided at all project e [email protected] Yellow Book Ltd T 029 2087 5972/029 2087 5961 stages and scales of development. 39/2 Gardner’s Crescent C allison Dutoit, Marga Munar Bauza Services include visioning, townscape URS Infrastructure & Edinburgh EH3 8DG e [email protected] analysis, design guides and public Environment T 0131 229 0179 [email protected] realm resolution. 6-8 Greencoat Place C j ohn Lord w www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/study/ London SW1P 1PL e [email protected] postgraduate/urban-design-ma Tweed Nuttall Warburton T 020 7798 5137 w www.yellowbookltd.com One year full-time and two year part- Chapel House, City Road C ben Castell Place-making, urban regeneration time MA in Urban Design. Chester CH1 3AE E [email protected] and economic development involving T 01244 310388 W www.ursglobal.com creative and cultural industries, tourism Edinburgh School of C j ohn Tweed Also at Birmingham, Leeds, and labour market research. Architecture and e [email protected] Manchester and Plymouth Landscape Architecture w www.tnw-architecture.co.uk Urban design, planning, landscape, ECA University of Edinburgh Architecture and urban design, economic and architectural design Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF Masterplanning. Urban waterside expertise supported by comprehensive T 0131 651 5786 environments. Community teamwork multidisciplinary skills. C Dr Ola Uduku enablers. Visual impact assessments. E [email protected] Vincent and Gorbing Ltd W www.ed.ac.uk/studying/ Urban Design Futures Sterling Court, Norton Road, postgraduate/degrees 34/1 Henderson Row Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2JY Jointly run with Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh EH3 5DN T 01438 316331 this M.Sc in Urban Strategies and T 0131 557 8944 C r ichard Lewis Design focuses on urban design C s elby Richardson e urban.designers@vincent-gorbing. practice and theory from a cultural, e [email protected] co.uk and socio-economic, case-study w www.urbandesignfutures.co.uk w www.vincent-gorbing.co.uk perspective. Engaging students Innovative urban design, planning Masterplanning, design statements, in ’live’ urban projects, as part of and landscape practice specialising character assessments, development the programme’s ’action research’ in Masterplanning, new settlements, briefs, residential layouts and urban pedagogy, it also offers research urban regeneration, town and village capacity exercises. expertise in African and Latin American studies. urban design and planning processes. Wei Yang & Partners Urban Initiatives Studio 4 Devonshire Street Exmouth House, 3-11 Pine Street London W1W 5DT London EC1R 0JH T 020 3102 8565 T 0203 567 0716 C Dr Wei Yang C hugo Nowell E [email protected] E [email protected] W www.weiyangandpartners.co.uk W www.uistudio.co.uk Independent multi-disciplinary Urban design, transportation, company driven by a commitment to regeneration, development planning. shape more sustainable and liveable cities. Specialising in low-carbon city development strategies, sustainable large-scale new settlement master plans, urban regeneration, urban and public realm design, mixed use urban complex design and community building strategies.

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 48 Index

THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART postgraduate awards. Modules include University of Dundee University of Portsmouth Mackintosh School of Architecture Built for Life(TM) and Garden Cities and Town and Regional Planning School of Architecture 167 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G3 6RQ Suburbs. Our courses are designed for Tower Building, Perth Road Eldon Building, Winston Churchill T 0141 353 4500 those working full-time with a one-day a Dundee DD1 4HN Avenue, Portsmouth PO1 2DJ C joanna Crotch month teaching format. T 01382 385246 / 01382 385048 T 02392 842 090 E [email protected] C Dr Mohammad Radfar / Dr Deepak C Dr Fabiano Lemes W www.gsa.ac.uk/study/graduate- Oxford Brookes University Gopinath E [email protected] degrees/architectural-studies/ Joint Centre for Urban Design e [email protected] / w www.port.ac.uk/courses/ Master of Architecture in: Urban Design Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP [email protected] architecture-property-and- and Creative Urban Practices; Urban C georgia Butina-Watson, Alan Reeve w www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/ surveying/ma-urban-design/ Building; Computer Aided Architectural T 01865 483403 courses/advanced_sustainable_ The MA Urban Design course provides Design; and, Energy & Environmental Diploma in Urban Design, six months urban_design_msc.htm the opportunity to debate the potential Studies. The MArch programme is full time or 18 months part time. MA one The MSc Advanced Sustainable role of design professionals in the research and project driven with a multi- year full-time or two years part-time. Urban Design (RTPI accredited) is a generation of sustainable cities. One disciplinary input that begins begins unique multidisciplinary practice-led year full time and two years part time. with a series of core lectures and UCLan – University of programme set in an international seminars that is balanced by literature Central Lancashire context (EU study visit) and engaging University of Sheffield enquiry to enable students to develop The Grenfell-Baines School of with such themes as landscape School of Architecture, The Arts a multi-disciplinary perspective as a Architecture, Construction and urbanism, placemaking across cultures Tower, grounding for shared discourse. Environment, Preston, PR1 2HE and sustainability evaluation as Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN T 01772 892400 integrated knowledge spheres in the T 0114 222 0341 Leeds Beckett University E [email protected] creation of sustainable places. C Florian Kossak School of Art, Architecture and W www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/msc_ E [email protected] Design, Broadcasting Place, urban_design.php University of Huddersfield w www.shef.ac.uk/architecture/ Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9EN The MSc in Urban Design enables School of Art, Design & Architecture study/pgschool/taught_masters/ T 0113 812 3216 students to work with real cities Queen Street Studios maud C e dwin Knighton and live projects, politicians, policy Huddersfield HD1 3DH One year full time MA in Urban Design e [email protected] makers, architects and designers in a T 01484 472208 for postgraduate architects, landscape W www.courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ critical studio environment. This along C Dr Ioanni Delsante architects and town planners. The urbandesign_ma residential study tours to European E [email protected] programme has a strong design focus, Master of Arts in Urban Design consists cities help to prepare students for W www.hud.ac.uk/courses/full-time/ integrates participation and related of 1 year full time or 2 years part time or practice addressing the demands of postgraduate/urban-design-ma/ design processes, and includes individual programme of study. Shorter our urban future. MA; PgDip; PgCert in Urban Design (Full international and regional applications. programmes lead to Post Graduate Time or Part Time). Diploma/Certificate. Project based University College London The MA in Urban Design aims to provide University of Strathclyde course focusing on the creation of Development Planning Unit students with the essential knowledge Department of Architecture sustainable environments through 34 Tavistock Square, London WC1H and skills required to effectively Urban Design Studies Unit interdisciplinary design. 9EZ intervene in the urban design process; Level 3, James Weir Building T 020 7679 1111 develop academic research skills, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow G1 1XJ London South Bank C giulia Carabelli including critical problem-solving and T 0141 548 4219 University E [email protected] reflective practice; facilitate design C Ombretta Romice Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences The MSc Building and Urban Design in responses to the range of cultural, e [email protected] 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA Development programme combines political, socio-economic, historical, w www.udsu-strath.com C b ob Jarvis cultural, social, economic, political and environmental and spatial factors. It The Postgraduate Course in Urban T 020 7815 7353 spatial analysis in the effort to present also aims to promote responsibility Design is offered in CPD,Diploma MA Urban Design (one year full time/ a critical response to the growing within urban design to consider the and MSc modes. The course is design two years part time) or PG Cert complexities within the design and wider impact of urban development and centred and includes input from a Planning based course including units production of urban realms. regeneration. variety of related disciplines. on place and performance, sustainable cities as well as project based work and University College London University of Northampton University of the West of EU study visit. Part of RTPI accredited Bartlett School of Planning The University of Northampton England, Bristol programme. 22 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0QB Park Campus, Boughton Green Road Faculty of the Built Environment, T 020 7679 4797 Northampton NN2 7AL Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Newcastle University C Filipa Wunderlich T 01604 735500 Bristol BS16 1QY Department of Architecture, Planning E [email protected] E sabine.coadyschaebitz@ C janet Askew and Landscape, Claremont Tower w www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/planning/ northampton.ac.uk T 0117 328 3508 University of Newcastle, Newcastle programmes C sabine Coady Schaebitz MA/Postgraduate Diploma course in upon Tyne NE1 7RU The MSc/Dipl Urban Design & City W www.northampton.ac.uk/study/ Urban Design. Part time two days per T 0191 222 6006 Planning has a unique focus on the courses/courses-by-subject/social- fortnight for two years, or individual C g eorgia Giannopoulou interface between urban design & city sciences/integrated-urbanism-msc programme of study. Project-based e [email protected] planning. Students learn to think in MSc Integrated Urbanism: Eight course addressing urban design issues, w www.ncl.ac.uk/apl/study/ critical, creative and analytical ways Urban Design and Urbanism Modules abilities and environments. postgraduate/taught/urbandesign/ across the different scales of the city plus Master Thesis to explore the index.htm – from strategic to local -and across complexities of creating and managing University of Westminster The MA in Urban Design brings urban design, planning, real estate and people-friendly sustainable urban 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS together cross-disciplinary expertise sustainability. environments. T 020 7911 5000 ext 66553 striking a balance between methods C b ill Erickson and approaches in environmental University College London University of Nottingham e [email protected] design and the social sciences in Bartlett School of Planning Department of Architecture and Built MA or Diploma Course in Urban Design the creation of the built environment. 14 Upper Woburn Place Environment, University Park for postgraduate architects, town To view the course blog: London WC1H 0NN Nottingham NG7 2RD planners, landscape architects and www.nclurbandesign.org T 020 7679 4797 T 0115 9513110 related disciplines. One year full time or C matthew Carmona C Dr Amy Tang two years part time. Nottingham Trent E [email protected] E [email protected] University w www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/planning/ w www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/ Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU programmes/postgraduate/ courses/architecture-and-built- T 0115 848 6033 mresInter-disciplinary-urban- environment/sustainable-urban- C stefan Kruczkowski design design-march.aspx E [email protected] The MRes Inter-disciplinary Urban Master of Architecture (MArch) in W www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/pss/ Design cuts across urban design Sustainable Urban Design is a research course_finder/108169-1/6/pgcert_ programmes at The Bartlett, allowing and project-based programme which planning_urban_design_and_ students to construct their study in aims to assist the enhancement of sustainable_development.aspx a flexible manner and explore urban the quality of our cities by bringing NTU offers postgraduate opportunities design as a critical arena for advanced innovative design with research in in urban design with a particular research and practice. The course sustainability. focus on residential led development. operates as a stand-alone high level Modules are available as either stand- masters or as preparation for a PhD. alone CPD learning or as part of

Urban Design ― Summer 2015 ― Issue 135 EndpieceNews The Red and the Black

It’s always a delight to learn about unex- pected connections between places and people, which you would struggle to make credible if you were writing fiction. I found out about one recently: between a small urban village in the Black Country, known for coal-mining and steel-making, and a Viennese socialist intellectual, a member of the Vienna Circle of philosophers. The place is Bilston, now part of the city of Wolverhampton, but in the 1940s an independent municipal borough. The mining and steel-making is all gone, and the economy has never fully recovered, but the 1 fabric of the town centre largely survives. It has attractive streets, with many character- ful buildings. In one of them is housed the Bilston Craft Gallery, where I saw an exhibi- tion about this unexpected connection: Bilston’s Happy Housing. The intellectual was the sociologist and political economist Otto Neurath, who in Red Vienna in the 1920s and 30s worked on the development of modern housing and city planning. In 1932, with the archi- tect Josef Frank and others, he created the Werkbundsiedlung, a model housing development. He also invented a graphi- cal method of displaying statistics, such as those on slum housing, public health and new housing types, in pictorial form. He called it Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education). He arrived in England as a refugee in 2 1940, and set up his Isotype Institute in double-glazing practitioners have removed himself capable of, and this had changed Oxford. In 1945 Bilston’s Town Clerk wrote to a lot of the original character of the houses. him entirely. Housing had certainly made Neurath and invited him to become Bilston’s We are now rather more pragmatic him happy. Immigration is a divisive subject, Consultant for Human Happiness. How did about the role of good housing in people’s but immigrants like Neurath and Segal this unlikely-sounding event happen? It’s not lives. We think that good housing is impor- have enriched British life, and are rightly fully explained, but those were heady days, tant, but we don’t see socialist politics, celebrated. when the dream of new scientifically-based radical architecture, and public health, • housing, which could transform the lives of wellbeing and happiness combined together Joe Holyoak, architect and urban designer the working-class, was evidently circulat- into an ambitious social programme, least ing not only in Frankfurt and Paris but in an of all by a small local authority. Walking obscure little Black Country town as well. through Stowlawn, I get a romantic scent Neurath died suddenly later in 1945, but of a time, not so long ago, when this future he had already instigated the development was considered possible. of a new municipal housing development in I thought of the parallel with another Bilston which became the Stowlawn Estate. central European exile, the architect Walter Seven organically-shaped greens were sur- Segal who, a generation later, was invited rounded by a variety of two-storey houses by the London borough of Lewisham to work and maisonettes. The site plan looked with residents on their council house wait- rather like a cluster of seven pebbles. ing list. Segal showed them how to design After Neurath’s death, the estate was and build their own timber-framed houses, designed by others including the architect on sloping sites which Lewisham had re- Charles Reilly, eminent neo-classicist- jected for house-building: they became, like turned-modernist, and another Vien- Stowlawn, unfamiliar and exotic places. nese émigré, the architect Ella Briggs. I remember Ken Atkins, the chair- The architecture was not astonishing, man of the Lewisham Self Build Housing 1–2 Bilston, two views but it had a distinctly exotic flavour of Association, testifying how the experience of Lawnside Green, the best-preserved European modernism imported into the of designing and building his house had of the greens which Black Country. Sadly, several of the greens transformed his life: with Segal he had originally constituted have subsequently been built on, and the achieved something he had not thought Stowlawn Estate

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