Urban Design Quarterly The Journal of the Urban Design Group Issue 65 January 1998 Topic Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Case studies The Manchester Higher Education Project TfiTirrw Design Games in Tower Hamlets Forum for: Ian Bentley John Billingham Co-Chair of the Joint Centre for Urban Architect and Planner, formerly architects • town planners • Design, Oxford Brookes University. Director of Design and Development engineers • landscape architects Milton Keynes Development and all those interested in the John Biggs Corporation. quality of the built environment Urban Designer and Regional Coordinator for the South West. Bob Jarvis Senior Lecturer in Planning at South The Urban Design Group, founded Robert Brown Bank University School of Urban nineteen years ago, has been Architect working for Levitt Bernstein Development and Policy. Associates. established to provide high standards of Sebastian Loew performance and inter-professional Hugh Cannings Architect and Planner, until recently cooperation in planning, architecture, Architect and planner working for Principal Lecturer at the School of Austin -Smith:Lord Urban Development at South Bank urban design, and other related University. disciplines; and to educate the relevant Michael Crilly professions and the public in matters UDG regional coordinator for Marion Roberts Northern Ireland. Architect, writer and Senior Lecturer relating to urban design. Membership is in the School of Urban Development made up of architects, planners, Rupert Kemplay at the University of Westminster. landscape architects, engineers, Head of Landcare Landservices, a surveyors, historians, lawyers, landscape design and build business Jon Rowland based in Leeds. Architect and Urban Designer, photographers, in fact anyone interested previously technical Director of in the quality of our built environment. Thomas Kvan and Justina Llewelyn-Davies Planning. Former Local authorities, practices, and Karakiewicz Chairman of the Urban Design Group. Lecturers in the Department of universities are also members. The Architecture of the University of Hong U.D.G. runs a series of public lectures, Kong. workshops and other events which are Colen Lumley valid for C.RD. The Kevin Lynch Architect in private practice. Memorial Lecture has attracted such speakers as Leon Krier, Peter Hall, Sir John Pendlebury Lecturer in Town and Country Roy Strong, and Sir Philip Dowson. Planning at the University of Annual study tours are also organised. Newcastle upon Tyne specialising in The U.D.G. publishes a quarterly conservation. magazine dealing with urban design Monica Pidgeon issues and an Urban Design Source Editor and architectural writer. She Book which identifies urban design owns and directs Pidgeon audio practices, courses and members. The visual. U.D.G. is working closely with the R.T.RI. Jennifer Ross to raise the profile of urban design. It Planner and urban designer. She is an has reciprocal membership with a Associate with Tibbalds Monro. number of complementary organisations Ian Thompson including Vision for London, and the Landscape architect and town British Urban Regeneration Association planner. Lecturer in Landscape (B.U.R.A.). The U.D.G. has set out an Architecture in the Department of Town and Country Planning, agenda aimed at explaining urban University of Newcastle upon Tyne. design and how, using urban design principles, the quality of the environment Chris Williamson can be raised. The Urban Design Group Partner in Weston Williamson, architects and urban designers. continues to grow. Membership is national, and each region has its own convenor, who organises local events. Administrator Susie Turnbull Tel. 01235 851415 Fax. 01235 851410 Chairman Roger Evans Tel. 01865 377030 Contents Enquiries and change of address: Cover 6 Ashbrook Courtyard, Westbrook Street Arial view of Montpellier Blewbury, Oxon 0X11 9QH Tel: 01235-851415 Fax:01235-851410 News & Events Leader 4 Simon Rendel's Obituary Chairman Roger Evans 01865-377030 Movement, Streets and Places 6 King's Cross Regeneration: Better Places 7 Patrons The Incredible Lightness of the Languedoc 8 Alan Baxter Joint Conference RTPI-UDG Urban Design Terry Farrell & Housing Provision 10 Peter Hall Bilbao Renaissance 11 Richard MacCormac Les Sparks Viewpoints John Worthington Urban Design Alliance 12 John Biggs & Michael Crilly UDG Regional Activities New Urban Design for London? 14 Marion Roberts Regional convenors: Urban Design as an Anti-Profession 15 Scotland Leslie Forsyth 0131 221 6071 Ian Bentley Northern Ireland Michael Crilly 01232 669384 North Alan Simpson 0191-2099099 International Yorks/Humber Lindsay Smales 0113 283 2600 Reclamation in Macau 16 North West Andy Farrall 01244-402213 Thomas Kvan & Justyna Karakiewicz East Midlands Steve Tiesdell 0115-951 4874 West Midlands Peter Larkham 0121 -331 5152 Topic South Wales Sam Romaya 01222-874000 Landscape Architecture and Urban Design South West John Biggs 01202 633633 Leader 20 East Anglia Alan Stones 01245-437642 Ian Thompson South East Julie Witham 01865-377030 Two Professions, One Purpose? 21 Ian Thompson Grainger Town Landscapes Editorial Board 23 John Pendlebury Derek Abbott Trees Versus Cameras 26 John Billingham Rupert Kempley Matthew Carmona Greening the City 29 Tim Catchpole Jennifer Ross Bob Jarvis Sebastian Loew Case Studies Tony Lloyd-Jones The Manchester Higher Education Project 36 Francesca Morrison Austin-Smith:Lord Marion Roberts Design Games in Tower Hamlets 39 Judith Ryser Levitt Bernstein Associates Book Reviews Editors John Billingham Reviews by John Billingham, Jon Rowland and 42 Sebastian Loew Chris Williamson Editor for this issue Sebastian Loew Practice and Education Index 44 Book reviews Tim Catchpole Endpiece 47 Being There 56 Gilpin Ave, London SW14 8QY Bob Jarvis Art direction Simon Head Diary Back Cover Print production Constable Printing Future issues © Urban Design Group 66 Urban Design and Conservation Topic Editor Stev' e Gould ISSN 0266 6480 67 Conference Report. Public Places: People Places Material for publication: This should be addressed to The Editor, 26 Park Road, Abingdon, Oxon 0X14 1DS Subscriptions: The Quarterly is free to Urban Design group Members who also receive newsletters and the biennial Source Book at the time of printing. Annual rates: Individuals £30 Students £14. Corporate rates: Practices £40 Libraries £40 The subscription charge for Practice and Education Index entries is £80 per year Local Authorities £75 (2 copies of UDQ) covering an inclusion in four issues if paid within one month of the renewal date. Overseas members pay a supplement of £3 for Europe and £8 for other locations. Neither the Urban Design Group nor the editor is responsible for views expressed or Individual issues of the journal cost £4. statements made by individuals writing in this journal. Leader Urban Design continues to be flavour of the including a hands-on approach to improving parts of the month although not in the same obvious environment such as streams way as it was in the final stages of the and wychert walls. o 7 Conservative administration: John Prescott Within the UDG Simon had a relaxed approach to problems fi) does not have the same crusading attitude that arose and always gave 3 as John Gummer and he has other priorities wise counsel either in committees or at the UDG on his agenda. Nevertheless the current office which moved to debates on regional bodies - whatever they Simon Rendel 1941-1997 Blewbury in 1995. His <D presence and friendship and may eventually be, on London government contribution to UDG affairs will j£i Simon, who died in September, be sorely missed by all who and on transport policy have substantial was a long standing member of the UDG and had acted as knew him. <5' bearing on urban design. The influence of treasurer for five years and an executive committee member I feel that an appropriate way to Europe, the wish to show a New Britain 3 prior to that. He had been celebrate Simon's life is to SB (exemplified by the setting of the Franco- seriously ill for a short time and include a summary of some of died aged 56 on 24 September. the work he did with ASH for British summit in November), the concern the CPRE on defining Tranquil with culture as opposed to just heritage, all Simon originally trained as a Areas - a study wholly a civil engineer at Oxford appropriate to the ways in have an effect on the attitudes towards the University and his early which I knew Simon. •o professional work was in that public realm. The Worlds Squares for All capacity in this country and in John Billingham study by Foster and Partners is a typical Brazil. Through this work he realised the contribution that example of these issues coming together. In landscape design made to the turn these are reflected in conferences and environment, took a post- 'Tranquil' Areas graduate course under Peter seminars which, although concerned with a Youngman and embarked on his landscape career initially range of topics, repeatedly end up The Concept (D with RMJM. He then moved to discussing urban design. the public sector, first working 'Tranquil' Areas are a new for Berkshire County Council planning tool developed by "0 Not surprisingly perhaps, the chartered and then at the GLC, where he Simon Rendel for the ASH o professions wish to have their share, which was principal landscape Consulting Group. 'Tranquillity' architect in charge of the is most simply described as •o explains the launching of the Urban Design Landscape Division for the representing the perception of Department of Recreation and Alliance, UDAL. Since its aims are very 'unspoilt' countryside which is Arts. relatively free from eyesores •o similar to those of the Urban Design Group, and the disturbance caused by urbanisation and transport. It its creation pays a compliment to the When that body was wound up he founded a private practice, defines such areas at a foresight of those who founded the group Rendel and Branch, and regional scale. subsequently worked with the nearly twenty years ago. The potential ASH Partnership heading their political clout of such an alliance could help southern office in Didcot.