Urban Design 2024 Election Manifestos
Scott Elliott Adams
As an elected member of the UDG Executive Committee, I would like to play a more leading role to:
1. Lead and facilitate UDG events. As part of this I would be keen to establish a regular panel discussion/ debate on Urban Design and related topics. The sessions could be hybrid events.
2. Continue to actively contribute to the Good Urban Form working group to publish and share how urban design can facilitate better Planning outcomes in the UK.
3. Help local authorities in developing local design codes. Since leading Government’s NMDC testing programme, I am keen to explore how the UDG can further advance the current focus to deliver area wide design codes to assist local authorities.
4. Contribute to National Urban Design Awards and annual conference. It was a rewarding experience as a Vice Chair for the awards in the past and I would like to contribute this year and to also explore how the UDG could maximise the exposure of the awards to raise further awareness of successful submissions. I’m also keen to engage more meaningfully with the development of the annual conference in Plymouth.
I will be able to share/use the resources/event space at BPTW offices.
Husam AlWaer
For next year, disseminating widely the 20 minute neighbourhoods in the UK and beyond (Hybrid events in London, Manchester and Cardiff). I would be looking into the delivery of 20 minute neighbourhoods in the UK, looking into what is needed to deliver the concept in the ground (A new research based on imperial data by running a series of workshops/interviews in the UK). Also, a series of online events will be delivered looking into the different aspects of 20 minute neighbourhoods. Promote the UDG 'Learning from other Places' for Porto, Utrecht, Aarhus, Bilbao, ....etc. Organise an event with Manchester/Cardiff Universities looking what next for Urban Design Education on the face of current crisis Organise a series of UDG lunch events on (Overlay Urbanism, Private Section and Development in the UK: What Next?, Learning form the EU: Nature Based Solutions) . Helping promoting the UDG National Conference.
Roger Evans
I would like to continue the work of developing urban design policies for the Group which can be used to campaign for change in the way the built environment is designed and delivered.
The UDG is capable of setting the agenda and offering authentic and hard-won expertise on a range of pressing urban design issues.
Last year, my election manifesto said that ‘we could offer concise guidance as to how strategic urban design could be made integral to local development plans within the current planning system, and we could do this before the end of this year’.
Since then, the working group has produced a policy paper on ‘Achieving Good Town Form’ with a campaign about to start. Other policy papers in the pipeline include ‘Infrastructure Delivery’ and ‘Achieving a Shared Vision’. We intend to generate publicity around these UDG policies in the professional press and mainstream media.
Lucy Fineberg
If elected, I would like to continue working with others in the urban design community on four initiatives, three which I would like to build on from last year :
1 - Plain Language Initiative - working to remove barriers to engagement so urban design is understood by all, and support it's growth and maturity.
2 - Place-Keeping Initiative - aim to develop deeply rooted place identity by promoting the reading of existing places and promote their maturity, through identification of visible and invisible characteristics, and inherent narrative.
3 - Legacy Making Initiative - work to promote engagement and understanding of future focussed settlement and development creation, which is adaptable and flexible for future innovation.
4 - Youth Engagement Initiative - aiming to expand our reach to budding urbanists through educational engagement to encourage the next generations in Urban Design.
Leo Hammond
I would like to continue to work with the UDG in promoting the group across the industry, with clients, local authorities and students. Continue to work as a Vice Chair on the UDG Awards. Lead more Urban Design Group Tours, such as the one I did around Lewes. Leading more UDG events, ideally in person; I lead a significant amount of UDG events as Chair pre-Covid and would like to again, especially around council house building and local authority plan making. I would also like to work with schools and colleges on promoting urban design and the built environment to underrepresented ethnic minority groups.
Ana McMillin
During the next 12 months I wish to:
• Be part of the membership sub-committee and analyse our survey results to better understand our members and meet their interests, potentially expanding the membership and the RPs.
• Maintain the renowned programme of UDG events, working to deliver the Urban Design and Young Children talks, and a new Art and Urban Design talk.
• Contribute to the UDG’s upcoming New Urban Task Force event and subsequent publications.
• Provide a perspective informed by a large commercial practice to the urban design group activities, aiming to find the best way to achieve greater impact for our collective actions and increase their chance of being implemented.
• Drive the Climate Emergency and Diversity and Inclusion agendas, focusing on the key contribution that good urban design can make, such as: 20-minute neighbourhoods, street design, design for women and children’s needs and experiences, interpretations of density, particularly in housing, landscape-driven and environmentally restorative urban design, and equal and genuine consultation approaches.
Amanda Reynolds
Aam interested most of all in urban adaptation and regeneration in response to natural and ‘unnatural’ pressures - migration, climate shifts, war and all its consequences.
Designing for old people and small children should make a major shift in some approaches to urban design. Density and public transit are crucial connectors….
Paul Reynolds
Having been involved with the UDG for almost 20 years, I believe that never have we been more relevant or more essential as a strong voice to promote the value and importance of good urbanism and placemaking. As a group we continue to lead discussion and debate on topics across the urban design spectrum and going forward under a likely new government later this year, the scope for us to be making the case for positive design-led approaches to housing delivery is significant.
Having just completed the first year of my second spell as Chair of the UDG, I am as committed as ever to the success of the organisation, and having brought forward the proposed changes to the organisation’s constitution during my first year as Chair, I am keen to stay in post for a second year to oversee the completion of the organisation’s transition to a CIO which will make the UDG fit for purpose for the future. The future for the UDG is bright, and I am keen to help steer the organisation forward over the next 12 months, supporting our members and amplifying their voices.
Charlotte Savage
As a member of the UDG Executive Committee:
- I want to continue to champion the importance of and lessons that can be learnt from our smaller scale/rural settlements and communities to the wider UDG membership. All too often policy, funding and recognition seem to be focused on just the metropolitan scale of place-making and I am keen to support those of us that work within the more rural context to have their work recognised and feel active in discussions.
- Promote further engagement and relationships between the UDG and the public sector. Ensuring the UDG events, expertise and knowledge is promoted and made aware to public sector organisations that may previously not have engaged with the group to promote the importance of design during all stages of planning and development.
- Promote diversification of UDG events and engagement to include more regional opportunities for practitioners, students, and industry professionals to come together outside of London or the South East.
Hannah Smart
U rban Design and masterplanning,
R eally should be,
B efore the public, in the media and on tv!
A nd I believe as a team, we can,
N ormalise beauty, and come up with a plan!
D esigning new places, work of many hands,
E veryone working together, growing UDG brand.
S upporting young people, mentoring our friends,
I commit to elevating and championing,
G etting it right - on us it depends!
N ow let’s make it happen for 2024, I promise no more poems, for it’s time to draw!!
Katja Stille
The UDG has an important role to play in bringing together professionals and politicians across a range of disciplines to improve the places we build. To support that, I will:
- build partnerships of like-minded organisations and key people across the profession to ensure the UDG remains a recognised consultee for government bodies on a par with professional institutes and that our messages are being heard.
- help organising, chairing and facilitating events / conference and webinars to aid discussion, learning and dissemination of new research and best practice.
help the core team and Engine Room in the day-to-day running of the UDG and to better support our members.
- continue to break down professional silos by drawing broader audiences and topics into the conversations within the UDG, by developing bespoke events and briefing sheets for topics, such as ‘infrastructure delivery’ / ‘strategic design’ and events that enable the communication between disciplines.
I am keen to address challenges and barriers that prevent us from delivering good places, such as contradictory regulations, policies and adoption standards etc. and I will continue to promote a Code for the Underground and represent the UDG at the conferences.
Louise Thomas
Along with my ongoing role as joint editor of the UDG’s journal, Urban Design, I intend to help the UDG to reach out to more students - to show their work and to help recruit the next generation of members. This year is also an important opportunity to help members given the pre-election uncertainty in the development market. One of these strands will be through the Urban Design Directory and finding the best ways of conveying the benefits of urban design to wider audiences.
Helping the Director to implement and update the UDG’s finance systems will also be essential to get more from the organisation’s limited resources.
Rob Thompson
I'm motivated by making sense of place and contributing to the creation of great places.
If elected again to the Executive Committee I'd continue to play an active part in the debates surrounding urban design, place making and urbanism and existing and emerging ideas/issues and themes.
I co-organised the National Urban Design Conference in Sheffield and would continue to help with this year's Conference.
I am concerned about residential design quality and links to health and wellbeing – and will organise and chair an online event in 2024.
Highway Adoption – I am concerned that the ongoing unwillingness of highway authorities to adopt street trees, or street environments that reflect Manual for Streets is having a damaging and overriding impact upon the quality of places. I will campaign for change, including working on an opinion survey with others on the UDG secretariat.
Teaching at Sheffield Hallam University I would like to continue to develop links between students and academics and the UDG.
Naike Zambotti
I am a qualified urban designer and a Recognised Urban Design Practitioner since 2018. I joined the Executive Committee last year and I truly loved the experience.
If elected again to the Executive Committee I'd continue to support the research aspects of the UDG, keep assisting with the production and distribution, and educate public and professional opinion, giving advice and information.
I would keep providing graphical support for the many activities promoted by the Group. Being a professional I strongly believe that sharing good urban design, placemaking and general knowledge within people involved in the sector is crucial for the delivery of liveable, high quality and healthy places.
The annual national UDG conference and the awards are a very important moment for all the professionals and activists involved in urban design. I would like to support the organisation of these events. I would also like to promote the UDG and its activities within young and underrepresented groups.
I am currently working with the Group to collate feedback from members and non-members to see how we can improve the UDG, and I would love to keep focusing on this over the next term.
