TownFest 2018

Facing up to the Urban Design Challenges for Towns and Smaller Cities

This event is being organised as a prelude to this years National Urban Design Conference: Winchester Thursday 20th- Saturday 21st September 2018.

We invite 4-5 minute presentations from practitioners ready to share their understanding of the problems and potential ways forward.

We aim to look at:

o General Challenges eg changing retail and employment patterns, air quality etc,

o Governance eg design skills shortages, long term direction and vision, quality of development, pressure on finances, conflict between urban and car based rural dwellers etc.

o Movement and Public Realm eg encouraging active travel, reallocating road-space, car parking, feasibility of permanent public transport: tram, light rail and metro.

o Change within the Town eg regeneration, redevelopment, densification, strengthening character, identity and USP unique sense of place, increasing vibrancy and mixed use.

o Change outside the Town eg greenfield and brownfield development, urban extensions, expansion of villages, new satellite settlements.