#ideasSPACE: UDG lockdown webinars

During the lockdown and social distancing, the Urban Design Group (UDG) has not stood still. It has migrated its events to online webinars which UrbanNous has recorded and made available on the UDG YouTube. UrbanNous has been a long-standing media partner of the UDG and has recorded numerous events over the years, which are available for view via the UDG and UrbanNous websites.

A great series of presentations on webinars, convened once a week, has been produced under the title of ideasSPACE. The aim of the UDG has been to host expert discussions on how to act now to overcome the Coronavirus crisis, and prepare for both a next spike in cases, and other crises affecting cities and urban living. The purpose of the ideasSPACE series is to contribute to the debate on ‘how we design our cities will save lives tomorrow’. The format is a series of online presentations to a group of viewers, chaired by a professional experienced in the specific topic.

The UDG believes that ‘during the Coronavirus crisis we need space, and most importantly space for ideas’. The topics ideasSPACE discussed correspond to the UDG’s current priorities of how urban design can improve the quality of the environment and the quality of life.

By July 2020, thirty ideasSPACE videos have been recorded. They were framed as five sessions on ‘Urban Design after Covid-19’ and are grouped here into the following key urban design issues: housing, streets, environment, people, design and planning.

HOUSING

Housing, public realm and parks (3 sessions), Quality homes and density (2 sessions), New homes, new neighbourhoods, An action plan for good homes post-pandemic, Regeneration stories: Barreiro Portugal.

STREETS

Future High Streets (2 sessions), Street movement and transport (2 sessions), Life saving streets, street layout and design during and after pandemic (2 sessions), Decarbonising transport. Environment Nature at the heart of cities, Biodiversity, habitats and parks, Design through intelligent landscape management, Creating immersive landscapes.

PEOPLE

Diversity and inclusion in urban design education, Diversity and inclusion in urban design, Why child friendly planning matters, The multiple risks facing children when crossing roads.

DESIGN AND PLANNING

Design value vs. the value of design (2 sessions), Making better places to live through co-design, News from somewhere else, Urban planning futures explored (2 sessions).

While face-to-face events are missed as they also give UDG members and other professionals the opportunity to socialise with each other, the webinars have the advantage of reaching a wider audience. Perhaps a combination of these modes of communication and participation may be useful for the UDG to maintain. Many future events are planned and will be available as webinars as long as face-to-face events cannot take place in The Gallery, Cowcross Street, the habitual London venue for UDG London events. The UDG website provides up-to-date information.

Judith Ryser, researcher, journalist, writer and urban affairs consultant to Fundacion Metropoli, Madrid