Articles

Distributor Road
Robert Huxford

UDG Director, Robert Huxford, outlines current best practice guidance and standards in street design.

Taken from the Urban Design Directory 2020/21.

1. London King’s Cross, the German Gymnasium restaurant
Jane Manning

Jane Manning, Director at Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners, finds that urban designers will have new roles in the circular economy.

Taken from the Urban Design Directory 2020/21

2. Kings Crescent
Katja Stille

Katja Stille, Director at Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, and Chair of the Urban Design Group, considers the wider opportunities of designing for children.

Taken from the Urban Design Directory 2020/21

Roger Evans

Roger Evans, urban designer, architect and town planner, explains what makes good places and shapes urban design ideas.

Taken from the Urban Design Directory 2020/21

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

James Delaney is a Board member for Block by Block, which is a foundation backed by Mojang, Microsoft, and UN-Habitat to empower communities to turn neglected urban spaces into vibrant places. Their work ensures that marginalised voices are brought to the fore to help co-design the places we live, making for stronger communities, better public spaces, and a fairer society.

UDG Event Review
Richard Cole

Over 750 participants attended this introduction to the National Model Design Code (NMDC) led by Joanna Averley, the MHCLG’s Chief Planner, as part of the new National Planning Policy Framework.

Zomerdijkstraat Atelierwoningen
ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

For some working from home is a positive experience, citing better work/home balance, more opportunity for exercise, healthier eating and even more time for chores. But others - depending on the design of neighbourhoods or houses - have found it a huge challenge. So how do we put this right, and design for a future with increased working from home?

UDG Event Review
Judith Ryser

Chaired by Christopher Martin of Urban Movement, UDG Chair Katja Stille introduced this webinar series intended to reflect on urban design’s contribution to a post COVID future.

Recreation & Open Space Subject Plan adopted by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, May 1989.  Source Dudley MBC
My Favourite Plan
Paul Watson

Dudley Recreation & Open Space Subject Plan prepared and adopted in the mid-1980s under the planning regime of the time

Climate Change Global Digest
Jane Manning with Julie Futcher, Joanna Wright and Mitch Cooke

After a hiatus in the first six months of the pandemic, a growing amount of research, strategies and action is now starting again. A number of organisations have recently issued research and strategies designed to steer a path to recovery and climate resilience. Here are a few examples of some of those recently announced.

Selfridges designed by Future Systems, opened 2003
Endpiece
Joe Holyoak

Selfridges in Birmingham is much celebrated, but it is a problematic building. I suggest that it can be assessed against three criteria. Firstly, as a piece of corporate publicity. Here I would describe it as brilliant. The managing director of Selfridges, Vittorio Radice, instructed his architects Future Systems to design a building that was so distinctive that it did not need a sign saying Selfridges.

Behind the Image
Lionel Eid, George Garofalakis, Rosie Garvey and Alice Strang

A highly valued public square that aims to reconnect a series of public spaces and honour the area’s dynamic multi-cultural community.

Vienna
ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

Cities have to be a moveable feast - a bounty that supports life and happiness but is flexible enough to change to the needs of human beings. Cities have to be able to implement fast urban change with local people to improve quality of life for all.

Create Streets - what makes for popular places?
ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

If we are to make stronger communities, if we are to make cities more equitable, we need to be building homes and communities that people want to live in, not ones that they just have to accept. And this means delivering quality.

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

Skateboarding catalyses the forgotten parts of our cities, and injects intense energy, culture, and life. Why then is it viewed with such derision, and what should we be doing differently?

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

Designing successful walking environments has the power to successfully deliver across, and to influence, an enormous gamut of policy agendas, making urban design and transport investment unique in its ability to deliver better lives for everyone. Politics and urban design have a very successful collaborative future together.

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

The way we live, the environment, the climate, our mood and happiness, and all of society are shaped by how we eat, our food culture. If we are to plan for healthy and successful places, we have to plan for food.

Guy's  and St Thomas' Charity
ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

At the root of building accessible, enjoyable, and democratic cities is planning for places that support us in our development from childhood to adulthood. Eliminating the crisis of childhood obesity is a cornerstone of this work.

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

Places shape our behaviour, and behaviour over time is culture. Art and culture is what defines places, defines societies and what makes us human. How do we embed a wry smile in urban design, and how can we drop some optimism bombs to spread some joy and laugher? Because after this year we sure need it.

ideasSPACE
in conversation with Christopher Martin

Urban design is as much the design of places as it is working with human behaviour - so why don’t we consider psychology alongside architecture, engineering, and urban design? We say we need to, let’s find out how.

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