URBAN DESIGN 96 Autumn 2005
Central to urban design is the master planning process, and the drawings that capture the designer’s intent. As urban design is more widely recognised and adopted, there is a danger that the time allowed for design is gradually compressed and rushed. This issue of URBAN DESIGN, the quarterly journal of the Urban Design Group, explains the successful design process, how to manage projects of great complexity, while still allowing time for design.
Malcolm Moor draws together a collage of master planners and their recent work to illustrate this. From answering the bigger questions of what, why, how and will it work? (by Jim Fox), to projects across England and Scotland, this topic explores both the process and product of urban design.
From Dumbarton, there is an interesting controversy about retaining existing buildings and a local authority’s clean-sweep approach (Amanda Reynolds and Nicole Murphy). The comparison between two major projects in London -- Lewisham Gateway and Stratford City -- reveals common issues and approaches across a range of scales (Michael Lowe and Malcolm Smith). Creating paradise in Liverpool is illustrated in Project Paradise, with 15 architectural firms, a complex site and retail-led client brief to manage (Terry Davenport and Richard Rees); while the design and implementation of the Government’s flagship Telford Millennium Community demands best practice from houses to Home Zones (Jon Rowland).
The October issue of URBAN DESIGN also reports on recent UDG lectures, the RIBA’s July conference and new Academy of Urbanism, the Hanseatic Cities of the Baltic Study Tour (Part 2), reviews of recent books, and the Urban Design Group’s Annual General Meeting and accounts. This issue also includes an article on the Europan 8 competition supported this year by CABE, and an introduction to the controversial issue of Design Coding from the Prince’s Foundation. David Rogers describes a new retail-led project in Amsterdam which is reuniting the city centre with segregated quarters. Matthew Carmona sets out a nine-point manifesto for the urban renaissance to give impetus to the Government’s design agenda. Jenni Lang discusses the experience of the Millennium Bridge, and responding to the last issue, Geoffrey Payne questions the transfer of urban design ideas to different cultural settings.
Two case studies feature Newent – a market town redefining its role as lifestyles change – and Birmingham’s Brindleyplace is revisited.
