Urban Update 1 July 2025

Tuesday 1 July 2025

News and Research

Built Environment

What features in a park attract visitors and when? - Environment and Behavior
This is a meta-analysis of 30 studies from USA, China, Europe and elsewhere on the use of parks.  Key influences were:

  • Strong Positive Influences on visitor numbers: Park size, varied facilities, organized activities, trails, good maintenance, and overall quality.
  • Mixed or Insignificant Effects: The impact of water features, general "greenness" (especially tree canopy), and perceived crime safety was inconsistent or not statistically significant. Greenness, in particular, showed varied results, suggesting that while people might prefer green spaces, actual usage places amenities first. 
  • Neighbourhood Impact: Higher population density and proximity to "points of interest" boost park use. Parks in economically disadvantaged areas see fewer visits.  The exact reasons for this remain unclear.
  • Time of day and season: these have a major influence with evening hours bringing higher usage, and summer and autumn being more popular. 

Implications for the design of parks….

  • Create parks with varied facilities, prioritise maintenance with ample space and provide activities
  • Recognize that maximizing visitor numbers shouldn’t be the sole goal, but rather access by all.
  • Integrate parks into active mixed-use urban areas to make the most of the population density.
  • Address socioeconomic disparity including safety improvements and co-design by the community.
  • Vary the use and organisation of the park by time of day: such as scheduling events during peak evening hours or offering other activities for quieter times.


Plans to restore Port Sunlight Boating Pond and Fountain >>>>
Port Sunlight is a prototype garden village dating from the 1880s…it has a school, a church, a community hall, a theatre, a small museum, a huge art gallery, and no shops.   The streets are laid out with 24ft carriageways (7.3 metres) under a slightly flexible interpretation of the Model Byelaws of the 1870s.  The side street corner radii are 12ft (6.7 metres)   Neither dimensions can be considered good practice today.  The 7.3 metre street width is enough to tempt a motorist to overtake a cyclist, but insufficient width for a safe pass.  The 6.7 metres radius side street corners require pedestrians to “detent” into the side road to make a safe crossing.  Pedestrians should be provided with side street entrances that enable them to cross between kerbs that are parallel.

Council approves radical Folkestone harbour development amid fears of legal action >>>>

Poundbury planner Léon Krier dies aged 79 >>>>
Past editions of Urban Design journal are peppered with reflections on Leon Krier's work:

  • Leon Krier: Architecture and Urban Design 1967-1992 Book review: "For all his dexterity, Leon Krier remains defiantly a prisoner within his chosen past." UD 49 Winter 1994 >>>>
  • Our townscapes are given over to housetypes, our urban form seems to reflect the contradictions of being caught between our conflicting desires for village form and a house, garden, and two garages; between the surveyor, Leon Krier and the Highway Department.    .......    Both Krier  (Poundbury) and Simpson (Upper Donnington nr Newbury) seem, like William Morris before them, to be trying to create an idealised society that reflects "forgotten building and design traditions", (classical in this case) the recreation of a fine grained urban texture, the banishment of the car, and the promotion of the pedestrian." Jon Rowland writing in UD42 1992.  >>>>

Poundbury is regularly criticised by for pastiche architecture, or Stepford Wives utopianism.  However it is unclear what it is being compared with, given that the norm for greenfield development over the same period has been for estates with a small range of standard house types using anywhere materials, with highways and parking areas as the major land-use, along with a near total absence of shops, cafe's, restaurants or workplaces.  People will continue to debate architectural styles; but Poundbury's unquestionable impact has been in demonstrating an alternative to car-centric street design, and the viability of mixed-use development and a balanced economy. 
 

 

Humans, Health, Society

One third of Europeans are exposed to harmful levels of noise pollution shortening the lives of report finds >>>>
Road traffic is the most widespread source of transport noise, exposing an estimated 92 million people to levels above the Environmental Noise Directive threshold of 55 dB for the day-evening-night period. This compares with 18 million affected by rail traffic and 2.6 million by aircraft noise.  Only 34% of the population in urban areas assessed can access green and quiet areas within a 400-metre walking distance from their homes. 29% of Natura 2000 areas is affected by transport noise levels potentially harmful to terrestrial wildlife..

Measures suggested include:

  • Regulation of vehicle noise levels
  • Low noise tyres
  • Reduced vehicle speeds

Planning and urban design measures include:

  • Creating buffer zones: Putting space between noisy transport areas and places where people live or need quiet (like schools and hospitals).
  • Smart building design: Orienting buildings and planning internal layouts to minimize noise inside.
  • Encouraging eco-friendly travel: Promoting walking, cycling, and public transport, which are generally quieter than private cars.
  • Developing quiet green spaces: Creating parks and calm areas within cities.

 
The unbreakable chain: the cycle of social inequality – violence, poverty and education - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
This paper explores the link between violence, poverty, and education.  Global homicide data shows that violent crimes are 4.5 times more likely to be committed in regions with high economic inequality. The global cost of violence is thought to be around 11 percent of global GDP.  

Poverty restricts access to education, and people who lack education are locked in poverty.  The paper argues not only that Education is key to increasing economic opportunities and ensuring individual rights, but that educational systems must consider students' psychological well-being, not solely academic achievement, to break cycles of social exclusion.
 
Implications for Urban Design – we should think about access to education at all levels, in the towns and neighbourhoods we design. It needs to be made as easy as possible.
 
NHS Survey of Adult Mental Health in England points to worsening wellbeing >>>>
According to the survey, the proportion of young adults (aged 16 to 24), with a common mental health condition, rose from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2023/4.   The conditions listed are: Depression, Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), Panic disorder, Phobias, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and "other". 

  • ADHD amongst adults - 13.9 percent
  • Life-time non-suicidal self-harm - 10.3 percent

Adults with problem debt and those who were not in employment were more likely to have a common mental health condition, report lifetime non-suicidal self-harm and to screen positive for PTSD.  Living in the most deprived fifth of areas was associated with increased prevalence of common mental health conditions, suicide attempts and self-harm
 
It is down to the urban design community to think how the work they do could improve mental health. 

  • High cost of housing leads to poverty.
  • High noise levels
  • High pollution levels
  • Absence of greenspace
  • Design that makes social contact and the establishment of friendships difficult


Understanding parents’ motivations for giving their children smartphones: A qualitative study - Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
According to this research, parents often give children smartphones in the hope of improving the child’s independence and safety.  There is an irony in this, given the finds of other research that while there are benefits, it comes with increased risk of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, particularly linked to social media, cyberbullying, and social comparison.

 

Politics, Philosophy, Economics

Local Government Association Survey of Councillors reveals extent of abuse of councillors >>>>
The survey asked councillors to report what they had experienced in the past year with the following results: 

  • 64 per cent - had received abuse online, including social media platforms, 
  • 59 per cent - direct in-person abuse.
  • 21 percent - threats of violence
  • 5 percent - death threats 
  • 3 percent - actual violence

Last remaining Yarm town councillors all resign owing to toxic public environment  >>>>
Many warm words are spoken about community-level government, such as town councils, parish councils, neighbourhood associations, but little acknowledgement of the great difficulty and often hostile environment that people operate under.  And Yarm is an example.  It is essential that citizens participate positively in local government and contribute to it, rather than treat it as a consumer item.  
 
Young people not involved or reflected in City Development strategies and plans– SAGE Open
This paper, based on studies across Polish cities calls for a fundamental shift towards youth participation in urban planning, ensuring their voices are not just heard but actively integrated into the strategic development of their cities.

  • Limited Youth Participation: Young people are largely marginalized, with minimal involvement in creating policies that directly affect their lives.
  • Young people’s interests are often missing from the strategies and plans – Young people appear most frequently in the diagnostic sections of strategies and plans, less often in objectives and actions, and are virtually absent from city visions and missions.

The remedies are obvious – involve young people in urban planning, treat them as equal partners, document their participation.  Address areas that are often overlooked, such as housing, safety, and civic participation.

Public housing in Aotearoa and Austria: A utopian comparison - Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space
This paper argues that Aotearoa (New Zealand) is experiencing a housing crisis that is not merely a transitory problem, but caused by a housing system that has become focused on financial gain, with the market seen as the basis of efficiency.
Is it a crisis? According to the paper, crisis is not an objective description but based on ideas or an ideology as to how housing should work and how the problems should be fixed.   There is then a discussion about utopian concepts.
 
Comparing the two countries
In Aotearoa, demand-side measures – giving money to people to buy or rent houses, while helping low-income renters, ultimately have acted as an indirect subsidy to property owners.
In Austria significant and sustained supply-side funding: The text highlights that the post-war Austrian state provided low-interest, fixed-rate loans to Limited-Profit Housing Associations.  Austria did experience a phase of “vorsorgewohnungen” – speculative housing investments functioning as retirement savings – which led to increased house prices. 
:
Austria's public housing sector provides 23.6% of total housing stock, Aotearoa's just 3.8%

The paper argues that Aotearoa's "housing crisis" is not a failure, but the intended outcome of a financialized housing system that prioritizes property price inflation for the benefit of landowners, speculators, and financial institutions.  It contends that the demand-side subsidies in Aotearoa, while helping low-income renters, ultimately act as an indirect subsidy to property owners.
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Comparison with England – ONS / English Housing Survey data (not included in the above paper.
Expenditure on housing costs by tenure type (2023-24, as a percentage of gross weekly household income including housing support):

  • Mortgagors: Spent an average of 19% of their household income on mortgage payments.
  • Social Renters: Spent an average of 26% of their household income on rent payments.
  • Private Renters: Spent an average of 34% of their household income on rent payments.

Private renters in the lowest income quintile (20 percent) spent an average of 59% of their gross household income on rent.

Competition and Markets Authority launches a review of civil engineering for roads and railways >>>>
The review comes at a time when the HS2 project has been dramatically scaled back having been plagued by cost overruns. The National Infrastructure Commission estimates a 30-50% increase in public and private investment is required over the next decade for complex infrastructure, but that the sector is underperforming with system-wide improvements potentially offering project cost savings of 10-25% on projects.  Currently Road and railway projects account for 70-75% of total government spending on economic infrastructure.

The review will focus on:

  • Procurement & Decision-Making: Ensuring public authorities use the right information for procurement decisions and can collaborate effectively with the market to deliver projects on time, to quality, and within budget.  (Many professionals are concerned that the deskilling of public authorities prevents them from acting as competent clients)
  • Regulatory Barriers: Assessing if procurement, planning, or other regulations create barriers that prevent companies from entering the market,  or hinder, expansion, investment, and innovation.
  • Incentivizing Delivery: Examining changes to encourage civil engineering firms to deliver roads and railways, ultimately boosting UK productivity and growth.

  
UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy published by Government >>>>
The UK's 10-Year National Infrastructure Strategy outlines significant investments across various sectors. While a total government funding of at least £725 billion over the coming decade is committed, specific breakdowns for all sectors are not uniformly detailed in the available information.  Some specific cost commitments include:

  • Social Infrastructure (Health, Education, Justice Estates):
    • At least £9 billion per year from 2025-26, rising to over £10 billion per year by 2034-35, for critical maintenance needs of hospitals, schools, prisons, and courts.
    • An additional £49 billion from 2029/30 – 2034/5 for the New Hospital Programme and other maintenance/restoration.
    • £6.3 billion for prison expansion from 2025/2026 to 2030/2031.
    • Almost £20 billion for the School Rebuilding Programme from 2025/2026 to 2034/2035.
    • More than £6 billion every year from 2025/2026 to 2034/2035 for repair (likely part of the overall health/education/justice maintenance).
  • Transport:
    • £24 billion for roads investment (covering both strategic and local roads).
    • A £1 billion structures fund for roads and bridges.
  • Energy & Net Zero:
    • At least £5.8 billion in carbon capture, port infrastructure, green steel, green hydrogen, and gigafactories over the course of this Parliament.
    • Over £500 million from the government for the first regional hydrogen transport and storage network.
    • Energy and net zero are noted as "big winners" on capital spending, with an average annual real terms growth in spending of over 15%.


Natural Environment 

 Call for National Rainwater Management Strategy to ensure UK uses its rain and greywater >>>>
This proposal from the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management considers water use against increasingly unpredictable and variable levels of rainfall. Currently average daily water consumption per person in the UK is 142 litres, compared with 300 litres in Switzerland and  78 in Slovakia- Europe’s lowest.  It is thought that by using grey-water to flush toilets, use in the UK could be cut to 80 litres per person today.   The recommendations are:

  • Develop a National Rainwater Management Strategy: Integrate urban/transport planning with water management, requiring cross-government collaboration.
  • Mandate SuDS in New Developments: Implement a clear, mandatory framework for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) with defined standards for design, delivery, adoption, and maintenance.
  • Make Sewer Connection conditional on the Maximisation of the use of SuDS: Make the right to connect surface water to public sewers conditional on maximizing on-site SuDS options first.
  • Apply SuDS Approval & Adoption to Retrofits: Ensure mechanisms for approving and adopting SuDS apply equally to both new developments and retrofitted systems.
  • Encourage Smart SuDS Technology: Promote the integration of smart SuDS, like smart rainwater harvesting tanks, through updated guidance.
  • Update "Wholesome Water" Definition: Revise the legal definition to enable statutory water companies to provide or adopt non-potable water reuse schemes.
  • Revise Building Regulations (Part G): Mandate more ambitious water efficiency standards and encourage rainwater and greywater reuse in buildings.

 
People’s perceptions of urban trees in Sydney became more negative following COVID-19 lockdowns- npj Urban Sustainability
Comparing the before and after COVID period…

  • The perceived importance of urban trees for their natural values decreased by 2%
  • Negative beliefs about urban trees (e.g., related to costs, damage, mess) increased by 4.3%.

While these shifts were small, they suggest a move towards perceiving trees more for their "disservices."
The negative shifts were greatest in outer urban areas, possibly due to lower socio-economic households moving there because of affordability, who may view trees as a liability rather than an amenity.
Renters, people over 40, those without a university education, and females drove the decrease in natural values.
 
Plastic bag bans and fees shown to reduce harmful bag litter on shorelines >>>>
 

Movement  

Matching demand and supply in motorised mobility: A data-driven differentiation of the driving patterns for urban contexts - Transportation Engineering
This study analyzed real driving data to understand how different vehicle powertrains perform in various driving scenarios, aiming to inform the most suitable "de-fossilisation" strategies for transportation.
Here's a summary of the key findings:

  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Efficiency: efficiency varies significantly with driving conditions (e.g., lower by up to 48% depending on speed and frequent braking and acceleration).
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Urban Settings: EVs are better suited for urban driving due to frequent accelerations and decelerations and shorter trips, where their wide efficiency range can be fully utilized.
  • Non-Urban Driving Challenges for EVs: In non-urban environments with less variable and longer trips, EVs' efficiency advantage is reduced, and concerns about range and charging infrastructure arise.

The study emphasizes evaluating environmental impact across the entire vehicle life cycle, including "well-to-tank" emissions (emissions from fuel/energy production and delivery, not just vehicle use)
 
A new riverside walking and cycling route has officially launched in north London >>>>
 

Energy and Climate Change

Cold spot discovered in the Atlantic Ocean could signal big trouble for global climate >>>>
The article raises concerns over the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which could have dramatic effects on weather patterns in the northern hemisphere.
 
How might the climate change with a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - Interactive global map  >>>>
Click the option “Show as change compared to pre-industrial times” in the top right hand corner under “Models”.

Examples of changes with 2 Centigrade global warming plus collapse of the AMOC

  • Sea ice – all of the Baltic and major parts of the north sea could be affected by sea ice. 
  • Extreme cold - London – the minimum temperature of a 1 in 10 year extreme cold event could change from -3.7 centigrade to -18.9 centigrade. 

 
Researchers assess 53,000 urban climate change studies - Nature Cities
Small and fast-growing cities, especially in Africa and Asia, are significantly underrepresented in the research.
 
From Crisis to Policy Action: Tackling Climate Change Through SDG 13 - The International Journal of Community and Social Development
This paper examines the main obstacles to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13: SDG 13 | "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts"

Problems identified include

  • limited public awareness
  • weak mitigation targets,
  • short-term policy thinking,
  • limited institutional capacity,
  • insufficient climate finance,
  • marginalisation of vulnerable populations.

Uneven implementation in some countries hinder global efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience.
Developing countries bear a disproportionate burden due to their limited ability to adapt, compared with wealthier nations, which have more resources, infrastructure, and more capable governance.
Recommendations include public education, the need for long-term finance, public-private partnerships, using local knowledge and technology, and climate justice.