Urban Update 18 September 2025

Built Environment 

There in 15 minutes? The impact of urban morphology on the perception of proximity and the use of public space - Cities
This is a two-part paper, firstly a literature review of recent studies on the 15 minute city, and secondly a survey of the use and behaviour in seven different public spaces, with different economic, social and physical characteristics.   The research question was: how and to what extent can the 15minute city model be applied meaningfully and fruitfully to the dispersed morphologies of contemporary western European cities?

• Travel time vs quality of the experience - The perception of a central public space isn't necessarily linked to how long it takes to walk there.  The quality and enjoyment of the walking experience are more important than the actual travel time.
• Density not enough - The way a city is physically laid out (its "morphological density") is crucial for encouraging public space use. A less compact layout leads to people using spaces less often.
• Redesign for walkability - Redesign may of public space network may be necessary in areas other than away from already walkable urban cores
• Sense of belonging and community important - Providing essential services is a key part of the 15 minute city, but the study shows that it doesn't guarantee a high quality of urban life. The architectural quality and thoughtful design of public spaces, which foster a sense of belonging and community, are what truly make a neighbourhood vibrant and liveable.
• High quality places needed - The study concludes that for the 15 minute city concept to work, it must heavily focus on public space design, with a high standard of architecture and landscaping. Evaluating the model based only on service accessibility overlooks its transformative physical impact, which is essential for creating cohesive urban environments.

Density is given as ab/km2 which may or may not mean people per square kilometre. 
 
Problems of the urban structure of small towns in the vicinity of Polish Warsaw and Ukrainian Lviv - Cities
This paper asserts that small towns in Poland and Ukraine, have been struggling with the “spatial chaos of their historical urban structure”.  It concludes that they suffer from the “stigma of the period of socialism and the spontaneous urbanisation of the last 30 years” including the failure to preserve frontages, a lack of respect for the historical heritage during the communist period, and in some places the liquidation of national character.
 
Towards a participatory tool for disentangling the complexity of urban systems - Local Economy
This paper argues that board games like "Urban Placemakers" can serve as valuable decision-support tools. By combining a playful approach with co-creation and co-design, the game helps stakeholders navigate complex urban issues, fostering social learning and innovation in a more accessible and enjoyable way than traditional policy methods.
 
What Milton Keynes’ residents think of on new estates >>>>  Full Paper >>>>
A study by the Open University on new housing estates in Milton Keynes found that residents have widely different experiences. Some feel a sense of community and security, while others feel lonely and isolated. The report, titled "Hidden toil behind shiny fronts," highlights that while new homes look good, delays in infrastructure like public transport, shops, and health services create significant challenges, particularly for low-income residents without cars. The research recommends that local authorities ensure these facilities are in place as soon as new housing is built. Developers argue they need to sell homes to fund infrastructure, while a national builders' federation claims councils are sitting on unspent developer contributions.   Recommendations: 

• Prioritise Services and Facilities Prioritise the establishment of vital services, including schools, health facilities and shops, to serve new and existing residents within reasonable distance;
• Provide Public Transport from the start - Ensure that public transport links are established as soon as new housing areas are being developed to offer affordable and viable ways of travelling around the city;
• Provide Community Buildings - Construct community buildings with ample capacity to meet communities’ needs, and ensure temporary facilities are provided until permanent facilities are available;
• Develop the community - Invest in community development to build an inclusive and thriving community;
• Responsive housing associations - Hold housing associations to account for lack of responsiveness or inadequate response to faults or complaints;
• Involve groups - Meaningfully enable the participation of voluntary, community organisations and resident groups before and throughout the development of new housing areas to understand the needs of all residents, and especially those on lower incomes

Two-tier architects as Building Safety Act bites >>>>
The Building Safety Act is changing the architecture profession, leading to a split between firms that focus on the design and planning stages and those that handle the full delivery process.
 
Meanwhile Matters: Unlocking the potential of temporary uses - >>>>
This paper, by Lichfields takes case studies and offers recommendations including:

• Viability: Financial viability may not be the sole objective; a broader, more flexible view is needed. External funding from public bodies or commercial partners may be required.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Success depends on meeting a specific need, which requires early and proactive consultation with stakeholders.
• Planning & Policy: Outdated town centre policies can be a challenge. It's important to demonstrate an understanding of the evolving nature of urban areas to decision-makers.
• Sustainability: Temporary reuse is a sustainable approach and can serve as a stepping stone to long-term redevelopment.
• Clarity and Design: It is crucial to have clear communication from the start to manage user expectations. Careful design is necessary to consider the impact on surrounding areas, even for temporary projects.
• Insight & Future Planning: Temporary uses can act as "incubator units" to test market trends and inform future permanent redevelopment strategies.

Schemes

 
First Look: The Bazalgette Embankment At Blackfriars >>>>
(Bazalgette is pronounced with a soft “g”.)   The original Victoria embankment overseen by Sir Joseph Bazalgette remains London’s outstanding piece of integrated design, combining land reclamation, drainage and flood defence, interceptor sewer, underground railway, elegant carriage drive, extensive tree lined avenue, and public gardens.
 
Brixton’s lost motorway: Exhibition reveals Lambeth’s 1960s housing plans >>>>
 
CyanLines: Manchester’s bold plan to link and transform Manchester’s green and blue spaces >>>>
 

Energy, Climate Change

Human-made global warming ‘caused two in three heat deaths in Europe this summer’ >>>>
 
Protect Arctic from 'dangerous' climate engineering, scientists warn >>>>
 
US energy chief tells BBC nuclear fusion will soon power the world >>>>
However other sources believe that nuclear fusion will not make any contribution for another 25 years at least, owing to huge technological challenges.  There is still no fusion power plant on the planet even operating at a small scale.
 
Stafford Borough council brings forward carbon neutral plans >>>>
 

Politics, Philosophy, Economics

Homes England community engagement advice notes >>>>

Who Owns Britain? - Commonwealth
A study that attempts to assess the extent of private ownership of transport, water, energy, care, and land.  
Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ >>>>
 
 

Technology

Infrastructuration and spatial governance: Why Google is not just another service provider - Urban Studies
This paper reflects on the impact of Google, arguing that it is both a platform and a form of infrastructure, and that Google shapes urban landscapes, alters social interactions, and impacts urban governance, affecting everything from city layouts to data politics.
 
Cloudflare CEO’s ‘Frighteningly Likely’ Forecast for How AI Will Ruin the Internet >>>>
This author asserts that AI is not a search engine, but an “answer engine”. 
Black Mirror Scenario: a future where a few powerful AI companies dominate the internet. These companies would act as modern-day patrons, hiring journalists and other content creators to produce information. This would lead to a siloed internet where knowledge is controlled by a small number of tech giants, who could potentially tune information to align with their own ideologies.
Dead Internet : a theoretical scenario where a large portion of online content is no longer created by humans but by AI bots. These bots also interact with the content, creating a feedback loop.  However the author contends that AI still needs human-generated content to function and evolve.  (and at the moment it does)

History

The newly discovered desert city that's rewriting the history of the Americas >>>>
 Peñico, a 3,800 year-old city of Peru's ancient Caral civilisation, seems to have adapted to environmental change, rather than waged war with neighbours.
 
Hull’s Drypool archaeological dig subject of exhibition >>>>
 
New excavations shed fresh light on Caistor Roman Town >>>>   >>>>
Caistor – Venta Icenorum, lies just to the south of Norwich.  It is a rectangle 350 by 400 metres, edged by crumbling flint walls, but a substantial part of the town lay beyond.  It is one of only three Roman regional capitals not to have continued into the present day, the others being Wroxeter (near Shrewsbury), and Silchester (near Reading).  There is some thought that these settlements acted as administrative centres, and were more to do with extraction of value, rather than open trade.
 

Natural Environment 

Starston Beck stream on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk returned to its historical route >>>>
These projects are now becoming standard practice.
 
Floating ecosystems on Nottingham’s waterways attract more wildlife to city >>>>

Movement

69 per cent of respondents to Yahoo survey support ban on pavement parking >>>>
 
New Oxford congestion charge 'insulting', say critics >>>>
 
Oxford Street to be closed to traffic for one day - as plan to pedestrianise draws closer >>>>
 
Has COVID19 changed habits towards public transport and perceived service quality? findings from an Italian case study - Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This paper based on comparative surveys conducted in 2019 and 2023 concluded that station cleanliness and comfort have gained in importance.
 

Humans, Health, Society

Urbanization and social change in rural India - Urban Studies
Urbanization is profoundly changing rural India, bringing a decline in the relative importance of agricultural jobs and a rise in new social dynamics, including smaller households and shifting gender roles.  This is a study of 600,000 villages.
The shift from agriculture is driven by a rise in permanent male migration, which is changing family dynamics.
There is a trend towards nuclear households (as opposed to extended families) and increased burdens and autonomy for women.
The long-term impact on social class structures and the permanence of these changes remains uncertain.
 
State of the Region report identifies unexplained fall in self-reported 'Life satisfaction' in Cambridge  >>>>  Full reports >>>>
 
NTU Researchers warn of tendency for canyon streets to trap air pollution >>>>