Urbanism Category
All ravens are crows but not all crows are ravens_Reflections on Transit Oriented Developments & Walkable Urban Centres
Posted on October 16, 2021 Leave a Comment
Sometimes confused for being the same thing, Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) and Walkable Urban Centres (WUCs) are two distinctly different urban creatures. TODs create efficiencies of urban movement, reducing car-dependency by providing proximity for residents and office workers to public transport infrastructure. WUCs sit at the heart of communities, providing mixed-use environments that foster social, […]
World Cities Summit: leveraging the science of cities
Posted on September 2, 2021 Leave a Comment
As an architect & urban planner my principal concern is to make cities work for people. This means understanding how their streets connect to either encourage low carbon transport such as walking and public transport. Or, if they’re disconnected, do they lock in car dependence and its carbon impacts?
“7Ls” of urban planning & design
Posted on July 7, 2020 Leave a Comment
Location – where is the site and what’s around it Linkage – where are the principal ways into the site (can any new ones be established?) Layout – the pattern & hierarchy of streets Land use – more than housing? Landscape – the look and feel of the place (covers a lot eg materials, blue/green) […]
How do we measure connectivity, walkability & car-dependence at Space Syntax?
Posted on July 4, 2020 Leave a Comment
SPATIAL LAYOUT ATTRACTION MODELLING ‘Spatial Layout Attraction Modelling’ is a computer modelling technique that calculates the relative importance of each street segment – each piece of street between two intersections – for people moving within towns and cities. We begin by analysing road the geometry of the street network, using road centreline data. By finding […]
What are the physical & spatial characteristics of sustainable towns & cities?
Posted on July 4, 2020 3 Comments
First, the ability to walk to the place you buy your food. Second, the ability to walk to see friends, go to school, visit a doctor or dentist or catch public transport. ‘Walkability’ requires fine-grained spatial connectivity: simple radial routes from edge to centre to get people to the shops from every direction and then […]
Good things take time…
Posted on July 2, 2020 Leave a Comment
Urbanism is a long game. The kids grow up for a start. This morning I met with local town council members & county council officers to discuss a new pedestrian crossing in #Faversham. Only later did I realise this is on exactly the same location as the photo taken 12 years ago for an article […]
What will cities look like 30 years from now?
Posted on May 6, 2020 1 Comment
I joined a carbon reduction event yesterday where, by way of introducing ourselves, we were each asked to predict the future: what did we think we would see more of in 2050 – in terms of objects, experiences and services. A neat little ice-breaker if ever there was one. Here are my top-of-the-head responses: 1. […]
Is physical distancing possible on city streets?
Posted on April 28, 2020 Leave a Comment
Until a vaccine is found for COVID-19, and perhaps beyond, it will be important to practise physical distancing in towns and cities. Whether this is possible will come down to the “carrying capacity” of the urban infrastructure: in particular, the relationship between Pedestrian Supply in the form of sufficiently wide footways and Pedestrian Demand in […]
Silver linings: how design can exploit the virus
Posted on April 13, 2020 2 Comments
A “to do” list for urban planners, architects & interior designers, in response to the coronavirus. In towns & cities: reduce traffic speeds to 20mph/30kph to discourage speeding on empty streets during lockdown & to keep the air clean, the sound low & the accidents down after the “return”. On wide streets: broaden footways to […]
The Auranga Story: create streets = create jobs
Posted on October 8, 2019 Leave a Comment
Research by Mike Cullen of Urbacity has shown that: Out-of-town malls generate 0.5 non-retail jobs per retail job created. Mall-dominated towns generate 1.2. Street-based retail generates 2.6 Answer = build street-based retail As if we didn’t know enough already about the social, economic and environmental benefits of connected, mixed-use urbanism, Cullen’s research provides one more […]
Reflecting ourselves in the city
Posted on September 1, 2019 Leave a Comment
What can the form of cities tell us about the structure of the brain? And what can the structure of the brain tell us about the form of cities? These are questions that I’d like to address in this talk. In summary, I believe we can learn a good deal about the interaction between the […]
Beyond placemaking: 7 dimensions of “Place Performance”
Posted on April 25, 2019 1 Comment
Notes from a talk at the Bartlett Real Estate Institute, University College London, 24th April 2019. Placemaking is the art and science of planning and designing spaces for human activity, however that is done: – by a single hand (usually not a good approach) or by multiple hands (usually a good approach) – […]
Transport & housing: tools, standards, principles
Posted on April 2, 2019 Leave a Comment
Notes for presentation at Transport & Housing conference: https://www.transportxtra.com/tx-events/?id=2400 To understand where we are & where we need to go, we first need to understand where we come from. And where we come from is a relationship with the car that has fragmented cities & damaged lives. Transport & housing Big problems: – obesity – […]
Cities from scratch – Astana Economic Forum
Posted on May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment
Good afternoon. I’m delighted to be a member of this panel today. Let me start by describing my organisation’s approach to the creation of cities from scratch. Space Syntax is an international urban planning and design studio and has been involved in plans for new cities and new city extensions throughout the world, including here […]
The return of the impossible – Astana Economic Forum
Posted on May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment
Good afternoon. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be here in Astana today with this distinguished panel. In speaking about the cities of the future I’d like to speak about three technologies that I think are not only exciting but are also capable of genuinely addressing the “Global Challenges” theme of this Forum. The […]
Kevin Lynch Memorial Lecture
Posted on December 28, 2017 1 Comment
Slide 1 Good evening. It’s a great honour to have been asked to give this evening’s Kevin Lynch Memorial Lecture, and a special honour to be doing so on behalf of Bill Hillier, who is unable to join us. Bill sends his best wishes to the Urban Design Group. Slide 2 First, I can’t do […]
Intelligent mobility: risks & rewards
Posted on October 1, 2017 1 Comment
第一页 技术就是答案 Slide 1 Technology is the answer 1966年，塞德里克·普莱斯说，我喜欢一开始就对新技术进行一点质疑。当然，“技术就是答案”。他也强调：“不过问题是什么？”。 I’d like to begin with a little scepticism about new technology. Of course “Technology is the answer“, said Cedric Price in 1966. He also said, “But what is the question?” 这些问题就是我们试图去获得无人驾驶技术。 What are the questions that we are trying to answer in the pursuit of autonomous […]
Notes from first ULI UK Tech Forum
Posted on September 28, 2016 Leave a Comment
1. We need to have a clear definition of technology. Physical as well as digital technology. Users and uses as well as creators and providers. Pre-construction, construction, post-construction. 2. Because we’ve always had technology: a. Writing (wooden stylus & wax tablet) movement b. Air conditioning – occupancy c. Underfloor heating – occupancy d. The shower […]
A velvet revolution for the Blue House roundabout – Newcastle City Council to think again
Posted on August 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
Massive popular opposition to plans for a disfiguring roundabout leads to the City Council announcing this evening that it will go back to the drawing board. This is a positive development. A working group will now be established to look at alternative plans. Jesmond Local press article YouTube clip of Cllr Bell’s statement
Growth. Are you old school or new school?
Posted on August 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
There are two different schools of thought about how to accommodate urban growth. The first says that cities should build more road capacity to handle private vehicle traffic. The second says that less space should be provided for private vehicles and more investment should be made in public transport and “active travel” i.e. walking and cycling. […]
The power of the network 