Bristol’s former mayor and former RIBA President, George Ferguson, asks if Bristol is returning to the age of destructive planning. Bristol’s history, special character and environment are under assault from more damaging development than we have experienced in the past 50 years, but we are in danger of sleep walking through it. Soon after I […]
Do filmmakers and set designers understand architecture better than architects? My study of the 11 Star Wars films released over 44 years suggests that they do. I examined 12 Star Wars locations (some cities, some villages, some spaceships, some individual buildings). I categorised them as either: ‘Good.’ The home of innocents, harmless but kind planet-dwellers, […]
The architect, Robert Adam, reflects on a recent new housing planning application and why we need to ‘move the democracy forward’ I firmly believe that if we were to make more use of popular visual design codes within local plans for the ‘the type of development we like round here’ it would both make it […]
Create Streets’ research team asks the most important question in British transport policy There may be as many as 500 million e-scooter users annually now, happily gliding along streets across the world. Some have switched from larger vehicles trailing petrol or diesel fumes, and are now causing less congestion. E-scooters are one of the biggest […]
Lessons learned from studying customer behaviour patterns in convenience and proximity It is a well-known fact to the food industry that consumer convenience relates very strongly to the time consumers have available to make a purchase and then get on to do the next thing in their day. What is striking are the parallels between […]
Nicholas Boys Smith argues for beautiful ‘gentle density.’ For too long a fixation on urban high-rises has taken priority over more popular houses with gardens Over 20 years ago, Lord Rogers proposed an urban renaissance. His task force argued that Britain’s towns should be better places. The argument was strong. It has led to many […]
Over many years during my long housebuilding career, planners and local residents have often screamed for a mixed use content within new housing developments. Not a real surprise as we all recognise its contribution in society and its convenience particularly if its a general store and after all new purchasers of our beautiful houses for […]
Pick up any article about the Government’s views on planning and you’ll find it hard to miss an emphasis on “beauty”, “gentle density” and “community engagement”. As with all public policy the acid test lies in its delivery. This is the story of the first test of “gentle density” in London. Benedict Wharf has been […]
‘Moving on, moving better?’ Rachael Unsworth questioned in last week’s blog post, considering what cities can learn from the current crisis. With our present lives on hold it also brings about the time and opportunity to rethink our future, and the way that we design and live in our cities. City-makers from everywhere are responding […]
Urban geographer and director of Leeds Walking Tours, Rachael Unsworth, asks how we can learn from the lockdown. Across the UK, quite rightly, city leaders are planning for life after lockdown. Where I live, in Leeds, City Council Leader Judith Blake has told the Yorkshire Evening Post ’Our task will be to reset and restart […]