Create Streets’ senior architectural designer, Robert Kwolek suggests how we might add warmth to our streets in winter through lighting. Christmas lights add a welcome cheer to our streets and buildings when the days get darker and shorter as winter closes in. The warm glow on our streets and buildings provides a welcome contrast to […]
When you think about it, nearly all of our happy Christmas clichés depend on traditional towns, walkable streets, beautiful houses and vernacular homes with (let’s be honest) slightly antiquated approaches to keeping warm. Here are six components of the traditional Christmas. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy these in the deep countryside, the wide suburb […]
A few people (well actually quite a lot) have asked me what I think of recent announcements and media reports on “the war on motorists.” Here’s my reply. I suspect it may annoy everyone. But I nevertheless think that it’s correct and the best route to more homes, a more productive economy and happier and […]
It was very thought-provoking and enjoyable to be part of our Sad Streets webinar on Monday 15 May. Can places make you sad or happy we asked ? Not being a neuroscientist, I made my contribution early and kept it short and sharp. I told the story of how over ten years ago, as I […]
‘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 […]
Create Streets Fellow, Sofie Pringle, asks if user happiness can create a more successful neighbourhood. Creating the successful neighbourhood is important, especially in an increasingly urbanising environment. Happiness is a critical component of this. If we could distil the ‘happiness’ feeling that a person experiences in a given space, irrespective of the social activities and […]