URBAN UPDATE
3rd September 2015
Main news
from the Urban Design Group
New Jobs: London, Manchester Bristol, Surrey, Southampton, Oxford, Manchester,
Newcastle, Rochester
Dangerous lorries banned from London to protect cyclists
Exercise adds 3 – 7 years of life
Simple changes will make roads safer – a world view on road safety
Who should decide – Public, Professionals or Politicians?
Gentrification
Can high density housing solve the regional housing crisis?
Safe air quality levels carry heart attack risk
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The National Conference on Urban Design 2015 - Bristol 8-9-10 October
Development, Design and Profit in C21
Supported by
RICS - RTPI - RIBA
RSA - LI – AoU - ULI
George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol
Stephen Hodder, RIBA Immediate Past
President, Chris Sharpe, Holistic City Software;
David Swallow; Debbie Sorkin, Leardership
Centre; George Grace, TownCentred; John
Buxton, Cambrian Transport Ltd; Julian
Dobson, Urban Pollinators; Julian Hart,
Lancefield consulting; Johnathan Shifferes,
RSA; John Worthington; Mike Roberts, HAB;
Rob Cowan, Urban Design Skills; Robin
Hambleton, UWE, Roger Evans, Studio | Real;
Richard Hayward & Louise Thomas; Yolande
Barnes, Savills, Dan Black and many more
“the most beautiful, interesting and distinguished city in England“ John Betjeman, 1961
“Best City to Live in 2014”– Sunday Times
Most Liveable City in UK - 2013
Book now for the conference
http://www.udg.org.uk/events/national-urbandesign-conference-2015
NB Bristol is a popular venue. Please book your accommodation early.
Underground Urbanism – Next UDG London Event
70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ
Wed, 16/09/2015 - 6:20pm
For many cities, growing up and out is no longer sufficient to meet their development needs. This event organised by Elizabeth Reynolds introduces key considerations and
innovations in planning and designing underground spaces. From iceberg mansions in Knightsbridge to data centres in rock caverns, we will look at best practice in
underground development, policy challenges and techniques for planning and design of these important but overlooked parts of our cities.



Overview
Elizabeth Reynolds
Why should urbanists be considering the spaces below
cities and what are some of the constraints including
cultural perceptions on underground space.
Current underground development challenges for London
Understanding the underground
Stephanie Bricker
 Natural services provided beneath cities
 Research into better understanding how data and
Design response - A case study of the Brunel
Museum
Jerry Tate, Tate Harmer
 Brief for the Brunel museum upgrade
 Specific considerations for bringing an underutilised below ground space to life e.g. access,
way finding, vertical integration, safety, light &
ventilation
 Differences
/
similarities
in
designing
underground vs. surface level buildings
 Lessons learnt for similar spaces e.g. disused
Strategies for Underground Urbanism
Elizabeth Reynolds
 International case studies
 3D spatial plans
 Infill development sites
 Safeguarding
 Design considerations & guidance
 Next steps for London

science can be used to support urban development
The Future Cities Catapult
Urban Design Awards
– Developer Award
– Public Sector Award
Do you know any developers or
public bodies who you think
should enter the 2016 awards?
if so
please let them know and
please encourage them to
enter!
Full details of how to apply:

Developer Award
Deadline 30 October 2015
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/urban-designdeveloper-year-award-2016-opportunity-enter



Public Sector Award
Deadline - 12 September 2015
London Underground stations
Cost of Interim Tactile Paving Guidance proposal could
hit street improvements
The Department for Transport has begun a consultation on interim amendments to the Guidance on the Use of Tactile
Paving Surfaces. Under the ruling of Ali vs Newham 2012, highway authorities must comply with the Guidance unless
there are clear and cogent reasons for departure.
One of the proposals in the interim guidance is to introduce a universal requirement for the boundary between carriageway
and footway to be demarcated with tactile paving at least 800mm in depth, wherever they are at the same level or a level
change of less than 60mm. “This rule should apply to any continuous barrier-free surface occupied by pedestrians and
vehicles be that a flat top road hump, a raised side road or junction, or an extended level surface area.” It is unclear, from
the draft, what type of tactile surface is proposed for these circumstances
Some practitioners have expressed concern over this proposal. There is the potential for confusion between the tactile
paving at the footway edge and the tactile marking at crossing points. There is also the long standing issue over creating
unnecessary and confusing visual clutter. The proposals have serious implications for the majority of villages, conservation
areas, mews, courtyards etc and come at a time when the Department for Transport has set up a working group chaired by
Alan Duncan MP to deal with clutter. But perhaps most significant of all is the cost, and the likely cost-benefit. Many older
streets have kerbs that are less than 60mm high, decades of resurfacing having raised the level of the carriageway; and
nationally around 50 percent of highways are shared spaces – with no footway and this would include the vast bulk of rural
lanes and main roads, and many streets in villages. It is uncertain whether it is better to spend money in demarcating
footway edges, or making the footway safer, removing obstructions including wheely bins which prevent blind and partially
sighted people from following the building line; reducing trip hazards through better maintenance of footways, and
introducing 20mph speed limits which make streets safer for all road users.
The approach to the design and management of the public realm should be rational, fair, and based on science and
evidence. Above all it should address the needs of society as a whole, including with the full range of abilities, and by
children. We can design the public realm to make it easier for blind and partially sighted people to get around; but we can
also design the public realm to help prevent people developing blindness in the first place by encouraging walking, cycling
and the active lifestyles that ward off type II diabetes – the main cause of blindness. The concern is that this un-costed
proposal will divert scarce funds and make that task more difficult.
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/public-sector-award
The consultation runs until 13 November 2015
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/455148/interim-changes-tactile-paving-guidance.pdf
Student Award
£600 Francis Tibbalds Prize
Deadline 9 November 2015
Walkie Talkie Wins Carbuncle Cup
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/national-urban-designawards-student-award
Shortlisting of practice awards is currently
underway
Celebrated for the failure to consider the sunlight-concentrating effect of a concave glass surface and the downdraft
producing propensities of tall buildings. There is a wider issue about the positioning of the building. It is visible from so
many key streets in central London, closing the view. The award also raises the issue as to whether planning decisions
are determined on principle and reason, or are influenced more by skilled advocacy, and political expediency. The
Carbuncle Cup marks the low points in planning and architecture, but for the award to be given to a building in such a
significant location is particularly disappointing and invites questions about the operation and effectiveness of the planning
system.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34116610
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/carbuncle-cup
Where do you read Urban Design? Photo competition!!
Send in those photos - Friday deadline!
The Urban Design Group will award two prizes to the best photographs taken during this Summer and submitted before 5th
September 2015. The idea is to show interesting or original places in which members have read the journal. The
competition is open to individual UDG members and the photograph (only one per member) should be submitted as a jpg
at 300dpi for a minimum size of 190mm width, with your name, and the location of the photograph . The author of the best
photograph, to be chosen by the Editors, will be given a year's free subscription to the journal; the runner-up will be sent a
recent book about urban design and invited to review it for the journal. Both photographs will be published in the journal
and online on the UDG website.
Deadline 5th September - please email your entry to
Administration@udg.org.uk
Urban Design Week
19-27 September 2015
Theme for Urban Design Week 2015: Designing
Healthy Cities
The Urban Design Group has been campaigning on
designing healthy cities. We feel it is important to
formulate strategies for facilitating physical activity
across a range of interventions in the built
environment to create better quality places and
spaces for people that will contribute towards a more
sustainable and healthy city.
Massive Small Kickstarter
Campaign
An invitation from Kelvin Campbell to Kickstart the movement for a
better urban society: 9th September
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kickstart-our-movement-for-a-betterurban-society-9th-september-tickets-18151148574
If you are keen to run an event in urban design week
let us know and we will help publicise it for you.
More information on.
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/international-urban-design-week
Urban Design Current Edition
The City as Master Developer
Available to UDG Members by Subscription
Other events
Latest Lectures
on UrbanNous
The number of events is on the wane as we
approach the holiday period, but there are still
events to go to for those that seek them…
New
Weather in the City – How Design Shapes the
Urban Climate
Sanda Lenzholzer
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
http://www.urbannous.org.uk/climate-and-city-design.htm
Academy of Urbanism
http://www.academyofurbanism.org.uk/events/
18 September
The Future of Drogheda
All urban designers, architects planners, and
highway engineers should have a knowledge of this
subject.
Broadnook Garden Suburb
Define
BOBMK Events
http://bobmk.org.uk/our-programme/
Next events autumn
MADE
http://www.made.org.uk/events/calendar/
Tame Past Present Future Exhibition – the
industrial heritage of an oft forgotten era
Museum of Walking
Wednesday 16 September 6.15pm - 7.45pm
Sculpture’s Place in Public Space with Randy
Klein
Walkshop including a panel discussion Nunhead, Peckham, London SE15
Friday 18 September 1.15pm - 2.45pm
Mindfulness through Movement with Mel
Sutton
Brockwell Park, London SE24
Thursday 24 September 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Aldwych Lost with Tom Bolton,
author of Vanished City and Lost Rivers of
London
http://www.museumofwalking.org.uk/events/
PTRC
https://www.ptrc-training.co.uk/Training/UpcomingCourses.aspx
An Introduction to Highway Design &
Construction
The Principles of Traffic and Transport 20-Week
Evening Lecture Series, London and Bristol
Urbanism: Improving quality and value
The importance of product, land and money
Yolande Barnes - Savills
http://www.urbannous.org.uk/urbanism-quality-and-value.htm
Garden Cities Past and Present.
Potential morphologies explored.
Dominic Papa S333 Architecture and Urbanism
http://www.urbannous.org.uk/garden-city-morphologies.htm
Garden Cities: Is there a Business Case?
Jim Coleman, Buro Happold
http://www.urbannous.org.uk/garden-city-economics.htm
Health and Urban Design
Lucy Saunders, GLA, TFL
http://www.urbannous.org.uk/health-and-urban-design.htm
UrbanNous Catalogue available on-line
Highlights include Christopher Alexander,
George Ferguson, Hans Monderman and
scores of others.
www.urbannous.org.uk
Jobs
Funded PhD - Bioregional and University of
Westminster
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/funded-phd-bioregional-and-university-westminster
Director/Associate Director, Urban Design or
Landscape Architecture - WYG – Manchester
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/north-west/directorassociate-director-urban-design-or-landscape-architecturewyg-manchester
Associate Director -WYG - London
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/london-and-south-east/associate-director-wyg-london
Urban Design London
Urban Design Graduate - Hamilton-Baillie
Associates - Bristol
Events coming up – extensive programme
some free, some charged/£175+VAT (Free for
subscribers)
Inspector of Historic Buildings, Places and Areas
(North East) - Heritage England
http://www.urbandesignlondon.com/?page_id=3251
Innovation in the City
1-4 September
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/urban-design-graduate-hamilton-baillie-associates-bristol
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/inspector-historic-buildings-places-and-areas-north-east-heritage-england
Head of Urban Design (Norwich) and Graduate
Urban Designer (Colchester & Norwich)
Define have acted as masterplanning, urban design and landscape
architectural consultants for the planning and design of a new
Garden Suburb north of Leicester in Charnwood District. The
Housing Skills: Reviewing Housing Design
9th September
Cycling Infrastructure Skills: Commissioning
cycling projects – design and construction?
10th September
Design South East / Kent
Design
http://www.kentdesign.org/events/
Event Calendar
http://www.kentdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Event-Calendar-2015-16-edited-14.4.15.pdf
Designing Value in East Kent
17th September
Urbaniste Study Tour – Lille
11th September
Architecture and Design
Scotland
http://www.ads.org.uk/events
Selecting the Right Stone 8 September
The Grass is Always Greener 10 September
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/head-urban-design-norwich-and-graduate-urban-designer-colchester-norwich-0
Opportunities for creative Urban Designers Savills Urban Design - Southampton - Oxford
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/opportunities-creative-urban-designers-savills-urban-design-southampton-oxford
New listing – deadline Friday 5th September!!
Design Adviser - Design South East
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/london-and-south-east/design-adviser-design-south-east
location has a rich history of garden suburbs, with the alignment of
the Great Central Railway (GCR) line, which ran from Nottingham
to London Marylebone, being the source for Garden Suburbs being
established in the early 1900’s in Quorn, Rothley and Birstall.
Broadnook completes this pattern by establishing a new Garden
Suburb, alongside a new railway halt for the GCR, north of
Leicester.
Define have shaped and guided the vision through a detailed
appraisal of national Garden Suburb precedents, with key design
principles being established. These principles originate from a
response to the distinct changes of landscape elements within the
site, from the exposed and geometrical, to the rolling and intimate,
and therefore are of ‘Broadnook (the name Broadnook derives from
a local spinney which is the dividing line between these landscape
elements). These principles have been evolved through close
dialogue with the County and District Councils and ATLAS and
have been applied to detailed areas within the Garden Suburb,
working closely with separate developers and architectural teams
to realise the vision.
Read more
http://www.urbandesigndirectory.com/projects/broadnook-garden-suburb
Urban Design around the World
Latest Research, Policy and Practice
Australia
Politics Philosophy Economics
Sydney ‘decades behind’ other cities when it comes to cycling provision
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/sydney-decades-behind-other-cities-when-it-comes-to-cycling-provisions-188329
Canada
Winnipeg launches “Chair your idea” competition to begin the
discussion on the city’s future urban design
http://www.chrisd.ca/2015/08/27/chair-your-idea-urban-design-competition-winnipeg/
Columbia
On gentrification
Don't blame 'evil hipsters.' Broader forces caused gentrification
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/dont-blame-evil-hipsters-broader-forces-caused-gentrification
Social Cleansing occurring in London?
Numbers of children entitled to free school meals has fallen in central London Boroughs and
risen in outer London boroughs – pointing to poorer families being driven out of the centre of
the city.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/28/vast-social-cleansing-pushes-tens-of-thousands-of-families-out-of-london
The transformation of Medellin
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/08/29/urban-planning-innovation-and-social-inclusion-are-transforming-medellin/
India
Safer roads, by design
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/safer-roads-by-design/article7590187.ece
LBZ zone: More housing now, say experts
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/LBZ-zone-More-housing-now-say-experts/articleshow/48717111.cms
Urban design, architecture and planning – who should decide ?
– Public, Professionals or Politicians?
The architect vs the public vote
The community does have experience in using public buildings. But they don’t have
experience in creating them. They also don’t have experience in taking responsibility for
these projects (it is easy to be a critic).
https://sourceable.net/the-architect-vs-the-public-vote-who-should-decide/#
Many Christchurch recovery decisions were “informed by National Party ideology”
New Zealand
Smart growth to be focus of Urban Design Café
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11503801
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/71573351/council-designer-regrets-share-an-idea-didnt-go-further
UK poll shows two-thirds of people feel they have hardly any or no influence over
laws, taxes and public spending
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-poll-shows-twothirds-of-people-feel-they-have-hardly-any-or-no-influence-over-laws-taxes-and-public-spending-10478381.html
UK
British Social Attitudes: Nearly half the British public are distrustful of others
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/news-media/press-releases/2015/august/british-social-attitudes-nearly-half-the-british-public-are-distrustful-of-others/
£1m environmental investment made at Sherford before town is built
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/1m-environmental-investment-Sherford-town-built/story-27674202-detail/story.html
Masterplan vision for the future of Kendal
House price inflation continues in parts of UK
http://www.cumbriacrack.com/2015/08/27/masterplan-vision-for-the-future-of-kendal/
UK House Prices: the East of England overtakes London as the UK's fastest growing
region
11-storey student complex with 290 flats to be built near Kirklees
College waterfront site?
http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/news/uk-house-prices-east-england-overtakes-london-uks-fastest-growing-region
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/student-flats-waterfront-kirklees-huddersfield-9930720
Leak of proposed changes on driver regulation and testing to
House price inflation in UK major cities running at 5-10 percent - Hometrack
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/house-prices/11815503/House-prices-soar-in-major-UK-cities-and-this-is-just-the-beginning.html
https://www.hometrack.com/uk/insight/uk-cities-house-price-index/
Independent on Sunday
- Requirement to declare fitness to drive raised from 70 to 80
- Officials are also preparing a framework for a new safety regime
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/conservatives-plot-a-motoring-revolution-draft-report-reveals-biggest-reform-to-regulations-since-drivingtest-introduced-in-1935-10478419.html
Surprisingly neither the driving test procedure nor the Highway Code requires
road users to know the most common cause of crashes.
Government taskforce set up to remove pointless road signs
http://highwaysmagazine.co.uk/taskforce-set-up-to-remove-pointless-road-signs/
Built Environment
Burning Man Festival needed urban design to replace anarchy
http://www.dezeen.com/2015/08/25/burning-man-needed-urban-design-because-its-a-city-says-founder-larry-harvey/
An essay on public water fountains – an antidote to sugary fizz?
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2015/08/30/Respecting-public-water-fountains/stories/201508300106
Can High density housing solve the regional housing crisis?
USA
How Cincinnati is leading the way in a revolution in urban design
“If we just leave it to market forces, we’ll see a “dismal performance” in terms of housing production for
low-income people”
http://la.streetsblog.org/2015/08/28/can-high-density-housing-solve-our-regional-housing-crisis-the-answer-its-complicated/
http://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/heres-how-cincinnati-is-leading-the-way-in-what-experts-call-a-revolution-in-urban-design
USA cities focusing on adapting streets and creating amenities for
people
http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-choice-amenities-reimagined-urban-landscape.html
Why I love Manila and its secret trees
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/204388/why-i-love-manila-and-its-secret-trees
Tourism and an urban heat island effect..
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/08/in-the-lab/cas-tourism-urban-heat-island/
Ankeny’s Prairie Trail revives lost art of town planning
“Builders must choose from four basic home designs: European Romantic,
Arts and Crafts, Victorian and Colonial Revival. There can be no more than
three of the same style built next to each other. And the design, exterior
features, colors and materials are approved by an architectural review board
made up of representatives of the developer, the city and an outside
architect.”
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/08/29/ankenys-prairie-trail-revives-lost-art-town-planning/71378412/
Plymouth Council to prosecute owner of derelict hotel for failing to comply with S215
Notice
http://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24095%3Acouncil-to-prosecute-after-owners-of-derelict-hotel-fail-to-comply-with-s-215notice&catid=190&Itemid=31
Humans, Health, Society
We should think more about the link between urban design and mental health
http://www.citymetric.com/skylines/we-should-think-more-about-link-between-urban-design-and-mental-health-1321
Centre for Mental Health and Design
Technology
Urban Design Video Games Cities:Skylines, released in March by the
Finnish developer Colossal Order,
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/cities-skylines-and-the-search-for-the-keys-to-the-virtual-city
http://store.steampowered.com/app/255710
http://www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/
The above appears to be a start-up website
Exercise buys you three to seven additional years of life. It is an antidepressant, it
improves cognitive function and there is now evidence that it may retard the onset of
dementia.”
Saarland University in Germany
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/a-daily-walk-can-add-seven-years-to-your-life-10478821.html
Movement
Cities: Safer by Design Report – by the World Resources Institute
http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/CitiesSaferByDesign_final.pdf
A well-presented up to date report that mixes both large and small scale urban
design perspectives
Simple changes will make roads safer – a world view on road safety
50 percent cut in road deaths by 2020 to be included in UN targets
Is technology changing the structure of our brains – impairing sleep and reducing the
ability to focus
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33976695
Watching too much TV can kill you, researchers warn – Deep vein thrombosis risk
22 minutes reduced life expectancy for every hour watched, article claims
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/watching-too-much-tv-can-kill-you-researchers-warn-10478297.html
http://www.scidev.net/global/transport/analysis-blog/disability-changes-road-safety-design.html
UN Sustainable development Agenda
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/08/transforming-our-world-document-adoption/
Judicial Review sought by taxi drivers over TfL construction of cycle
lanes on Victoria Embankment
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/late-judicial-review-launched-into-embankment-cycle-superhighway-a2905806.html
It has traditionally been assumed that such work is carried out under powers
contained in the Highway Act, and are permitted development. The final ruling
will confirm whether or not this is the case. It would be something of an
earthquake if TfL lost the case.
Lorries without cycle safety measures banned from London's roads
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/11836005/Lorries-without-cycle-safety-measures-banned-from-Londons-roads.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-34111067
“But hauliers criticised the move as a "blunt regulatory tool" and said more
should be done to target a minority of rule-breakers on London's roads.” - It is
understand that around 80 percent of lorry drivers exceed the speed limit.
Bank of Scotland Children's Quality of Life Index
http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/globalassets/documents/media/press-releases/bank-of-scotland/the-highlands-and-islands-are-the-best-places-to-bring-up-children.pdf
Hypo-allergenic parks and landscaping
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-hypoallergenic.html
Possibility of virus transmission from vaccinated individuals with depressed immune
systems - including through sewage system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34082627
Air pollution associated with increased heart attack risk even though with 'safe' levels
10 μg/m3 increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a 2.8% increase
in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction while 10 μg/m3 rises in NO2 were associated
with a 5.1% increased risk – but only in men.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/esoc-apa082815.php
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