Linescape urbanism_The city as an object of nature The tension between picturesque romanticism and machine-age modernism is at the heart of the English psyche, and perhaps exemplified nowhere better, more globally nor more significantly that at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games when, to the tune of…

All ravens are crows but not all crows are ravens_Reflections on Transit Oriented Developments & Walkable Urban Centres 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…

Released today, Deloitte Real Estate’s London Office Crane Survey reports a 50% reduction in the construction of new office space in central London in six months. Yet even such a significant reduction in supply may not be enough to offset a greater reduction in demand. As a result, there is…

“7Ls” of urban planning & design 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) Lining – how the buildings meet the street (active or blank frontages) Longevity – quality construction & operational expectations

How do we measure connectivity, walkability & car-dependence at Space Syntax? 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…

What are the physical & spatial characteristics of sustainable towns & cities? 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…

Ten top tips for community campaigning 1) expect it to be a long run 2) celebrate small victories 3) gather the opinions of local people (local people are local experts) 4) gather the opinions of non-local experts 5) don’t accept “no” as an answer (“no” is an excuse, not an answer) 6) keep a record of everything (because people will come and go and they won’t otherwise know what has gone before) 7) expect setbacks (because nothing is linear and you’ll go in circles from time to time)

What will cities look like 30 years from now? 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. …

What will cities look like 30 years from now? 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. …