Category: Uncategorized

Or, how we have to start collectively planning for infrastructure if Steve Reed’s housing dream is going to become a reality

“The planning figures today are unacceptable. I will leave no stone unturned to build 1.5 million homes so families have the key to a decent home in their hands.” – Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

When it comes to the government’s proposed new towns, even engineers are now calling for joined up working, placemaking and a recruitment drive for built environment professionals.

But are they just fuelling the war on the motorist?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#urbandesigngroup #newtowns #placemaking #cykelslangen

Or, dare we prioritise design for walking and cycling even if a tabloid reader might get mad?

“Road lanes across the country are to become narrower to stop cars overtaking cyclists as part of a new war on motorists” – Mail on Sunday

Will prioritising safe cycling really worsen traffic jams? Or is traffic congestion actually the result of too many cars on the road rather than cyclists riding in the primary position?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#motonormativity #walking #cycling #activetravelengland #officeforplace #LTN120 #waronthemotorist 

Or, how to be polite on the sidewalk

“The world is so disconnected. We’re just consumed by our phones and our AirPods. You think it’s just gen Z and gen Alpha, but it’s everyone now. Age is not even a defining factor. But doing what I do, it’s a way of getting out, an activity, so I’m walking with purpose.” – Cameron Roh

Who do we want to invite in our cities? 

Here’s to all the walkers and the roller-skaters – provided they stay in their lanes, keep off their phones and don’t exceed 6km/hr.

Get all the juice in this week’s Sketch…

#walking #cycling #scootering #rollerskating #skiing #pavementetiquette #walkingetiquette

Or, having missed one big opportunity to encourage walking and cycling, is another now on the horizon?

“First life, then spaces, then buildings – the other way around never works.” – Jan Gehl

Are we going to sell out the good people of Tempsford and build yet more car dependent tat? Or are we now going to walk the talk and actively start designing for walkers and cyclists of all ages and give them a mixed use, walkable place to live?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#jangehl #walking #cycling #activetravel #copenhagen #activetravelengland

Or, do we have the skills to deliver new towns that are safe enough that women don’t feel the need to walk around clutching their phones?

“That’s what girls have to think about all the time.” – Saoirse Ronan

What are we doing, as placemakers, to deliver a public realm where everyone – not just women and girls – feel safe to be there at any time of day regardless of gender, age, disability, race or religious belief? Not much. And what does this mean for the new towns?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#saoirseronan #marinahyde #guardian #amirite #placemaking #placemakers #newtowns

Or, what Zoe and Cookie Monster can teach us about urban design

“Many of the concepts in [The Death and Life of Great American Cities] by Jane Jacobs are seen across places like New York but also one of the most recognisable blocks in the world.” – Anna Kodé

Do we really need Sesame Street to spell out good design for us – as it has been doing since the 60s? And as the government’s new towns slowly rise from the ground, will the residents be able to stroll to Hooper’s to get the morning papers? And if, heaven forbid, they have to pay rent, will they be getting value for money?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#sesamestreet #placemaking #janejacobs #thedeathandlifeofgreatamericancities #mixeduse #15minuteneighbourhood #walking #urbandesign #cookiemonster

[Picture source: Getty Images]

Or, a call for placemakers to get back to the basics and champion the design code

“So few cities are nice; very, very few out of many thousands are really beautiful. Embarrassingly, the more appealing ones tend to be old, which is weird because we’re mostly much better at making things now: cars, plans or phones. Why not then, cities?” – Alain de Botton

If you want a crash-course in placemaking, here it is! Six fundamental principles to keep in mind the next time a masterplan crosses your desk.

Get the lowdown in this week’s Sketch…

#placemaking #theschooloflife #javaeiland #lifebetweenbuildings #permeability #scale #vernacular #buildingbetterbuildingbeautiful

Or, why the Farrell Review is key to the delivery of the Taskforce Report

“As a nation, we are extremely well equipped to provide the kind of sustainable city making skills that will be in greater demand around the world and our global reputation is something to be proud of. The UK itself should be a showcase for what can be achieved when planners, landscapers, architects, conservationists, engineers, artists, developers and house builders work together. Yet the reality in the majority of our villages, towns and cities is far from world class.” – Sir Terry Farrell

If new towns should be “vision led”, it’s definitely time to revisit the Farrell Review because we now need our architects, urban designers and planners more than ever. And it’s gonna be up to the government to make sure planning departments can afford to employ them and deliver the new town dream.

Click here to get all the juice in this week’s Sketch…

#thefarrellreview #newtownstaskforce #newtownstaskforcereport #newtowns #urbandesign #placemaking

Or, are we creating great places to live or just stoking the war on the motorist?

“We must adapt to this ever-changing world in order to meet the demands of sustainable city making in the 21st century and in doing so prioritise the basic human need to live in, work in and enjoy great places which provide a quality of life for existing and future communities.” – Sir Terry Farrell CBE

From green waves for cyclists (war on the motorist) to the banning of speed cameras (war on the cyclist) via new town visions to The Farrell Review…

Click here to get all the juice in this week’s Sketch!

#sirterryfarrell #thefarrellreview #cycling #copenhagen #greenwave #dougford #waronthemotorist #motonormativity #activetravel #newtowns #vision

Or, from the sublime of nature in Manchester via a pedestrian vision in London to the car-based ridiculous in Milton Keynes

“We know how important it is for people to have the right services and community facilities where they live. That’s why our planning rules are clear that developments should include infrastructure as we build 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change.” – Spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

Whilst I am loathe to suggest yet more tinkering to the planning system, government needs to do more to ensure developers can provide basic infrastructure before homes are occupied. The MHCLG may well have “rules”… but have you ever seen a rule not be broken?

Get all the juice in this week’s Sketch…

#manchester #cyanlines #oxfordstreet #pedestrianisation #miltonkeynes #MHCLG