Category: Uncategorized

Or, what the antics of a chicken – I mean penguin! – could possibly teach us about successful new towns

 “… Charley has an idea – inevitably, a lightbulb appears above his head – then literally flies through his workplace’s roof before landing, along with all his neighbours, in a council meeting. (People so rarely use yogic flying to attend planning consultations these days.)” – Jonn Elledge

At some point, public engagement events will be run to gauge opinion on the government’s planned new towns. Might it be useful to have a short info film available in an accessible animated format to explain some of the core principles and ideas behind them?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#pedestrians #cycletrack #bus #aardman #feathersmcgraw #15minutecity #lowtrafficneighbourhoods #ltn #ltn120 #culturalquarter

Or, why we should look to the past for a vision of the future of our new towns

“You need a prince to make a town in an intellectual sense. Developers want to make money. If they cared about architecture, they’d become architects. I’ve had so many projects that never came off because they had no sponsor, and not because they were utopian. I just want to build a town that’s normal.” – Léon Krier

At the time Poundbury was criticised for being twee and pastiche to the max, but today, in urban design terms, there is much to be said for this particular take on Dorset vernacular.

It is actually a proper mixed-use development – housing, shops, schools, health facilities, a pub and cafés and some larger scale commercial / industrial all mixed together.

But: why aren’t we learning its lessons as we embark on a significant house-building agenda over this parliament?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#leonkrier #newurbanism #urbandesign #poundbury #janejacobs

Or, how can urban design improve economic and public health?

“We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue. This will help to attract more international visitors, and act as a magnet for new investment and job creation, driving growth and economic prosperity for decades to come.” – Sadiq Kahn

Let’s invest in walking-friendly environments as the default before building yet more roads we cannot properly maintain. We know they deliver significant economic, social, environmental and health benefits and don’t cost the NHS £billions every year. Maybe they’ll even save the NHS a few bob into the bargain. 

But why is this such a bitter pill for so many engineers to swallow?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#pedestrianisation #oxfordstreet #motonormativity #urbandesign

Or, a quick foray into the spiritual side of placemaking and street safety

“There is nothing more important than our children… part of conscious living… is caring for the future generations.” – Marianne Williamson

Children under 10 are 130% more likely to be killed if hit by an SUV. So why isn’t the design of these vehicles being regulated?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#placemaking #acourseinmiracles #SUV #smidsy #sorrymateididntseeyou #carspreading #motonormativity

Or, the trials and tribulations of simply crossing the street in safety

“Our call for evidence revealed a perception of widespread disregard for The Highway Code, particularly the January 2022 changes and particularly by motorists. Individuals report frequently witnessing motorists breaking speed limits, cutting up cyclists, and failing to give pedestrians priority at crossings.” – The Bikeability Trust and Living Streets

Is it time to relaunch the Highway Code?

Find out in this week’s Sketch…

#livingstreets #bikeabilitytrust #pedestrians #cyclists #sharrows #highwaycode #ltn120 #saferstreetsforall

Or, the need to design with children and young people in mind

“There is no point in planning for play on sidewalks unless the sidewalks are used for a wide variety of other purposes and by a wide variety of other people too. These uses need each other for proper surveillance, for a public life of some vitality, and for general interest. If sidewalks on a lively street are sufficiently wide, play flourishes mightily right along with other uses.” – Jane Jacobs

Perhaps when Manual for Streets 3 is finally published, it should call for pavements to be a minimum of 3m wide rather than the current 2m?

Find out why in this week’s Sketch…

#placemaking #urbandesigngroup #udg #cities #urbandesign #janejacbos #children #motonormativity #streets #streetsforpeople

Or, an ode to my favourite urbanist

“Today everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles.” – Jane Jacobs

This week, a look at the life and times of Jane Jacobs.

Find out about her criminal mischief in this week’s Sketch!

#janejacobs #urbanist #urbanism #eyesonthestreet

Or, the myth of the failed Waitrose delivery

“Around 15% of displaced traffic disappears from the area entirely as drivers adjust routes and behaviour.” – Living Streets

Name: LTNs (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods)

Appearance: Planters, bollards and other interventions – modal filters – that prevent motor vehicles from accessing certain streets to prevent rat-running. The aim is to make residential areas more conducive to walking and cycling. Make places safer and ideally ensure all the shops and facilities you need are within a 15-minute walk of your house. 

What has all this got to do with Waitrose? Is it a wild conspiracy?

Read the latest Sketch to find out…

#LTN #LTNs #bollards #MeToo #Lambeth #motonormativity #waronthemotorist #15minutecity

Or, the challenge of delivering the infrastructure that would encourage women to cycle

“Design should begin with the principle that all potential cyclists and their machines should be catered for in all cycle infrastructure design.” – LTN1/20 (1.4.1)

Back this week to the topic of women’s safety on our streets and how we cater for women – and everyone else for that matter – to get out and about.

I note that Cycling UK are currently promoting the “My ride. Our right” campaign to get more women cycling, which is a laudable thing to do.

Let’s face it, there are lots of reasons why we should get on two wheels…

• It’s good for your health
• It’s good for the planet’s health
• It’s cheaper than running a car
• It’s often more convenient than public transport

… and we have the technology to do it… so why don’t we?

Let’s take a look in this week’s Sketch…

#cyclinguk #myrideourright #cycling #women #ltn120 #placemaking #nppf #manualforstreets #paris #streetsforkidscitiesforall

Or, an ode to good placemaking

“More than three quarters of all planning applications in the UK are prepared by someone with no design training.” – Urban Design Group

Name: Urban Designers

Age: Somewhere between c10,000 years – since people started congregating in cities – and 47 – the Urban Design Group was founded in 1978. We got there eventually.

Appearance and temperament: Varies from the ultra-serious urbanist dressed in head-to-toe black silk Armani suit (dark colours are best) to jeans and tweed jackets and every colour and material combination in between. Likely to have a strong distrust of planners and engineers who wear shoes that look like Cornish pasties.

Why is any of this important? It turns out that developers – some of them at least – actually value urban designers! The Urban Design Group have recently published a report “Urban Design: what Developers really want…” and it turns out that some of things they like about urban design are what I and other urban designers have been rambling on about for years:

✅ Investing in good design will increase the value of your scheme!

Find out how this could possibly be so in this week’s Sketch…

#placemaking #urbandesign #urbandesigners #officeforplace #urbandesigngroup #udg #manualforstreets #walking #cycling #nowheresville