Urban Design Around the World

URBAN UPDATE / 24th July 2015
Main news
Jobs – Bournemouth, London, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Hertfordshire, Kent
Weather in the city – event report
Global food crisis by 2050?
Researchers quantify nature's role in human well-being
The rise of urban playgrounds for the elderly
A Community Right to Beauty? / from the Urban Design Group
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http://www.udg.org.uk/udupdate/news/urban-update-24-July-2015
Forthcoming UDG Events / The National Conference on Urban Design 2015
Bristol 8-9-10 October
“the most beautiful, interesting and distinguished city in England“
John Betjeman, 1961
Details available next week

Urban Design Current Edition – Available to UDG Members by Subscription
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 21 August 2015
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/urban-design-developer-year-award-2016-opportunity-enter
·  Public Sector Award
·  Deadline - 21 August 2015
http://www.udg.org.uk/content/public-sector-award
Where do you read Urban Design? Photo competition
The Urban Design Group will award two prizes to the best photographs taken during thisSummerand 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 sizeof 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 recentbook abouturban 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 - email your entry to
/ Weather in the City - Event Report
How a better understanding of urban design, sunshine, heat, wind and humidity can improve the quality of life in towns and cities
Weather in the City, written by Sanda Lenzholzer, is a very accessible introduction to how humans sense the weather and the design measures that can be taken to improve our experience of urban areas.
Details of the book: http://www.naibooksellers.nl/urbanism/area-development/weather-in-the-city-how-design-shapes-the-urban-climate-sanda-lenzholzer.html
Sanda began her lecture by explaining how we perceive heat:
·  Direct from the sun – short wave radiation – (ultra-violet, visible light and near infra-red)
·  Air temperature and relative humidity
·  Wind
·  Re-radiated heat – long wave radiation – from warm buildings and walls
·  Psychology can have an effect with colour influencing heat perception /
She then went on to list some of the things urban designers can do to change the local climate
·  Lakes and ponds cool by day, but retain heat at night
·  Moving water cools the air, still water stores heat.
·  Parks cool the air through evapo-transpiration, and the effect is felt down-wind of the park too.
·  Local wind effects - Where there is a dense urban centre surrounded by greenspace, the tall buildings can act as chimneys’ heating air, which then rises, enabling air to be drawn from outside
·  Valley winds can occur at night in otherwise still conditions and a knowledge of how these form can inform the positioning of groups of buildings so as not to block the flow of fresh air.
·  Coastal breezes are important in cooling a town or city. It is vital that their route is not blocked by a wall of buildings lining the sea front. Gaps should be left to allow the air to freely penetrate.
·  For seasonal shade, plant deciduous trees. Also think about the design of buildings, including colonnades and over-hangs.
·  Don’t create a dense canopy of trees along heavily trafficked roads as this will reduce air circulation and lead to a build-up of poor quality air at street level.
·  Street width to height ratios are important in influencing wind-speeds – as is surface roughness of the buildings that front a street – including balconies and projections.
The discussion session highlighted the fact that, internationally, great attention is being paid to design and weather. In Tokyo wind paths are being taken very seriously to enable fresh air from Tokyo bay to enter the city. Hong Kong conversely has run into difficulties by allowing coastal development to block sea breezes. Stuttgart was held as a good example, where there are long established large scale land-use controls that keep the valley sides clear to maintain the free circulation of air in order to reduce the build-up of pollution.
And so the question comes to development in the UK: whether developments will be designed to make the most of and take the sting out of the weather. Chris Brown of Igloo asked the question what it would take to get clients in the UK interested in this area. What indeed!
Is there a high level of expertise being deployed in the creation of masterplans that optimises the urban design to make the most of the form of the land, weather, sunshine, routes for walking and cycling, green space, vistas and the most efficient use of the available land, or are layouts little better than random? The average developer and the average planning department could be asking for a whole lot more.
Thanks go to Professor Michael Hebbert for making the event possible and for his superb chairing of the discussion, and to Paula Cadima from the AA who has been doing much to advance education in the subject
Two experiments to do at home or in the office
Why evapo-transpiration is so effective at absorbing heat: It takes 4 thousand joules to raise the temperature of one litre of water by 1 degree centigrade, but over 2 million joules to evaporate it. That is 500 times the amount of heat energy, and this is why trees are such potent air coolers. Try it out for yourself. Moisten your hand with water– you will be able to feel the cooling effect of the water until your hand becomes dry. If it’s so obvious….why isn’t it standard practice?
An experiment in long wave radiation
You can do a practical demonstration of your own ability to emit long wavelength infra-red radiation: hold the palms of your hands 5 centimetres in front of your face - you will be able to feel the warmth. Imagine then the effect a wall heated by the sun will have on the comfort of people walking along a street.
Understanding long and short wave radiation is also the key to understanding the greenhouse effect, and improving your photography.
Other events
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…
Academy of Urbanism
Event / Mid-Year Review and Reception
22nd July – London
http://www.academyofurbanism.org.uk/events/mid-year-review-and-reception/
Member only event
BOBMK Events
http://bobmk.org.uk/our-programme/
Next events autumn
MADE
http://www.made.org.uk/events/calendar/

Museum of Walking

Mindfulness through movement
Saturday 22 August 2015 10.30am – 12.00pmStart: Brockwell Park, London SE14 (meet outside the Lido)£15
http://www.museumofwalking.org.uk/events/mindfulness-through-movement/

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

Urban Design London

Events coming up – extensive programme some free, some charged/£175+VAT (Free for subscribers)
http://www.urbandesignlondon.com/?page_id=3251
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
Architecture and Design Scotland
http://www.ads.org.uk/events / Latest Lectures
on UrbanNous
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 Coleman, 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
Design and Conservation Team Leader (Post 10.099), Guildford Borough Council
Guildford
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/london-and-south-east/design-and-conservation-team-leader-post-10099-guildford-borough-council
Urban Designer/Masterplanner - EDP
Gloucestershire
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/south-west/urban-designermasterplanner-edp
Urban Design Officers (x2) Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
London
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/urban-design-officers-x2-royal-borough-kingston-upon-thames
Urban Designer / Master Planner – Terence O’Rourke - Bournemouth
Bournemouth
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/urban-designer-master-planner-%E2%80%93-terence-o%E2%80%99rourke-bournemouth
Senior Urban Designer - Cambridge City Council
Cambridge
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/east-anglia/senior-urban-designer-cambridge-city-council
Planner/Urban Designer - JB Planning Associates - Hertfordshire
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/london-and-south-east/plannerurban-designer-jb-planning-associates-hertfordshire
Urban Designer/Senior Urban Designer - Pegasus Group - Bristol
Equinox North, Great Park Road, Almondsbury, Bristol
http://www.udg.org.uk/jobs/south-west/urban-designersenior-urban-designer-pegasus-group-bristol /
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Bournemouth at Night
Feria Urbanism
A vision for what the town could be and should be after dark based on extensive involvement of local businesses, community and creative talents.


“We wanted to encourage decision-makers in the town to stop thinking about the evening and night time as being a source of trouble and instead consider it as a source of delight; providing a positive cultural offer, supporting the visitor economy and attracting investment.”
Read more
http://www.urbandesigndirectory.com/projects/bournemouth-night
Rights for cats and dogs voted in Spanish Town Council
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/human-rights-for-cats-and-dogs-spanish-town-council-votes-overwhelmingly-in-favour-of-defining-pets-as-nonhuman-residents-10408546.html

Urban Design around the World

Australia

Aged care design showing signs of ‘falling behind’
http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2015/07/22/aged-care-design-showing-signs-of-falling-behind/

Canada

These Cities Are Learning From Each Other to Become More Sustainable
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-dodge/cities-becoming-more-sustainable_b_7851224.html

India

4 of 10 below-five year olds stunted in urban India;
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-4-of-10-below-five-stunted-in-urban-india-half-of-homeless-children-sexually-abused-2105634

Netherlands

Miami takes a page from Dutch urban design with slow roads
http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/07/22/miami-takes-a-page-from-dutch-urban-design-with-slow-roads/

UK

Cycle lanes, wider pavements and better crossings - plans for new walkway around Bournemouth unveiled
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/13487378.Garden_Walk_plan_would_change_how_people_and_traffic_move_around_Bournemouth/

USA

Making the Grade: Cuba trips teach historic preservation
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/making-the-grade-cuba-trips-teach-historic-preserv/nm4FS/
When and How Should the Public Participate in Design? The Commons Conundrum
http://www.thelinemedia.com/features/thecommons07212015.aspx
Do Taller Buildings Have to Mean Darker Streets?
https://nextcity.org/features/view/new-york-design-building-code-highrise-shadows-sunlight
Urban Design Matters, U's Downtown Study Shows
http://kuer.org/post/urban-design-matters-us-downtown-study-shows

Built Environment

The rise of urban playgrounds for the elderly
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jul/20/rise-urban-playgrounds-elderly
An Artist's Series Exposes The Sneaky Classism Of Architectural Renderings
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3048867/an-artists-series-exposes-the-sneaky-classism-of-architectural-renderings /

Latest Research, Policy and Practice

Environment

Economic slump, not natural gas boom, responsible for drop in CO2 emissions
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-economic-slump-natural-gas-boom.html
Warming slow-down not the end of climate change, study shows
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-slow-down-climate.html
Former Top NASA Scientist Predicts Catastrophic Rise In Sea Levels – 10ft over the next 50 years
World leaders have committed to limit global average temperature rises to 2 degrees centigrade. However geological evidence points to a time when temperatures were just 1 degree higher, and sea levels were 16 to 30 feet higher than today, and the globe was subject to extreme storms.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/james-hansen-sea-level-rise_55aecb02e4b0a9b94852e7f5
Societies will collapse amid food shortages if world remains on current course, says study
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/societies-will-collapsing-starve-if-world-keeps-current-course-say-scientists-1508333

Humans Health Society

Access to all forms of transport is a lifelong health strategy
http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/second-opinion-access-to-all-forms-of-transport-is-a-lifelong-health-strategy-1.2284402
Researchers quantify nature's role in human well-being
http://csis.msu.edu/news/quantify-nature%E2%80%99s-role-human-well-being
Having wealthy neighbours may skew beliefs about overall wealth distribution
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150722080646.htm
Res Publica proposes “A Community Right to Beauty: Giving communities the power to shape, enhance and create beautiful places, buildings and spaces”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33628747
http://www.respublica.org.uk/our-work/publications/a-community-right-to-beauty-giving-communities-the-power-to-shape-enhance-and-create-beautiful-places-developments-and-spaces/

Politics Philosophy Economics

Self-proclaimed experts more vulnerable to the illusion of knowledge
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/self-proclaimed-experts-more-vulnerable-to-the-illusion-of-knowledge.html
Renting to overtake home ownership for young – forecasts by PwC
·  5 per cent per annum increase in house prices
·  Homes owned outright – forecast to increase from 8.4 million now to 10.6 million by 2025, accounting for 35%
·  Freehold homes to fall from 70% in the middle of the last decade to about 60% in 2025.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33621047
Given that some of these figures are predicated on the performance of the overall economy, including the global economy, they do need to be treated with caution.
House prices in Britain's 20 biggest cities expected to be rising by 10% at end of year driven by high demand, low supply – says Hometrack.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-3173133/House-prices-Britain-s-20-biggest-cities-expected-rising-10-end-year-fuelled-high-demand-low-supply.html
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