As summer approaches, the days are getting warmer and longer. I’m excited to find a bench in my local park and enjoy the sun and nature. For me, and perhaps most of you, a bench is a place to rest and enjoy the view, or a location for a chat with a friend. However, for Read the full article…

When discussing the right to the city, the conversation often moves towards larger urban issues such as housing, displacement, privatisation and inequality. We are not going to solve all the world’s inequalities overnight, so let’s start with something smaller, much smaller, this brings me to the pavement. The residual pedestrian realm, does not escape the Read the full article…

My Challenge: Overcoming Environmental Vulnerability Would you live in a city designed without considering climate vulnerability? This became one of the biggest questions throughout my journey as an MA Urban Design student at Newcastle University. Through studio projects and research, I began to realise how environmental vulnerability is not only linked to flooding or climate Read the full article…

My background as a planning policy officer has clearly influenced my approach to design and often led me to think in ways that are more pragmatic and would satisfy regulations and local plans without pushing boundaries. This can lead to housing design that feels generic and lacking identity, the kind produced by mass housebuilders in Read the full article…

A personal challenge of moving away from CAD and realistic renders Reflecting on my experience on the M-AUP Urban Design Masters this year, one of the biggest growths in my professional identity has been a newfound confidence in hand-drawing as a primary medium for design exploration. During my first three years of university, I often Read the full article…

My challenge: Overcoming Flooding Vulnerability Would you live in a flood zone?  Well, this was the challenge we faced as urban design students during our latest Housing Alternative module. Our site was at least 75% in flood zones 2 or 3 and how we could go about our design strategies to enhance a community wasn’t Read the full article…

My Personal Experience: This carousel reflects on my learning process from case studies to design judgment in the second semester. My biggest challenge is moving from describing precedents to really supporting my studio design with precedents. Through blog research, I began to raise broader issues about healthy streets, shared living, communities and daily life. Newburn Riverside’s Read the full article…

From Urban Resilience to Urban Well-Being During Semester 2, my understanding of urban design developed further from the ideas I explored in Semester 1. Previously, I focused mainly on sustainable mobility, climate resilience, and spatial justice through topics such as pedestrianisation on İstiklal Street in Istanbul and Blue–Green Infrastructure as a strategy for urban resilience. Read the full article…

My studio journey this semester: From early ideas to a clearer project This carousel shows my studio turning point this semester. At the beginning, my studio project had ideas but the links were weak. The mid-review was the first time I presented the full proposal, and the feedback showed what I was missing: my routes were not Read the full article…

My Experience – Developing a Clearer Diagrammatic Language Over the course of our studio project this semester, one of my greatest challenges has been learning to develop a clear diagrammatic language, in order to develop strong, clear and legible diagrams to explain my design proposals.  Whilst initially text-heavy, I learned to focus on the narrative which I wanted to explain. This meant narrowing Read the full article…

This Instagram carousel explores how the past semester has influenced my interpretation of urban design as well as my understanding of urban areas through my blogging experience and my work in the studio. After working on topics such as hostile architecture, accessibility, mobility, and the influence of social media on urban places, to name a Read the full article…

On a recent trip to Germany, I noticed a subtle, yet impactful difference in the design of the residential and urban streets. Whilst still forming the core movement network of cities, for cars and pedestrians alike, the spaces felt notably more relaxing to walk through, with pedestrians appearing to lead the negotiation of user priority. This felt like a stark contrast to the UK, where pedestrians Read the full article…