Why Urban Design Needs Economics

For successful urban design proposals, it is important to understand the factors that contribute outside of a good design. Economic viability is one aspect often gets overlooked. By using the economic assessment toolkit, this creates a better overall understanding of the project to maximise the chance of a successful proposal. Introduction One of urban design’s Read the full article…

The “Role” of the Design Code

Introduction The design code has a long history of playing varied ‘roles’ in different cities based on their policies, developments, contexts, and cultures, and has been adapted to the development and regeneration of cities, although controversially. However, it is worth mentioning that the design code is a unique urban governance tool, which refining and updating, may eventually Read the full article…

REWILDING THE CITY: DESIGNING URBAN SPACES FOR NATURE

Blog entry published by Georgina Walker on 07 December 2023 [FIG. 1] Ventus Naturalised Gardens, Singapore (Joson, 2022) Theorists and urban designers, such as Ebenezer Howard, have long understood and promoted the benefits of the integration of nature into the urban setting to move towards a healthy urban environment. The benefits extend beyond the visual Read the full article…

Icebreaker 

Importance of Urban Design Is Urban design all that important? The Architects are designing the buildings, the Landscape experts are taking care of the flora, the Planning committee is in charge of all the rules and regulations. Together, are they not enough for the proper functioning of spaces and society? Well of course they are. Read the full article…

HOW TO MOVE TOWARDS SMARTER CITIES

INTRUCTION A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. In other words, smart cities are responsive cities that are able to receive, process and return efficient information and services. The way to make a smart city successful is to capture the soul Read the full article…

CHILD-FRIENDLY URBAN DESIGN: NATURALISTIC PLAYGROUNDS AS AN ACTIVE LEARNING CLASSROOM

Blog entry published by Georgina Walker on 10 November 2023   Understanding Child-Friendly Urban Design Child-friendly urban design is not a new concept, and neither is the variations in the definitions of what signifies ‘child-friendly’ design and how to measure the impact. However, as noted in the lecture by Dr Alkistis Pitsikali, the overarching connection Read the full article…

What kind of public spaces are successful?

good public space

What kind of public spaces are successful? Before turning to how to assess the effectiveness of a quality public space, it’s important to note that public space is an area or place that provides access to all members of the community or the wider public. Therefore, public space is usually assessed whether it is positive Read the full article…

FIVE-STAR PUBLIC SPACE: WHAT MAKES A GREAT PUBLIC SPACE?

A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public (wikipedia). It is an important aspect of urban design. Creating a suitable physical framework can encourage people to use public spaces, engage in social activities, and spend more time outdoors . Therefore, the design and quality of public spaces are essential in Read the full article…