The Government state that inactivity contributes to 1 in 6 deaths across the UK (Public Health England, 2016). Additionally, it is reported to cost an estimated £7.4 billion yearly (Public Health England, 2016). Active travel is defined as physical travel such as walking and cycling. With over a quarter of adults reporting less than 30 Read the full article…

Each country has a unique history and culture, and this ‘uniqueness’ influences the way of life of everyone in the region. I have explored this ‘uniqueness’ in Newcastle in this course. This uniqueness is most visibly demonstrated by the spatial standards associated with architecture between different regions and countries. I will start with what I Read the full article…

In a time of increasing material abundance, more and more people are beginning to realise that mental health also plays an important part in everyday life and has a significant impact on the quality of life. In response to this phenomenon, as an urban designer I think we can think about the following questions： What Read the full article…

Think of a city and what comes to mind? Its Streets. -Jacobs, 1961:39   © Copyright- Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-on-sidewalk-3703738/ Streets are an important part of city life. They serve as the foundation for the complex interactions that exist between the architectural fabric and human organisation. A “high street” is one such Read the full article…

Project Description “To develop an understanding of the design parameters of neighbourhood development in context, around housing needs, community facilities, and viability -To improve the knowledge of the nature and processes of urban residential development and design -To To appreciate and incorporate principles of sustainable development into the creation of new and existing residential/mixed areas Read the full article…

Victoria Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland © Copyright Arundhati Chitnis The changing economic and social conditions result in people shaping their environments. With the rise in the urban population, the physical structure of the cities has changed. As the number of people increases, the infrastructure demand also increases affecting the cityscape and its open public spaces. Read the full article…

The number of people living in urban areas has surpassed the number of people living in rural areas, but the range of each person’s residence is decreasing and the radius of each person’s life is shrinking. People are also completely ignorant about where their food comes from. Digitised images on a screen are one of Read the full article…

In recent years, massive urbanisation has brought with it a great number of challenges and cities have built many new buildings at an increasing rate, which has undoubtedly posed a challenge for the renovation of old buildings. This is especially true for the renovation of old urban residential facades. In my opinion, the very good Read the full article…

The United Nations defines a disability as resulting “from the interaction between persons with impairments, attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis” (United Nations, 2006). In the past, accessible design has focused on physical access. In more recent years efforts to consider other elements of Read the full article…

What are transition spaces ? The forces behind the creation of any space are careful consideration of context and its surroundings, along with community needs. These spaces are designed to serve a specific purpose and are articulated in accordance with the connectivity and privacy requirements of each space. However, there are different kinds of spaces Read the full article…

 ‘Woonerf’: A Refuge Opportunity for Us All   “The modern street in the true sense of the word is a new type of organism, a sort of stretched out workshop, a home for many complex and delicate organs, such as gas, water and electric mains.” (Le Corbusier, 1929)   However, our streets are more than Read the full article…

  Our existence acts in a space. we are always moving away or towards, or being still in a space. Our own experience of finding ourselves depends on the space. Shape and re-shape space can reveal and define a great many of our values, aspirations, insecurities, and concerns. As broadly acknowledged, place identity was initially Read the full article…