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urban design

Urban design is a multidisciplinary event which is becoming vital to the current and future success of our urban spaces. Since the Millennium, we have seen a global shift from a rural majority to an urban one, which brings pressures of all kinds.

The biggest challenges to urban design are the long term issues of sustainability, in the face of impending climate change and energy decline. Both are going to change the face of human society drastically within the next 10-20 years and not enough is being done to identify the problems, let alone sort out the answers.

There is little doubt that urban spaces must become greener (in terms of biomass) and that they must shift from car dominant to pedestrian/public transport systems. In the medium term that might free up existing roads to turn into greenways - continuous landscapes. Bringing forest canopy into urban areas is a goal that can and should be realised (see urban biomass), especially when combined with edible landscapes. Food security is going to become a big issue in the not-too-distant future.

Greening of urban space has so many positives for everyone, its not surprising that there is a growing demand for fresh thinking in this direction.

I am about to undertake a major project for the campus of the London School of Economics, which should produce some major greening right in the heart of the capital city.