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Why our high streets still matter
Posted on: 3 June 2014
By: mackene
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Retail expert Mary Portas has published a “think piece” which questions the effectiveness of the town centre first policy, and claims that efforts to pilot the recommendations included in her review of high streets were marred initially by ‘vague supporting processes’ and ‘insufficient guidance’ by the government.
EEA Signals 2014: Well-being and the environment
Posted on: 3 June 2014
By: mackene
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How do we create a performing economy that creates jobs and ensures our well-being, yet respects the limits of our planet? This question is considered in the latest edition of Signals, an annual publication from the European Environment Agency.
Local transport expenditure: Who decides?
Posted on: 3 June 2014
By: mackene
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Changes to the way money is allocated for major transport projects could ‘disadvantage the regions’ according to a report from the House of Commons Transport Committee.
Urban resilience in action? The case of Tottenham (London, UK)
Posted on: 2 June 2014
By: mackene
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Martin Stumpler was Visiting Researcher at the University of Westminster in early spring 2014. As part of his doctoral research project on urban resilience, he has conducted a case study of Tottenham, London, where the English riots of 2011 originated. In this blog, Martin considers how resilience might best be understood from a socio-political perspective, using a neo-institutional framework, and reflects on Tottenham’s recovery process to date.
Construction projects: Guidance on the meaning of proceeding “with due diligence
Posted on: 2 June 2014
By: mackene
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The primary concern of any employer in an engineering, construction or infrastructure project is that the project is completed on time, to budget and to the agreed quality. The objective to complete on time may be dealt with in a number of ways; one is to place an obligation on the contractor to proceed with “due diligence” or to carry out and complete the works “regularly and diligently”. The May 2014 issue of Construction & Engineering Briefing from DLA Piper considers case law in relation to this matter.
What makes cities more productive? Evidence on the role of urban governance from five OECD countries
Posted on: 2 June 2014
By: mackene
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This paper estimates agglomeration benefits based on city productivity differentials across five OECD countries (Germany, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States). It highlights the relationship between cities’ governmental fragmentation and productivity, and represents the first empirical analysis of how metropolitan governance structures affect this relationship. The comparability of results in a multi-country setting is supported through the use of Functional Urban Areas, an internationally harmonised definition of cities based on economic linkages rather than administrative boundaries. In line with the previous literature, the analysis confirms that city productivity tends to increase with city size; doubling city size is found to be associated with an increase in productivity of between two and five percent. What is more, city productivity is positively associated with the population size of nearby cities. On the governance side, the paper finds that cities with fragmented governance structures tend to have lower levels of productivity. For a given population size, a metropolitan area with twice the number of municipalities is associated with around six percent lower productivity; an effect that is mitigated by almost half by the existence of a governance body at the metropolitan level.
Home Truths 2013/2014: The housing market in London
Posted on: 30 May 2014
By: mackene
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The housing shortage in London is reaching critical levels as housebuilding fails to keep pace with population growth and wages lag behind housing costs, according to a new report from the National Housing Federation.
Shardenfreude: London’s copycat craze is crystal clear
Posted on: 30 May 2014
By: mackene
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The Shard has spawned a host of angular glassy lumps across the capital. The author of this blog considers whether this new crystal city full of Shardettes is a welcome change.
Adopting BIM: An architect’s perspective
Posted on: 30 May 2014
By: mackene
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Videos of a guest lecture presented at London South Bank University on 7 May 2014. Topic’s covered include: The wider context of BIM including UK government policy; Architype’s journey into BIM; and using BIM for Passivhaus design.
Reducing the burden of EIA on the planning system
Posted on: 30 May 2014
By: mackene
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As the government expresses concern that changes to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could further slow the planning process, CBRE associate director Tom Wells explains how Ministers, local authorities and developers might respond in order to minimise costs and delays associated with the planning system.
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