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Where will our grandchildren live?
Posted on: 10 October 2014
By: mackene
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Filed under: Events presentations, News
In October 2014, the Academy of Urbanism is running a lecture series on the theme of “Where will our Grandchildren Live?” Videos of the presentations made on 2 October 2014 are available online.
Profitable places: Why housebuilders invest in landscape
Posted on: 10 October 2014
By: mackene
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Aimed at developers, this booklet highlights five ways in which landscape professionals can add value. These five principles are illustrated through five housing case studies where landscape has informed the location, layout and design of new developments to great effect.
Car-free concept in Changzhou high-speed rail station area development
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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Rapid urban development and increased car ownership and use in China bring many social and environmental problems. Many Chinese cities are promoting numerous large-scale transport infrastructures and development projects. How to shift the car-oriented development paradigm in the planning and construction of these projects is a challenge for planners and engineers. In the planning of the new town of Changzhou high-speed rail station, the car-free development concept was introduced to create a pedestrian-friendly urban space with easy transportation accessibility, safety and vitality. The planning team studied the car-free development concept and practices, and proposed an adaptive integrated solution for the HSR station project. It consists of four components: mixed-use development, maximum accessibility by public transportation, seamless transport transfer and continuous pedestrian network, which were integrated in the urban design by interfacing with land use, landscape and architecture. The result of the urban design is acknowledged and used as a guiding and control instrument by the city planning bureau for planning and management, serving as a basis for the regulatory planning and further spatial design.
Proceedings of the ICE, Urban Design and Planning
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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The latest issue of the ICE Proceedings on Urban Design and Planning, Vol.167 Issue 5, 2014 contains the following articles on China:
Changing spatial planning in China’s five-year planning system
The five-year planning (FYP) system is very important in regulating economic and spatial development in China. By analysing the texts of five-year plans and corresponding spatial policies, as well as the primary governance issues since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, this paper argues that market-oriented reform and decentralised economic administration have changed China’s political economy and necessitated transformation of the FYP mechanism. However, the emerging spatial governance mechanism is encountering many challenges and may not operate smoothly in the near future.
China’s urban planning and administrative urbanisation: case of Ordos
China’s urbanisation is characterised by strong state intervention, which includes various forms of urban planning made by local governments. Not much academic attention has been paid, however, to the relations between urban planning and urbanisation. This paper tries to narrow this gap by developing a theoretical framework based on the concept of ‘administrative urbanisation’ developed by Liu and co-workers. It is argued that urban planning in China not only provides the local states with a number of tools to manipulate various resources to shape their urban spatial structure and accelerate the pace of urban sprawl, but also legitimates the irrational decisions made by local government. The rationales and strategies facilitated by urban planning in the process of defining goals for the city, struggling for enough land conversion quota and attracting capitals and population to the planned areas, reflect the fundamental characteristics of ‘administrative urbanisation’. Ordos, a city newly formed over the last 15 years, is examined as a case under this framework. The importance of relations between urban planning and administrative urbanisation is also discussed.
A review of large-scale urban design in China
Since the 1980s, China has accumulated nearly 30 years of experience in modern urban design, during which time, large-scale urban design (LSUD), triggered by government-led rapid urbanisation in the late 1990s, arose as a main mission of physical planning. To analyse and interpret this special planning phenomenon in China, the paper traces the evolution of Chinese LSUD and examines it under specific phases of China’s socio-economic development, so as to first reveal the driving forces, various types, design methods and implementation approaches of China’s LSUD projects. By contextualising urban design within China’s unique statutory urban planning and design system, the paper then summarises the main gains and losses of physical planning development in China and puts forward some suggestions for transforming China’s physical planning and design in the future.
China’s urban planning in transition
Significant political and economic shifts since 1949 have affected urban planning practice in China. This paper examines the transition of urban planning systems in China, using Beijing as a case study. China’s master planning practice is divided into four stages – socialist master planning and anti-planning (1949–1978), reforming master planning (1979–late 1980s), urban development planning (early 1990s–2000) and comprehensive planning (2001–present). China’s urban planning is closely related to its political, economic and social development. Plan making, implementation and the construction of large infrastructure and public facilities have played significant roles in China’s rapid economic development. However, planning has also caused problems such as social injustice, environmental pollution and the uncoordinated development of municipal infrastructure, open spaces and human settlements.
Urban factorisation report
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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Urban factorisation enables a city, and its decision makers, to keep building upon its uniqueness and remain the place people want to visit or live. It empowers them to build the future without destroying the essence of the place with misguided plans. Urban factorization engages in a holistic, multidisciplinary and collaborative user centred approach that can enhance the chances of the city and minimize erroneous changes which emerge from ‘best practice’ attempts of imitating another city, aspiring to be what it is not, or trying to force what it can be. This report came out of an event which took place on 27 July 2014. It contains the original manifesto, the event description, as well as the findings and the recommendations that came out of the afternoon walk/ workshop. This methodology is not restricted to urban settings but can be applied in workplaces and environments, healthcare, education spaces and all kinds of collaborative spaces.
Promoting healthy cities: Why planning is crucial to a healthy urban future
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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This paper describes the scale and pace of urbanisation around the world, the health and well-being issues experienced by urban populations, and the environmental factors that shape these issues. While there are no simple solutions for the complex health problems facing cities, some countries such as Scotland have recognised the scope and scale of the urban health challenge and have invested in the need to create positive physical environments which actively nurture better health and well-being. More countries need to do the same, and there are some important steps that nations, regions, cities and towns can take.
A vision for transport planning: A framework for better, more prosperous places
Posted on: 6 October 2014
By: mackene
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This report from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport examines how transport planning can play a role in addressing the challenges faced in the UK between now and 2035.
A coastal concordat for England
Posted on: 6 October 2014
By: mackene
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The coastal concordat sets out key principles for coordinating the consenting process for coastal development in England.
Planning and Building Control Today
Posted on: 1 October 2014
By: mackene
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The July 2014 issue of this journal is available online with a particular focus on BIM.
Cities Policy Briefing: Setting out Coalition Government policies across a common framework
Posted on: 1 October 2014
By: mackene
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This briefing provides details on four flagship Coalition Government policies that have had an impact on the powers, resources and flexibilities available to UK cities to stimulate economic growth between 2010 and 2014. The details of the Localism Act, waves one and two of City Deals and Growth Deals are set out using a common framework.
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