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The Future of Retail in London

As we struggle through another COVID Christmas, Kathryn Firth asks why shopping is such a divided activity.  Visitors to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in..

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The Greatest Street?

Create Streets recently tweeted a picture of Grey Street in Newcastle asking whether this was still Britain’s best street. Inevitably it triggered a twitter debate..
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Remembering Richard Rogers

Richard Rogers, who passed away last week, was one of the founding members of The Academy of Urbanism. Although if we are honest, he was..
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LEGO Can Build a Northern Overground

A lot of people have been left disappointed by scaling back of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. But Ian Wray argues that, in the UK,..
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How has Covid-19 made us rethink our cities?

Pandemic lockdowns have changed the way that we view the city. Cécile Poullain argues that the time is right to rediscover the concept of ‘The..
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What does the feminist city look like?

The Academy of Urbanism Young Urbanists hosted an event on 15th September looking at the feminist city. Young Urbanist Kirsty Watt, organiser and chair, reflects..
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Politics and Pitched Roofs

From its beginnings the Academy of Urbanism has been embroiled in the debate about traditional design, indeed in the early years a well-know architect resigned..
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Opinion

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THE URBAN IDIOT: Radburn

So many times when visiting British cities you come across something that makes no sense at all. A piece of urban planning, architecture or traffic..
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My Own View is: HAPPINESS

As urbanists we believe that good quality urban environments make us happy. But, asks Andreas Markides, what do we mean by happiness? At several of..
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What is it about architects and urbanism?

Combining two pieces originally written for Building Design Magazine David Rudlin tries to explain to architects the difference between architecture and urban design. No so..
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News & Reviews

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REVIEW: Wilding: The Return to Nature of a British Farm by Isabella Tree

This book may not be very urban but as Nicholas Falk suggests it has much in it to inform and inspire urbanists. Most urbanists want..
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REVIEW: Common Good: Design and Sustainability in the North

On the 10 November, to coincide with COP26, a new group of northern urbanists held their first event; Design and Sustainability in the North. Vicky..
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REVIEW: Triumph of the City, Edward Glaeser

Ten Years after its original publication Nicholas Falk rereads this hugely influential book following a visit to Coventry, finding much wisdom but remaining frustrated that..
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REVIEW: Eyesore to Icon: Stonebow House, York

Sensitive architecture and a careful urbanism has transformed a brutalist eyesore. John Mullin reviews the rehabilitation Stonebow House in York. When I went to live..
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Essential Urban Design: A handbook for Architects, designers and planners

David Rudlin reviews Rob Cowan’s new book that sets out to create, in words and distinctive hand drawings by himself and others, the definitive text..
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Space Syntax Training

My Place

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The Farrell Centre, Newcastle.

Sir Terry Farrell – Architect and urbanist I grew up in a prefab on a housing estate to the north of Newcastle, the edge of..
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Old Oak Common

Shevaughn Rieck – Architect I have been at Farrells London since my placement as a Part I at Newcastle University. 15 years later, I am still..
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The Llŷn Peninsula, Wales

Hélène Rudlin – Garden Designer I spent my formative years in the Perigord Noir and I think the hiraeth I felt, during the intervening years..
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The South Bank London

Robert Huxford – Director, Urban Design Group Before the SARS II Coronavirus Pandemic put an end to them, after evening meetings in London’s Smithfields, I..
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Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, India

Shruti Hemani, Urban Designer & Illustrator I qualified as an architect in India and trained as an urban designer at Nottingham University. I worked with..
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Villa Onala, Lagos, Nigeria

Tosin Oshinowo, Architect I was born in 1980 in Ibadan in Nigeria and spent part of my childhood in Lagos. It was happy and uneventful..
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Prince’s Exchange, Leeds

Simon Smithson, Architect I guess you could call me a Leeds lad as I was born at Jimmie’s, went to Leeds Grammar School, and did..
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My Shed, Lingerfield, N.Yorks

Alistair Kaye, Proprietor autoVIP I’m a real townie, all the way from industrial Bradford in the days when it still had industries. I’ve spent most..
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108 Fine Art, Harrogate

Andrew Stewart, Gallery Owner I live in a town house with my family and art.  The house has had a colourful life. Allegedly built for the..
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Holland Park, London

Kathryn Firth, Urbanist Since arriving in London 23 years ago I have felt incredibly privileged to be within a 7-minute walk of an extraordinarily rich..
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Southchurch Hall, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Ann Limond, Secretary I came to England from Calcutta as a small child and grew up in Southend, a seaside town full of fun places..
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Portsoy, Aberdeenshire

Willie Watt, Architect I am an architect and urban designer, a past President of the RIAS and winner of the Sir Robert Lorimer prize for..
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