Category Archives: Social

Are streets the answer – yes, but…

Posted on January 24, 2013 by

Yesterday’s launch by think tank Policy Exchange of a report calling for the removal of inner-city high rise estates and their replacement with streets is a welcome contribution to discussions about the design of future cities. The report, authored by … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cities, Development, Economic, Future Cities, Health, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial layout, Urbanism | 4 Comments

Old Street – putting the genie back in the bottle?

Posted on December 6, 2012 by

Old Street Roundabout is a heady intersection of urban movement flows: on foot, on cycles and in vehicles, including the Tube. But it is currently a mess, out of place within the surrounding network of generally convivial streets. In order … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Cities, Design, Development, Digital phenomena, Economic, Future Cities, London, Planning, Social, Spatial layout, Technology, Transportation, Urbanism | 3 Comments

Smart Cities World Expo – speaking notes

Posted on November 5, 2012 by

Spatial layout influences Human behaviour: 1. Movement 2. Awareness 3. Interaction 4. Transaction. Spatial layout benefits 1. Economy - productivity - innovation – building & campus performance 2. Health – active travel – access to healthcare – building & campus performance 3. … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbon emissions, Cities, Conference talk, Culture, Economic, Environmental, Future Cities, Innovation, Performance, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial layout, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation, Unplanned & informal settlement, Urbanism | Leave a comment

Urban Process Diagram

Posted on September 5, 2012 by

 

Posted in Carbon emissions, Design, Development, Digital phenomena, Environmental, Future Cities, Health, Innovation, Performance, Planning, Research, Social, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Thought, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

Life by a thousand connections

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

Background The everyday actions of architects and urban planners influence the everyday physical activity of people by creating the networks of streets and public spaces through which people move. Similarly, inside buildings, the layout of space influences the degree to … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbon emissions, Design, Development, Economic, Environmental, Future Cities, Health, Planning, Social, Sustainability, Transportation, Urbanism | 2 Comments

Notes for AGI Conference talk: Measure, map, model, make

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

My slides Great placemaking is a process combining art and science. There is a place for both and indeed a need for both. Two problems. First, urban planning is largely an analogue discipline. Too many diagrams and watercolours. Not enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carbon emissions, Conference talk, Development, Ecological, Economic, Environmental, Health, Performance, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Transportation, Unplanned & informal settlement, Urbanism | 1 Comment

AoU Landscape Urbanism notes & questions

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

These notes accompany a PowerPoint presentation Fragmented urbanism: the rise of Landscape Urbanism & the threat it poses to the continuously connected city TS intro This is a crucial moment for urbanism. In the UK, The Portas Review, highlighting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbon emissions, Conference talk, Design, Development, Ecological Urbanism, Environmental, Landscape Urbanism, Loeb Fellowship, New Urbanism, Performance, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Thought, Urbanism | 2 Comments

London’s riots – can architecture cause social malaise?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

My company, Space Syntax Limited, has released the first findings of a study into the 2011 London Riots. Described by Polly Curtis in The Guardian as “the most concrete evidence I think there is linking the summer’s riots to estates” … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, Planning, Riots, Social, Space Syntax | Leave a comment

London Riots location analysis – first findings

Posted on September 13, 2011 by

Download the summary report

Posted in London, Riots, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Urbanism | Leave a comment

Connectivity is only the beginning – networking is the goal

Posted on March 1, 2011 by

For digital users 2010 was the year to get connected; 2011 will be the year to become networked. It is one thing to buy an iPhone, join Facebook and Twitter, get a blog, friend and follow. It is another to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Development, Planning, Social, Sustainability, Transportation, Unplanned & informal settlement, Urbanism | 3 Comments

Performance planning – beauty has a functional component

Posted on March 1, 2011 by

I spoke yesterday to Prof Jerold Kayden’s “Design Law Policy” class at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. My presentation “Performance planning – urban measurement, analysis & forecasting” can be downloaded from Slideboom.

Posted in Architecture, Beauty, Harvard, Lecture, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Sustainability, Urbanism | 1 Comment

Spatial transformation – Berlin

Posted on February 24, 2011 by

The following images of Berlin have been prepared by Anna Rose and Christian Schwander at Space Syntax Limited as part of a wider study of the city. They show the pattern of “spatial integration” in Berlin at three key periods in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Economic, Historical events, Planning, Social, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Urbanism | 2 Comments