Category Archives: Transportation

HS2 – urban connectivity is key to maximising economic impact

This morning’s announcement by the UK government about the preferred route of the proposed ‘High Speed 2’ rail line north of Birmingham raises, quite rightly, the issue of economic impact and its geographic spread. Will the line draw commerce north, … Continue reading

Posted in Development, Economic, Future Cities, Planning, Spatial layout, Transportation, Urbanism | 3 Comments

Old Street – putting the genie back in the bottle?

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

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

UBM Future Cities

My piece in full

Posted in Cities, Digital phenomena, Future Cities, Health, Planning, Press article, Technology, Transportation, Urbanism | 2 Comments

Urban Process Diagram

 

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

Is density just a fashion?

“It is possible that density is a fashion.” Anon It is also possible that low density is a fashion. Indeed this would seem from the evidence to be a much greater possibility.  Look at the urban record. The last hundred … Continue reading

Posted in Planning, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

Life by a thousand connections

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

Quality Streetscapes Conference notes

My slides This first part of this presentation introduces a new approach to valuing urban design – one which allows design decisions to be embedded in real estate valuation calculations. The approach connects design to the rateable value of retail, … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Conference talk, Planning, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Transportation, Urbanism | 1 Comment

Future Cities_Cities of Transaction

Thinking about the future of cities is not a new challenge. From Christopher Wren’s plan for the post-fire rebuilding of London in 1666 to Ebenezer Howards’s Garden City concept, to Le Corbusier, to Bladerunner, human ingenuity has been tasked with … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Digital phenomena, Planning, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Sustainability, Transportation, Urbanism | 6 Comments

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

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

London Riots discussion at #lonconf

Darah Singh Groups of rioters: 1. Motivators – of rioting 2. Aggressors – towards police 3. Late night shoppers Simeon Riots gave people unusual opportunities for power and control. Abnormal empowerment. David Lammy MP The risks of social & economic … Continue reading

Posted in Conference talk, Development, London, Planning, Riots, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Thought, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

London Policy Conference – don’t turn your back on housing

These notes accompany a PowerPoint presentation. Good morning. 1. Connectivity is an issue that has come up several times already at this London Policy Conference. As an architect and town planner, my interest is in the influence of physical connectivity … Continue reading

Posted in Development, Planning, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Transportation | 1 Comment

Approaching large scale urban design schemes

On Friday I gave a presentation at a Design Council CABE event, “Inside Design Review”. My talk, “Approaching large scale urban design schemes“, sets out a framework for thinking about the complexity of major urban development proposals.

Posted in Architecture, Conference talk, Design, Development, Ecological, Economic, Environmental, Landscape, Planning, Space Syntax, Sustainability, Training, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

IBM Smart Cities, Helsinki – latest notes

9.50 Keynote What will the future city look like? The city of transaction How to plan a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable city The effects of the digital revolution on human behaviour patterns Tim Stonor, Architect & Urban Planner, Managing … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Carbon emissions, Design, Development, Digital phenomena, Ecology, Health, Landscape Urbanism, New Urbanism, Transportation, Urbanism | 1 Comment

IBM Smart Cities, Helsinki

19th October 2011 Tim Stonor “What will the future city look like?” View the presentation Themes to be addressed 1. How to plan a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable city. 2. Effects of the digital revolution on human behaviour patterns. … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Carbon emissions, Design, Development, Digital phenomena, Ecology, Health, Landscape Urbanism, New Urbanism, Transportation, Urbanism | 1 Comment

ITC Discussion Evening 5th October 6:15pm

On behalf of the Independent Transport Commission I am writing to invite you to our Autumn Discussion Evening on 5th October 2011, hosted at the Alan Baxter Gallery in Farringdon, London. Your details were passed to me by John Worthington, … Continue reading

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London’s spatial layout

 

Posted in Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

The end of ages for transport planning and the birth of an era of transaction planning

There is so much interest, from so many different interests, in the future of urban living. This suggests that, whatever else, people suspect that things will change. I’m sure this is right – technology, resource scarcity, population growth, energy shortage … Continue reading

Posted in Beauty, Carbon emissions, Digital phenomena, Ecological, Environmental, Landscape, Sustainability, Transportation, Urbanism | Leave a comment

Measuring & modelling cities

11th May 2011 2011 Urban Systems Symposium NYU Shack Institute of Real Estate, New York Download presentation

Posted in Beauty, Development, Digital phenomena, Lincoln Institute, Performance, Planning, Space Syntax, Spatial modelling, Transportation, Urbanism | 3 Comments

Ed Glaeser at the American Planning Association

Notes from Prof Ed Glaeser’s keynote at the 2011 American Planning Association Conference in Boston, 12th April 2011 A city’s “innovative density” is provided by its urban connections. Historical urban growth and decline Historically, cities grew by water. As transport … Continue reading

Posted in Carbon emissions, Development, Historical events, Innovation, Planning, Sustainability, Transportation, Unplanned & informal settlement, Urbanism | Leave a comment