Building for Life comprises of 12 criteria [1] in which a housing scheme can be assessed and awarded an appropriate red, amber or green symbol based on how successfully the development meets each criteria. I have chosen to analyse Smith’s Dock in North Shields – a trendy new development which combines cutting edge urban living,…
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Drama at the Spanish Steps   Whistling! Followed by words and hand gestures, you cannot sit here!. The special tourism police are telling the individuals and the crowd on this stairway. This is the famous Spanish steps. It connects to the church of Trinita dei Monti from Piazza di Spagna in the historic heart of…
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“The most liveable cities are those which are sweet to their people. You can never find a UK city in any of the lists.” [1] Jan Gehl The Theatre Royal and Grey’s monument on Grey Street Grey Street is at the centre of a battleground between urban designers, planners and the public; this blog interrogates its…
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A look into the impact of commodification on social mixing in public spaces In her analysis of measuring public space, Georgiana Varna examines the roles of public space and what it has become (as a result of intentional or unintentional drivers).  Her extensive research into urban design and the surrounding theories has led her to…
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1. Venice. A utopia; surrounded and divided by water; which attracts tourists all year round. When I first arrived it struck me that this constantly booming city means every corner is in constant use, yet as Venice is a city constantly invaded by water we need to ask; does a sinking city use a different…
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“No theatre ever created a more sublime tableau than the spectacle to be enjoyed in Venice.” Camillo Sitte, The Art of Building Cities Following the excellent lectures from Tim Townshend on “What is Urban Design?” and later William Ault on  “Delivering Urban Design”, I came to question what the realm of the Urban Designer actually…
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Nowadays, climate change is a very serious issue. It causes the change in average temperature and flood to be more severe. Flooding plays an essential increasingly role in many countries, and it has a tendency to get more intense and cause damage to urban space around the world. Many cities that face flood issues have…
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