Kategorie: Pre-2020
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UK Launch of „Leading Change“ book
A conference at the University of Birmingham on 22 March on „Planning Challenges in the Commonwealth“ will be the venue for the UK launch of the book „Leading Change“ My latest book, „Leading Change: Delivering the New Urban Agenda through Urban and Territorial Planning“ will have its UK launch at the conference „Think Planning –…
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Smart cities is a strong theme in the World Urban Forum
The exhibition at the Ninth World Urban Forum highlights the Asian embrace of Smart Cities. This is my fourth World Urban Forum, and, as ever, the exhibition is worth visiting. Most of the booths are taken by national governments, some by cities or local government organisations, a few by research institutes or by campaigning NGOs.…
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World Urban Forum 9
The ninth World Urban Forum opens on 7 February 2018, and I am here in Kuala Lumpur and will be reporting on it on this website and on other social media. The World Urban Forum (WUF) is held every other year, and in a different city each time. Hosted by UN-Habitat, it brings together representatives…
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A creeping privatisation of public space?
Might plans for a make-over for Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens lead to a partial privatisation of an iconic public space? West Princes Street Gardens in the centre of Edinburgh are an outstanding feature of the city. They sit below the spectacular castle. A bandstand is at the centre of the gardens. It has long…
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International study of healthy cities and neighbourhoods launched
A major project to compare urban practices in 14 cities will be led by a team based in Glasgow University in Scotland. A £7.1 million research project into urban conditions and practices has been awarded to Glasgow University. The money will be used to conduct research over a 4 year period, and to establish a Centre for…
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Review of the Scottish Planning System
The planned reform of the planning system in Scotland will end in tears. I have an article in the newspaper The Scotsman. It draws on the responses to the consultation on the proposals by the Scottish Government to review the planning legislation. My article argues that an opportunity is being missed. Instead of looking internationally for…
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Cockburn Association seeks new Director
The Cockburn Association, Edinburgh’s Civic Trust, is seeking a new Director. The Cockburn Association is Edinburgh’s leading civic organisation. Formed in 1874, it has contested numerous bizarre „improvements“ to the city, such as a car park in East Princes Street Gardens, multi-storey car parks in Queen Street Gardens, and an Inner Ring Road built on…
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Conscious Cities – new ways of thinking about places
The first issue of a new journal gives insights to new ways of thinking about cities. „Conscious Cities proposes a radical shift away from the last few decades’ prioritisation of efficiency over more people-centric considerations“ argues Itai Palti in his editorial to the first issue of the journal Conscious Cities. He is a practising architect and…
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OBE
Earlier this week I was honoured to receive the OBE for services to planning, at an investiture at Buckingham Palace. The award of the OBE was made in the Birthday Honours list in June 2016. The investiture ceremony that I attended was held at Buckingham Palace, and the award was presented by Prince William. You…
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Land grabs target schools in Kenya
Ruthless developers are literally undermining a Kenyan school in an attempt to capture the rights to valuable land, alleges a priest with wide experience of the country. Most new development in Kenya is informal. Land piracy has long been a significant factor in urban development. Schools have become especially vulnerable, so much so that in…