In the autumn of 2012, Kevin Murray Associates will be 10 years old, having launched at the Birmingham Urban Summit in 2002. As part of our celebration of this landmark, we are sponsoring the Glasgow Jazz Festival 2012 in June and July. We already sponsor a range of charities and causes on an individual basis, […]
The Academy of Urbanism took its 7th Congress to Derry~Londonderry, the city on the Foyle way up on the border in the north of Ireland. Having planned it for nearly a year, we aimed to strike a balance between gaining a deeper historical understanding of Derry~Londonderry, appreciating its current stages of regeneration, whilst also undertaking […]
Just back from speaking at the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design (HKIUD) international conference. An excellent event, picked up in their local media, not least because good urban design will play an ever-increasing part in Hong Kong’s attractiveness to businesses and tourists, and also its liveability to workers and managers. It is not just […]
I chaired a timely debate on the merits of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in England. Kindly hosted at the London offices of Grosvenor as part of their support for the Academy of Urbanism, it included thoughtful presentations from David Lock, Charmaine Young and Paul Murrain on the day after the NPPF was […]
We had an excellent guided bus trip around the Olympic Site, viewing the permanent and temporary features. Then we had a presentation from a variety of perspectives on the nature of the legacy and the likelihood of integration with surrounding areas. There is still much to do, not least in the nature of the downstream […]
In our regular Academy at Ecobuild slot, I chaired the Towns in Transition seminar, this year including Bury St Edmunds, Derry and Totnes, the three previous finalists in our Great Towns category. The presentations respectively by Ian Poole (St Edmundbury Council), Carol and Anthony Whitty (Transition Town Totnes and Totnes Town Council) , John Kelpie […]
On 27 February over 120 people gathered at The Lighthouse, Glasgow’s Architecture Centre, to participate in a Legacy Seminar to celebrate the achievements and passions of the late Dr Steve Tiesdell of Glasgow University. People came from across the academic, governmental and practitioner communities of Scotland, England Wales, and even Finland. They included friends from […]
KMA planned and facilitated an Enquiry by Design process for the HCA at Filwood Park, Knowle West in South Bristol, working with an excellent team combining GVA, New Masterplanning and Alan Baxter Associates. The challenge was to approach an underutilised park and former industrial brownfield site, and try to configure something that provided new community […]
We arrived by train during one of the strongest storms of the year, but the weather soon improved. Oslo, like Gothenburg, is clearly a leading edge city, but is able to rethink itself from a position a greater economic strength. It has many progressive elements such as the longstanding toll road system, a green and […]
I could not make the Lisbon assessment visit, which was a shame as it was allegedly fantastic. However, several days in Gothenburg demonstrated what an exceptional city it is in terms of building on its historic identity and post-industrial transformation. There is a clear strategic vision, many component elements and programmes. Themes like culture, safety, […]
