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Amman ‘People-Places’ Charrette Workshop

Kevin Murray helped to lead a major charrette-type collaborative training exercise at Isra University in Amman, Jordan, working alongside Husam Al Waer (Dundee University) and Samer Bagaeen (Brighton University). Led by Dr Nawar Alatassi, the exercise sought to simulate actual charrette process evolution over several days, with students working collaboratively in groups to address two […]

Derry-Londonderry

AoU Derry~Londonderry Congress VII

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 […]

Hong Kong at night

Hong Kong Urban Design

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 […]

AoU Olympic Site Visit

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 […]

Towns in Transition, Ecobuild

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 […]

AoU City Assessment Oslo

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 […]

A street in Gothenburg

AoU City Assessment Gothenburg

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, […]