The U.K. based Design Council recently announced the winners of its "Ones to Watch" competition. The winning entries show how young designers (aka, the "future of British design") are working to improve urban life.
Francesca Perry shares the results of the "Ones to Watch" competition, in its 70th year under the direction of the Design Council.
"One of the six competition categories focused specifically on designs for improving city life – while others addressed issues such as health, happiness and social impact. The fourteen designs for better urban living respond to the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation and the desire to reclaim the “human scale” of expanding cities."
Perry goes on to detail some of the winning designs, which range from simple objects that help urban dwellers maximize cramped spaces and systems like the Patch|Bristol project, which "links allotment owners in Bristol with local food banks in order to reduce food waste and increase awareness of food poverty. The project includes proposed 'pop-up patches' around the city to get people donating and distributing food."
FULL STORY: Designs to improve city life: young innovators showcase their ideas
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.