The Lighthouse Centre for Architecture and Design in Glasgow stirred up a series of debates to talk about the future of Scotland's built environment.
Among the participants are fashion designer-turned architectural evangelist Wayne Hemingway, cultural iconoclast Germaine Greer and award-winning architects Malcolm Fraser, Gareth Hoskins and David Page. Just as important, however, are the people of Scotland. The professionals are starting the conversation but it's our voices that need to be heard. Now is the time to ask questions. Why is that road so noisy? Why don't these windows open? Why is my house so dark? What would happen if the whole town centre was pedestrianised? Why isn't there a permanent farmers' market? The answers are out there, and so is the ability to make change happen.
"We want to get Scotland talking about what it wants to be built in future and I think with economic conditions bringing about changes in the construction industry, this is a really good time to start," says Lighthouse director Nick Barley. "We want as many people as possible to put forward their point of view and as a picture emerges, we'll bring out a series of publications which try to capture that conversation."
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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.
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