News

Prof. Claudio de Magalhães has co-authored the book ‘Providing Public Space in a Contemporary Metropolis: Dilemmas and Lessons from London and Hong Kong’ which will be published on June 26, 2024. The hardcover is now available for pre-order.

About: Increasingly, public space provision and management are being transferred from the public sector to real estate developers, private sector organisations, voluntary groups and community bodies. Contrasting the more historical, horizontal character of London with the intense street life of high-rise Hong Kong, this book tells the story of the two cities’ relationships with non-traditional forms of public space governance.

The authors consider the implications for the ‘publicness’ of these complex spaces and the challenges and impacts that different forms of provision have on those with a stake in them, and on the cities as a whole.

Central to Islington's proactive climate response is its Greener Together Programme, an initiative launched in 2021, which enhances biodiversity, combats air pollution, and addresses urban heating through sustainable urban greening efforts. A key feature of the programme is the Green Finance for Islington Pocket Park Framework, a ground-breaking initiative that seeks to repurpose over 300 dead-end streets into vibrant green spaces.

These pocket parks not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the borough but also deliver tangible climate and health benefits to its residents. By working with Professor Catalina Turcu and BSP students to integrate climate and health considerations across the Green Finance for Islington Pocket Park Framework at 10 locations, Islington demonstrates the potential to achieve meaningful results, including substantial increases in tree canopy cover, significant carbon storage, and reductions in air pollution.

‘Urban Renaissance to Office for Place’, this new blog from Prof. Matthew Carmona looks back 25 years to the famous yellow book of the Urban Task Force and its prescriptions for an urban renaissance in England. It then looks forward to ask whether the Office for Place, and the new kid on the block can capture some of the spirit of the earlier initiative.

Dr Filipa Wunderlich has recently published a new research monograph 'Temporal Urban Design'. The book examines an alternative design approach, with focus on the temporal aesthetics of urban places, and the importance of the sense of time and rhythm in the urban environment.