I'm an urbanist and multi-disciplinary city planner.
My professional expertise, interests and passions lie in developing creative answers to the challenges of sustainable development of the built environment, working across the disciplines to span strategy, policy, design and implementation, with emphasis on
master-planning and design
integration of modern infrastructure into cities
climate change and energy
music and soundscapes
resources and food
and, above all, making the places in which we live civilising, inclusive and beautiful.
My experience over the last decade spans academia and consultancy, with projects for clients across the public and private sectors in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
As a freelance consultant, my work includes policy development, strategy advice, and working with architects and developers to elucidate the economic, social, and policy issues that must be understood in order to create proposals and programmes which respond to local needs, reduce risk, and create value. Current and most recent projects range from High Speed 2, bringing high-speed rail to England, to residential development in Africa, and tackling retrofit of existing buildings in Britain to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment.
I am always happy to discuss my work and new ideas. You know the e-mail address.
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Projects
While many of the projects I've been involved in and much of my work can't be published, here's some of what can:-
This document was the state-of-the-art regarding climate change and the built environment when we wrote it, and underpinned the case for policies dealing with climate change in the London Plan. These were the first such policies for a major global city.
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The Further Alterations to the London Plan work was a key factor in helping Arup win the PCotY award from the RTPI.
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I had the great pleasure of working with OMA on this project in Riga, Latvia, defining the socio-economic boundaries and making the project viable.
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Another OMA project I worked on: RAK City in the UAE.
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Read the article Corinne Swain and I wrote - TCPA Members only, I'm afraid!
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This is an important background document which makes the case for green roofs and walls in London, which I was pleased to support as part of the reference panel.
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A fascinating effort to help get the energy efficiency ball rolling. A little flowchart I sketched the back of a piece of scrap paper became part of the project's intellectual backbone.
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The Daedalus project will bring ex-military brownfield land back into use - but is not without its challenges. I was project manager for the initial socioeconomic work.
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I was involved in Harlow North back in 2004. The project combined an enlightened developer client with a forward-looking team to great effect.
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An Enquiry by Design (charrette) from 2005, once contentious but now very real.
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I worked with Space Group on the feasibility and programme for their Zakusala island project - weird, wacky, wonderful...
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Other reading
I'm not the only interesting person on the Internet! A few friends and other worthwhile blogs:-
Genius site brought to you by the twisted mind of Dave Thomas
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Architectural photography and occasional writing
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Light, cities, and art