AR Urbanism

“Our strategy meticulously balances the historical context with modern needs, aiming to transform the Culture Mile into a leading cultural destination that attracts further investment and boosts the area’s vitality.” — @Richard Crappsley, AR Urbanism’s Associate Director The Culture Mile — home to The Barbican, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Smithfield Market, and future London Museum — is an area identified by the City of London for ambitious transformation, and the Culture Mile BID is driving exciting plans to deliver that. Working closely with Steer and Authentic Futures, and engaging with local residents, businesses and stakeholders, the AR Urbanism team has developed a bold Public Realm Vision and Strategy to reshape the area with new public spaces, additional greening, pedestrian-friendly streets, art activations, and cultural expression and events. To explore the project in full, visit our case study page: https://lnkd.in/ede_Jd_j

An AR Urbanism Book Recommendation by our Senior Urban Designer Ioana Gherghel for our most recent newsletter 📚 The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric is an exploration of long-term thinking and the role the future plays in our present. As urban designers and built environment practitioners, we are surrounded by "local plans", "masterplans" or "development plans" that look ahead until 2030, 2035, even 2050. But are these plans and our society's decision-making truly forward-looking? The author argues that they rarely are, providing fascinating examples of true intergenerational thinking, such as the Indigenous Seventh Generation Principle, the "Long Now", or cathedral thinking. It also addresses the question we all may have secretly brooded on in frustration, watching good ideas making the rounds of politicians desks instead of becoming reality: is democracy the best way of leaving behind a liveable world for our ancestors? Are authoritarian states more efficient at implementing urgent solutions that ultimately serve the planet and the human race? As the new London super sewer was finally inaugurated this month, celebrating a legacy mindset is in the air, and this book is the perfect accompaniment. For more recommendations like this, insights on master planning and urban design, and other AR Urbanism updates, subscribe to our newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eheZSi_E

How might a district with 2000 years of history be reimagined for the future? And what does it mean to be a good ancestor? In our newsletter, coming out shortly, we explore these questions through the lens of three projects we’ve been working on as a team, and a book review by our Senior Urban Designer, Ioana Gherghel. There is a vision and strategy for London’s Culture Mile, a wayfinding project in Hackney, and a pioneering Design Code developed for the future of Slough Trading Estate, each with their own learnings and insights. Subscribe at the link, and we will see you in your inbox soon. https://lnkd.in/eheZSi_E

We are very happy to announce that AR Urbanism has been appointed by Homes England on behalf of the public sector partners Newcastle City Council, The North East Combined Authority and Network Rail to produce a Social Value Strategy for Newcastle’s transformational Forth Yards redevelopment project. This commission forms a key part of the wider strategic vision for the redevelopment of the Forth Yards site, Newcastle’s largest brownfield area, into a vibrant mixed-use community. We will be working closely with key stakeholders to develop a strategy that ensures long-term social, economic, and environmental benefits for the local community. The Forth Yards site, with its proximity to Newcastle Central Station and the River Tyne, represents a unique opportunity to unlock c 2500 new homes and 15,000 sqm of commercial space. This appointment underscores AR Urbanism’s expertise in delivering socially engaged design processes that drive inclusive growth, sustainability, and community resilience. The Social Value Strategy will be aligned with the broader goals of creating a net-zero carbon city while ensuring the development meets the aspirations of the local residents, stakeholders, and public sector partners. “We are excited to contribute to such an important project that will shape this key site in Newcastle” say Director Riccardo Bobisse and Senior Urban Designer Ioana Gherghel. “Our approach will focus on embedding social value from this very early stage and throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring that the community benefits from this development for generations to come.” Special thanks to Kirsty Tewkesbury and Emily Oaten from the Homes England team.

We’re thrilled to be supporting Team Barrow on the recently announced transformation of Barrow and Furness. Working alongside Arup and Savills, AR Urbanism is responsible for the design, engagement, landscape, and ecology elements of the project, supported by Hemingway Design, OKRA landscape architects, and Thomson environmental consultants Barrow Rising is a really inspiring project that involves shaping the future of the whole area, celebrating its natural assets, and maximising the impact of investment to support the local community. We look forward to seeing it progress!

Since 2021, AR Urbanism and Chetwoods have worked with SEGRO plc, the owner, manager and developer of the Slough Trading Estate, to help reimagine the future of this vital industrial area. We developed a vision and spatial strategy for the estate, and an innovative Design Code, to support SEGRO's application to renew the existing Simplified Planning Zone (SPZ) permission. After several years and lots of hard work, we are thrilled to announce that renewal of the SPZ has been secured. Future development within the SPZ area will be delivered in accordance with the Design Code, helping ensure that the area continues to improve and benefit people living, visiting, and working there.

Our Senior Urban Designer Ioana Gherghel, spent a few days in Siena back in October for ISOCARP - International Society of City and Regional Planners. In this article, she reflects on the lessons in tolerance and belonging she learnt from this ancient city, and how these tenets of social value emerge in urban design. ---- For a global urban planning conference like ISOCARP to take place in Siena seems appropriate. Siena is a city where living close together is clearly managed with spirit and imagination and where creative solutions to urban problems guide everyday life and are imprinted in the urban fabric of the city. The famous fan-shape of the Piazza del Campo encircled by a horse race course, the narrow canyon-like streets, the flags flying, the sculptures, emblems, and engravings on stone friezes all have a rich story of identity and belonging. Sienese life as seen through the eyes of an urban designer centres on heritage and identity, both brought to life by the Palio race. The Palio horse race shapes the calendar of the locals all year round and provides an outlet for neighbourly tensions. For a tradition to survive for 800 years and to still be as strong and ingrained as it is today, it must serve a fundamental purpose in Sienese society. This competitive spirit is channeled into the Palio, and fuels its identity. It seems that the people of Siena have been known for centuries as being “mad” — a label they are almost proud of. In the age of NIMBYism and a housing crisis, political tensions are increasing; use of land and the question of how to live more closely together is increasingly urgent but increasingly polarised. Approaching design with a social value lens aims to be neutral and non-political, but inevitably the question comes up: “Who is social value for? Who is really benefiting from a social value-led approach?” At ISOCARP, back in October, I entered a space of exchanging ideas between planning and urban design professionals from all parts of the world: Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Poland, Romania, France… And while my fellow conference presenters made fascinating contributions, it was Siena itself that taught me unforgettable lessons about tolerance and belonging. I can’t help thinking that the answer to that inevitable question is that social value approaches have indeed to be more for someone and less for others, but when one part of society benefits, we all benefit. The Sienese create cohesion through healthy competition, they have reliably done so for more than 800 years, and today’s Siena is a fascinating testament to this.

Happy New Year from AR Urbanism! To get 2025 started, we are very happy to welcome Iss Warren to the team as Senior Urban Designer. With impressive experience in masterplanning and placemaking, and a palpable dedication to creating climate-resilient places that foster community through design, we all very much look forward to working with them on the exciting projects that 2025 has in store. Welcome Iss! 

AR Urbanism is working with Mole Valley District Council in Surrey to prepare masterplans for Dorking Town Centre and Bookham Village. We've now completed the public consultation stage, and are really pleased to have received a huge response to both of the draft masterplans. Over 230 people attended our exhibition events, and 1200 people sent responses to our online consultation. Next steps for us: reviewing all the feedback received, and refining the masterplan ideas.

Last week, Riccardo Bobisse and Ioana Gherghel from the ARU team presented at a workshop on community engagement and social value regeneration processes at UCL. It provided excellent food for thought and was stimulating both in terms of the questions asked and the interesting work by Comune di Reggio Emilia. Thank you Irene Manzini Ceinar, PhD, Richard Simmons, Pablo Sendra, and Tommaso Gabrieli from UCL, and Nicholas Falk of URBED (Urbanism Environment and Design) Ltd. It was a great morning!