Urban Design Learning

A couple of weeks we launched the trial version of our new video library, which contains most of the individual talks from the past year and a half of our events (that’s 374 videos and counting). Until the end of the year, it’s available for no extra charge to all our programme members. https://lnkd.in/ezZrGQDs What can you find there? Well, for instance, our June 2024 event Home and Building Types included an excellent collection of case studies. You can hear about 200 Becontree Avenue (new homes and a community space) from Mellis Haward and a reinvigoration of the mansion house form of flats from Kieron Stephens. Plus, how listed industrial buildings were turned into homes and the story of an award-winning almshouse project. That’s just one tiny corner of the library – elsewhere, you can find out about inclusive design, how AI could help with accident prevention, sustainable drainage or tips for those running development management teams at councils to make their working life easier… and much, much more. If you work for a UDL member, dive in. If you’re not sure if you work for a UDL member, drop us a line and we can let you know. And if you don’t work for one of our member organisations but are interested in the video library and its potential, do feel free to get in touch.

It's November – 2024 is rattling by, isn't it? Here's what we've got coming up this month – all events are available to UDL Full programme member organisations only unless otherwise mentioned: 13th November: Designing in Context 14th November: Site Visit to Manchester (we'll be looking at how transport changes and development work together) (Open to Full and Essentials programme members, numbers limited) 19th November: Urban Greening Factor 20th November: Procurement for Design Codes and Other Design Work (Open to Full and Essentials programme members) 20th November: Green Blue Club (Open to Full and Essentials programme members) – this is our monthly session for anyone working with green and blue infrastructure with a question to ask or something they want to discuss with colleagues 26th November: Workshop on Measuring Carbon Impacts of Different Transport Schemes Across Design, Construction and Use – this is an in-person event being held in London (thanks to Stantec), numbers limited, first-come, first-served booking 28th November: Housing Layouts Booking: https://lnkd.in/eA_tkQVm And, if you work for one of our current members (any programme), you have full access to our new video library for the rest of 2024. Do please let us know if you have any questions at all about it. Here's the link to the library: https://lnkd.in/ezZrGQDs

Can you help improve UDL's video library? with around 100 live training events a year, most on Zoom, we have built up a very large amount of recorded material. And we are in the midst of creating a web resource where people can easily find and watch recorded content relevant for them. To do this we have split our event recordings into separate talks, created transcripts for each, and used AI to form summaries and topic key words. The first trial version of the library is live till the end of the year and free to use for all UDL members. Just log in using your work email and have a play. If you can only see a few videos you are not logged in as a member. With over 350 recently recorded videos you can learn about SuDs, housing viability, designing for cyclists, retrofitting buildings and so much more. The current search function is a bit crude, but improvements are on the way. Your feedback will really help us make sure it can work well so please fill in the feedback form on the site. Next year we hope to upgrade the library to include the ability for you to ask any relevant questions you want - such as 'how can density be measured?' The system will show all content, from across all talks, that answers the question. There is quiet a bit of work still to do get this kind of function to work well. we hope that combining content gathered through UDL's extensive live training programmes with an AI supported on line searchable library will provide a really unique and useful resource. We are looking for ways of funding the last phase of this work and ongoing library management so it can be made freely available to local authorities and potentially students. If you would like to support this work, or have suggestions on who we could approach, please do let me know. https://lnkd.in/e9v9BPPT Euan Mills Alex Mohacs Urban Design Learning

Last Wednesday evening we brought together the Design Review Network, very kindly hosted by Arcadis (huge thanks to them and to Neha Tayal.) Before the speakers began in earnest, we took a count of how many design review panels were represented by having members or chairs present. The answer turned out to be a staggering 62, taking in not just the four nations of the UK but Jersey too!   We heard from Robin Nicholson on analysis of how the design of large-scale developments in Cambridgeshire has improved during the time of the Quality Review Panel there and Sarah Allan on MHCLG’s commitment to good design. Deborah Denner told us how panels can support councillors and planning committees and then Chris Lamb rounded things off in rousing fashion with an eight-point manifesto for where design review goes from here.    A couple of reflections on the evening: the first not directly on the subject, but just how great it is to be in a room full of people with a shared passion. Even couple years on from the worst of the pandemic, that can still seem like a rarity.    The second is that design review is in a great place. Every London borough has its own panel and around the country new panels are being established and more and more local authorities are understanding how useful design review can be.    Finally, as we stand at the start of what the government firmly intends to be an era of homebuilding on a scale we haven’t seen in decades, it’s vital that those new houses and flats are liveable and lasting, and that they fit together with the villages, towns and cities that they are part of. Design review has a crucial part to play in that and it’s up to those of us involved to make sure that it gets the chance to make that contribution. Thanks to everyone who spoke and everyone who came along.   Quick request: you may know that UDL has a directory of London's design review panels: https://lnkd.in/eUSJGVhG We're now adding one for the rest of the country – please do get in touch if you want any of the ones you are on or work with listed. And here's the research Robin was talking about: https://lnkd.in/eQpx5Aef

Important update: the deadline for applications for our paid intern post has now been extended to 11:59pm on Monday 4 November. Full job description and how to apply can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eW_DE8qX Please do share with anyone you feel might be interested.

I was delighted to be presenting at an Urban Design Learning event on Wednesday about "Operational Energy in Buildings", alongside Chris Twinn, Loreana Padron, and Natalie Barton.* It was an opportunity to discusss the impact of the newly launched UK NZC Buildings Standard, and the role it can play in Local Authority briefs and policy, as well as an overview of the built environment's role in reducing energy use. Lots of discussion about the written ministerial statement on energy efficiency, and how local authorities can evidence any standards they want to set. (* sadly missing Susanna Dart and Chukwumaobi Ibe who had hoped to be there but weren't able to make it to present, and Joe Jack Williams who I was standing in for)

Thank you to Urban Design Learning for hosting the Design Review Network event last week, it was really nice to meet other members from over 60 panels around the country - hosted by Esther Kurland with speakers Robin Nicholson, Deborah Denner and Sarah Allan at Neha Tayal / Arcadis's lovely space in Aldgate. It's reinforced to me the very real impact of the knowledge-sharing that sits at the core of the design review process - and the importance of always having critical friends! Hoping to catch up with my Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Design Review Forum buddies properly soon and hopefully see more schemes coming forward in the next few months. Also if you don't know UDL, they have some really helpful resources for those working in and with Local Authorities to better our response to the urban environment: https://lnkd.in/ehaazpme

What does a modern and effective Planning Committee look like? PAS Team is launching a project to discover what a modern & effective Planning Committee looks like and ultimately create some tools & resources for councils to use. To kick off the project we want to gather information and generate a national picture of how Planning Committees are currently operating. To do this we would like as many councils as possible to complete our survey. https://lnkd.in/eJsV-SES

We're hiring! We have an opening for a paid intern (full or part-time), based in London, hybrid working, on a 12-month contract. The core of the role involves helping organise and run our training events, but beyond that, each of our past interns has managed to bring their own angle and skills to it. It's a great first job in the built environment sector and we're a friendly bunch to work with, happy to share what we know. Details and how to apply here: https://lnkd.in/eXUPEAhX Please note: the deadline for applying is 28 October (ie, this Monday!) (Do pass on to anyone you feel might be interested)