RaeburnFarquharBowen Landscape Architecture & Urban Design’s Post

📍 Moor Lane, Bolton. Step Places faced an extremely tight funding deadline for securing planning permission for the Moor Lane site, in part due to its significant strategic importance within the 2017 Bolton Town Centre Framework. A 'key intervention area' and not to mention a vital route for improving pedestrian movement across the town, the site was already of significant interest to local politicians, stakeholders and the community. On top of all that, half of the site lies within the Town Hall Conservation Area, and in the setting of two important listed buildings. Our challenge was therefore... 🏘️ Get the design absolutely right ⌛ Do so incredibly quickly Intrigued? Find out how we did it - in partnership with Step Places, Bolton Council, AEW Architects and Bolton at Home - in Part One, Chapter Two of EK Unlocked... https://lnkd.in/e2A9uqj5 #planning #development #architecture #housing #housingcrisis #greatermanchester #gmca #placesforeveryone #moorlane #ekunlocked #bolton Original image credit: AEW Architects

As profiled in The Globe and Mail this week, the vision for The Vaughan Masterplan is rooted in heritage, sustainability, and walkability. https://lnkd.in/gqN6PxZf Eco-conscious design by our client, WZMH Architects ensures energy-efficient buildings with insulated facades, heat-exchanging ventilation, and tree-friendly soil requirements for long-term green space. Inspired by the city’s agricultural past, Bousfields Inc.’s urban planning strategy follows an “apple basket” concept, seamlessly integrating parklands, paths, and cycling trails into the towering skyline. With up to 10,000 housing units, commercial spaces, and direct TTC access, this transit-connected community contributes to easing the housing demand, reduces car dependency and fosters sustainable urban growth. – 📸: WZMH Architects #VaughanDowntown #WZMHArchitects #BousfieldsInc #VaughanDevelopment

The #CraftandDesignCanberraFestival kicked off with a fantastic Symposium: The #Future of #Housing and the Need for #Public #Amenity. This symposium brought together visionary #architects, #urbandesigners, #policymakers, and #economists to discuss the evolving landscape of residential architecture, the need for more diverse housing typologies, and the strategies for delivering public spaces and streetscapes that promote healthy living. Housing densification was seen as a necessary construct for the future of our cities, and it was acknowledged that urban renewal would be required. The discussion focused on how Canberra as a city based on ‘garden city’ design principles, highlighted as one of the world’s most liveable cities, could retain its landscape quality while delivering a compact city with missing-middle housing supported by high-quality public amenities for its residents. Australian Institute of Architects City Renewal Authority Suburban Land Agency Craft + Design Canberra #Festival @Rob Henry - unlock planning drivers to prioritize the missing middle Petra Oswald - need to shift the engineered character of our roads and instead make them streets. Demonstration precincts can demonstrate the value of missing middle typologies Lucy Wilson - vibrancy should be an outcome..."with more dense housing the jam (social / infrastructure returns) can be thicker on the toast" "Design a good street (rather than a road) and you are designing a good city"- Rob Adams AM Felicity Stewart - "Canberra has a space problem" .... way too much poorly utilized and defined space Greg Jericho - the Australian system is geared for land investment driven profit...."it's entirely predictable where we are headed with affordability."

This was a fun event to bring to life and some great insights were shared from the panelists working in this space. Mid-rise and missing middle housing typologies are incredibly important in delivering on our housing targets but are not a common typology in Victoria. As an outer suburb Local Government, we often get the "that's not feasible" or "markets not there" response when asking for these typologies in our established suburbs and greenfield areas. Some of the key insights from the panelists for me were: - Mid-rise housing is very effective in delivering a lot of housing in a short timeframe (i.e. can deliver 70 dwellings in 14 months construction timeframe) - Great design, close to services/shops, open space and integration of trees is even more important for these typologies to attract buyers and avoid stigma that poorly designed apartments have created in the past - We need more great precedents and mix of missing middle typologies in outer suburbs to set the bar and reframe community's poor perception of denser living - Lack of lot consolidation policy/incentives and inflexible carparking minimums are some of the key barriers to these typologies being feasible and delivered right now - Local, State and Federal Government have a big role to play in setting standards, policy and delivering these typologies and setting the bar for good, liveable design

Goldfish & Bay is proud to contribute hydraulic and fire engineering expertise to Urban Property Group’s Little Bay project, recently granted DA approval. This development not only addresses Sydney’s housing needs with the inclusion of affordable homes but also reflects a commitment to thoughtful urban design. Our role involved integrating efficient hydraulic and fire systems into a layout designed by Hill Thalis Architecture & Urban Projects Pty Ltd, ensuring that technical precision supports the project’s architectural and environmental goals. Advanced stormwater solutions, in particular, complement the site’s coastal features, reinforcing its connection to the natural landscape. This project is a step forward in balancing housing, sustainability, and design excellence. Congratulations to Urban Property Group and the talented collaborators driving this meaningful initiative. Follow the journey here: https://lnkd.in/gQNGpezH Goldfish & Bay | Urban Property Group | Arcadia Landscape Architecture | Richards Stanisich | #LittleBay #HousingDevelopment #SustainableDesign #HydraulicEngineering #FireEngineering

Urban Land recently featured experts across the public and private sectors to discuss how to create thriving downtowns that attract remote workers to return to the office. HKS' Sheba Ross Titus shares her point of view on how downtowns can be revitalized and the obstacles in the way of doing so. See what Sheba has to say about downtown rejuvenation. https://lnkd.in/ejHegXx3 Urban Land Institute #design #architecture

This week’s Salon on Affordable Housing was really a terrific discussion about different strategies for design of affordable housing. Wonderful to share info and see the work of my esteemed colleagues. A lot of the discussion centered around how to drive down costs and innovate. And how to design in such a way that communities can accept affordable housing in their midst. My take was that affordable housing needs to happen at scale, and we need density at transit and high ground. A healthy city has a mix of incomes and uses around transit. Great walkable neighborhoods should be accessible to all. We have a defecit of 135K affordable housing units in Miami Dade county. In previous generations, designers and developers were able to design and integrate housing with dignity for all incomes. I have lived in garden apartments in Miami Beach and other places in Miami and they were designed beautifully with access to green areas and plenty of natural light. There is a pressing need for all of us designers to do better for more people and to advocate for healthier, sustainable and more equitable communities. In this, I believe the Eames motto is correct. We should strive “to make the best for the most for the least”. #designmatters #AffordableHousing #SustainableCities #EquitableDesign #ArchitectureForAll #HousingCrisis #InnovativeDesign #CommunityDesign #TransitOrientedDevelopment #SustainableLiving #DesignForChange #HousingForAll #GreenArchitecture #DesignEquity #ResilientCities #ArchitectsForChange #DesignWithPurpose #InclusiveDesign #MiamiDadeHousing #WalkableNeighborhoods #DesignForGood

Exactly!!! Some interesting ideas in the list regarding alleys. I like it!

We reflect on Labour’s ambitious housing targets and the challenges they pose for the future of sustainable development in the latest edition of Millmount. Can planning reforms and new policies strike the balance between quantity and quality in housing design? How can we ensure that affordability and sustainability remain at the forefront of these plans? Explore Nicky Watson's perspective on the opportunities and hurdles ahead, as we discuss what it will take to build communities that truly stand the test of time. Read the full edition in the link in the comments below. #Labour #Housing #DesignExcellence #Architecture

YES!! Let neighborhoods and communities develop organically based upon NEED rather than city requirements/limitations (i.e. zoning)... this is a BIG part of how we solve the housing crisis! #zoning #development #housing #housingcrisis #housingforall