Comment
Time for another design renaissance
I have a cat on my lap pawing at my keyboard, two children engaged in a home learning battle that they know they will ultimately win; weather is terrible, there’s a wash load in, dinner to prepare; oh and an ‘actual’ job to do.
Welcome to lockdown 3.0.
In my line of work the question I always come back to is; ‘are you leaving places better than you found them’, a simple test for any projects our Design team is engaged in. I’ve been around long enough to experience a few seismic changes in our industry and witnessed the historic paradox; just when we need good places the most, design sinks to the bottom of the priority list. It’s encouraging that I haven’t seen this play out over the past year; the Government ambition alongside a wealth of recent design documents and guidance has set a positive design agenda for 2021. Twenty years ago the Urban Task Force established a vision for our cities, the stage is set for another Urban Renaissance.
I have heard a thousand stories throughout lockdown, and there are some important things to learn as we listen to these life experiences. Where we live matters and affects us deeply. The views from our windows, the people on our street, the trees in our footpaths, the birds we hear in the morning, the parks and the coffee shops. The rich fabric of our immediate urban environment has taken on a renewed importance as it’s almost all we’ve had for nearly 12 months. As an urban designer these are the everyday things I have been trained to observe, however more and more of my friends and family have begun to pay attention to their environment in a way they never have before.
A consistent observation has been the instrumental role of green space. Is there a park nearby, is it looked after or a little knackered? Where can I cycle with my kids, are the roads safe? Many local cycle paths have been discovered for the first time, and I’ve been delighted with the resurgent popularity of two wheeled travel. My own family have been on a voyage of discovery since March, and ventured further and explored more as a result of lockdown, one of the many silver linings.
I have also seen a move from city to countryside, with friends being drawn towards the peace, tranquillity and beauty of nature and away from the grey, wet concrete of urban Manchester.
Butchers, bakers and coffee makers have thrived in suburbia, with more people staying close to home and shopping locally. The revival of the suburb and its role in the urban hierarchy is fascinating and will no doubt shape our lives over the coming decade.
Our national Design team share my fascination with the impact the pandemic has had on our cities, towns and suburbs. Over the next few months we will be sharing our thoughts through a series of articles, please join the debate.
Over thousands of years humans have cyclically formed and reformed settlements and adapted to new ways of living. I feel that we are once more at a tipping point, a unique moment to reflect on how we live and work, which presents an opportunity to transform our urban environment for the better.
This is a transformation we can all be a part of.
Anyway, the strained cries from the holistic learning studio (the kitchen) have reached fever pitch. The urban renaissance is going to have to wait, at least until I’ve worked through split diagraphs… better tag back in!
22 January 2021