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URBED (Urban and Economic Development) Ltd is a leading independent research and consultancy firm specialising in
the fields of urban regeneration, local economic development, sustainability
and change management. |
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Nicholas Falk was asked to provide a briefing paper for the Mayor of London’s summit on new financial models for development. The paper is based on findings from study tours to Vathorst in Amersfoort
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Nicholas Falk’s report for Cambridgeshire Horizons was launched at their annual conference in Ely, and sets out proposals for how the principles of the Quality Charter can be implemented in practice.
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URBED and NewStart magazine are holding a conference on the new guidance URBED are producing for English Heritage and partners on the transfer of heritage assets. Drawing on a range of research studies and practical experience, this half day symposium will take place at Shoreditch Town Hall, an example of successful transfer. The event is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Asset Transfer Unit of the Development Trust Association.
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Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood is the title of a new book by David Rudlin and Nicholas Falk published by the Architectural Press. It updates the 1999 edition Building the 21st Century Home that has come to be seen as an important text in the rediscovery of urbanism in the UK.
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Conclusions from new research into the success of new settlements in four European countries were debated at a crowded launch event in London's new Kings Place in October.
A panel of experts led by Professor Sir Peter Hall welcomed the findings. The research, sponsored by Scott Wilson, The Guinness Partnership and Grainger plc, analyses how some of today’s exemplary European Eco-town projects have successfully delivered high quality and sustainable housing.
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Cambridgeshire Horizons have appointed URBED to undertake a third phase of work on the Cambridgeshire Quality Charter for Growth, focussed on how new developments in the Cambridge Growth Area can be made truly sustainable.
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Following study tours organised through the Town and Country Planning Association, and also URBED's case studies of new settlements in Freiburg and Amersfoort, Sir Peter Hall and Nicholas Falk drew out the conclusions and asked 'Why not here?' Presentations of the findings are being made to a number of conferences.
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Nicholas Falk contributed an article to the CECODHAS publication Urban Regeneration in Europe: The Place of social housing in integrated urban policies . The collection of essays includes work by Karien Dekker, John Flint and Gerard Van Bortel. For his contribution, Nicholas summarised research URBED had done for English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation on the subject of managing mixed communities. We summarised a large body of research, which showed that despite the benefits that are often claimed, there can be real issues in managing and paying for the communal areas, and avoiding conflicts.
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Drawing on research into European experience this short paper sets out the case for government enabling local authorities to support the issue of bonds to help finance infrastructure in areas designated for major housing growth.
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Over the Edge: Town Centres and the London Economy, for the North London Strategic Alliance and the West London Alliance, takes a fresh look at the health of the major and metropolitan town centres in north and west London, assessing how well they are doing in relation to centres in the Outer Metropolitan Area (OMA), and focussing on their non-retail functions.
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In October 2008 members of the TEN Group spent two days in Belfast looking at how to tackle worklessness and social cohesion in areas undergoing development. The report of the visit summarises the background and context, describes the places we saw, and the lessons that emerged.
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URBED’s report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of major European regeneration success stories has important lessons for transforming people and places together so that vulnerable groups do not lose out. The report is based on two years research into three industrial cities that have been leading the way in Europe – the regeneration of the shipyards in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city; a former dock area in Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port; and Roubaix, a former textile town in the Lille conurbation in north-east France.
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Dr Nicholas Falk gave a presentation to a packed audience at the London Building Centre on October 15th to launch the ‘Over the Edge?’ report, produced by URBED for the North and West London Strategic Alliances, as part of the London's towns; shaping the polycentric city exhibition (on until mid November). The summary was published in Planning in London, Issue 67 Oct-Dec 2088, www.planninginlondon.com.
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A masterplan for expanding the population of the City of Ely by up to 50% was released for consultation this week.
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London’s suburbs need a radical overhaul so that the capital can realise its potential as a city of vibrant villages, urges a new report by researchers at BURA and URBED plus Ben Kochan which accompanies the London Assembly’s enquiry into London’s suburbs.
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URBED (Urban and Economic Development) Ltd with Comedia have been appointed by the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) and Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (GHURC) to research the opportunities for attracting creative businesses to Gloucester.
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At a packed seminar at the Building Centre on March 26th, as part of their Sustainable London series, a group of speakers suggested ways of making the policy of building housing at higher densities work. Chairman Andrew Scoones warned we are building close to what used to be considered the maximum density, and higher densities bring risks.
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Ten years after URBED developed the first ever Vision for Cirencester, we were invited back to run another event to build consensus over the priorities for the further development of the town centre, 'soft' and 'hard'.
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Proposals have been released for setting up a development trust, using innovative funding mechanisms, for the new town of Northstowe in South Cambridgeshire, where 10,000 new homes are expected to be built. A report by URBED with Marilyn Taylor Associates has been approved by South Cambs in principle as the basis for setting up the board and appointing staff. Further work is being commissioned on funding and legal matters.
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