AoU Journal - Here & Now - August 2022

August edition of Here & Now now available

In this Summer special we have eight MY PLACE stories ranging from Australia through India to Lewisham and Poynton. We also have a bumper crop of six ARTplace works all curated by John Mullin.

We have lead articles on the power dynamics of public space by Lorenza Casini and Morag Rose, and on the regenerative power of railway stations from Willie Watt based on his work on the new Dundee station. Shane Quinn reviews a successful Congress in Belfast while Nicholas Falk recommends a book that explores the reasons why we travel, and our Chair Andrew Burrell provides an update on news from the Academy. Meanwhile in our opinion section, regular columnist Vicky Payne muses on known unknowns as they relate to town centres, and our resident philosopher Andreas Markides unpacks the myth of Atlantis.

ARTICLES

Choosing layers, making places
One sunny lunchtime in July, Lorenza Casini and Morag Rose met for a walk through Lincoln Square in Manchester and reflect on the power dynamics that shape public spaces.

Wrong Side of the Tracks
Increasingly stations are seen as an engine for growth, but they are often located quite literally on the wrong side of the tracks. Willie Watt reflects on the how his practice has overcome these issues in Dundee.

Sixteen Years of MyPlace
The death of Richard Rogers, one of the twentieth century’s ‘starchitects’ and a contributor to the second MY PLACE exhibition leads John Mullin to reflect on sixteen years of the project.

ARTplace

Albert Bridge, London
Louisa Schmolke - Architect

Untitled
Paul Stallan - Architect

'I came across Mr Murphy of an evening at Q10’
Gerard O'Brien - Chartered Landscape Architect/Senior Design Officer, Architecture & Design Scotland

Crystal Palace Park Café
Chris Dyson RIBA RIAS FRSA - Architect

Greenford Quay, London
Sandy Morrison - Partner, HTA Design

Fabbrica di Cornici
Sophia de Sousa - Chief Executive, The Glass-House Community Led Design

MyPlace

Barrenjoey Head, Sidney, Australia
Geoff Haslam AoU - Director, Local Agenda Ltd

The Krushi Bhavan, Odisha, India
Ar. Apurva Bose Dutta - Author, Architectural Journalist, Curator, Editor

Orchard Gardens Estate, Lewisham
Kwame Lowe - Founding Director, Kin Structures

Stevenson Square, Manchester
Laurie Mentiplay - Urban designer, Arup plc

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
Meg Johannessen - Landscape Architect, Advisor to Natural England

Castle Howard, Yorks
Owen Hopkins - Director, Farrell Centre

Poynton, Cheshire
Professor Rachel Cooper OBE - Distinguished Professor, Lancaster University

Palm House, Kew Gardens, London
Anna Liu & Mike Tonkin - Tonkin Liu Architects

NEWS & REVIEW

Message from the Chair
Academy of Urbanism Chair Andrew Burrell provides an update on a busy spell at the Academy.

Belfast Congress Review
The Academy of Urbanism's first in-person Congress for two years took place in Belfast in June. Shane Quinn reviews an event that came at a crucial time in the evolution of the city.

WHY TRAVEL? Understanding our need to move and how it shapes our lives
A collection of essays edited by Matthew Niblett and Kris Beuret reviewed by Nicholas Falk who suggests that the collection asks questions relevant to all urbanists.

OPINION

SOUNDING OFF – Fertile Ground: The Unknown future of Town Centres
As places set about assessing the impact of COVID on their town centres and high streets, Vicky Payne suggests that we need to accept that we don’t know the future and never will.

MY OWN VIEW IS – Atlantis
In the fourth in his series on philosophy and urbanism Andreas Markides unpicks the myth of Atlantis.

The URBAN IDIOT: Biodiversity Net Gain
As with many other great ideas we need to take care that Biodiversity Net gain does not lead to unforeseen consequences.  

The AoU Journal is sponsored by Space Syntax