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Sustainable spaces, not just more houses – UrbanBuzz explores regeneration solutions

Tuesday 24 April 2007

‘Quality not quantity’, was the message from Peter Bishop, London’s new Director of Design, and Dr Tim Williams of the Housing Corporation and an advisor to the government, at the first UrbanBuzz networking event on Wednesday 18 April.

The sustainable development of London and the Thames Gateway is a major challenge for policy-makers and developers alike, which is why government and industry is calling on the expertise of academic researchers and professionals in fields including design, urban planning and regeneration.

In his presentation entitled Design for London: Plans for Public Spaces in the Thames Gateway, Peter Bishop who was recently appointed London’s first Director of Design, said: “Building sustainable communities that can grow is a priority for London.

“The more urban density increases, the more public space will play a critical role in the city, for social interaction, environment quality, and sense of place."

Dr Tim Williams, an influential adviser on planning policy to the government, spoke on the theme of Quality First, or how to build a Thames Gateway we would all like to live in.

Dr Williams said: "We want to make sustainable spaces - not just houses, we're aiming at quality and not just quantity"

The event, which attracted 120 delegates from a range of organisations, launched the UrbanBuzz networking project ‘Buzznet’, chaired by Programme Director David Cobb.
 
UrbanBuzz: Building Sustainable Communities is a two-year knowledge exchange programme led by University College London (UCL) in partnership with the University of East London (UEL). The programme is designed to bring academic knowledge to bear on the processes contributing to the development of sustainable communities, initially in London and the South East.
 
Projects currently in the pipeline include transport planning in London over the next 50 years in the context of global warming, real-time learning for community-based environmental projects, getting students involved in sustainability projects and using spatial planning to work out the shape of a sustainable London and South-East England.
 
For further information, visit www.urbanbuzz.org

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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