suzanne

Around the world, cities claim that they are livable, that whatever they are constructing –iconic museums, high rise hotels, floating cities, mass housing  – they are doing it all in the name of livability. And, they argue, the more they construct, the more livable their cities become. But does this make a city truly livable? … Read more

By Suzanne H. Crowhurst Lennard STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING THE URBAN FOREST Parks are not the only way to increase the number of trees in the city, and the access to green areas. And indeed, the concept of the park – where it is, how large, what shape, and whether wild or cultivated – needs a … Read more

Suzanne H. Crowhurst Lennard, Ph.D.(Arch.) We urban planners need to stop creating a built environment that is making people sick and causing premature deaths. I am not talking here about the dangers of traffic or pollution, lack of healthy food, or damage to the eco-system. I am talking about how some of the most common … Read more

Lamine Mahdjoubi, Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of the West of England challenged the audience: “A lot of people say that a livable city is one that is livable for children. But as I am going to show, in cities around the world, children are disappearing from our urban environment. I will … Read more

Tjaša Ficko, Deputy Mayor of Ljubljana spoke at the Bristol Conference about why her city decided to apply to the competition to be a Green Capital of Europe, and what her city achieved that won it this prestigious award. Within five years, 2007 to 2012, Ljubljana created a pedestrian network in the city center, including … Read more

Patrick Condon, Professor and Chair of Urban Design at the University of British Columbia gave an insightful keynote speech at the Bristol IMCL Conference examining patterns of economic, state, corporate and planning power that lead to what he calls the “concentrated” city structure (e.g. Suzhou), or the “dispersed” city form (e.g Medellin) in which decisions … Read more

Well known to lovers of livable cities worldwide, Jan has spent his life studying people in the spaces between buildings – streets and squares. His goal – to understand how the architecture and design of a place facilitates positive social life, walkability and bikeability. He has consulted for cities around the world and taught the … Read more

By Suzanne H. Crowhurst Lennard, Ph.D.(Arch.), Director, IMCL WHY WE NEED TREES IN THE CITY We know intuitively that we need trees in our cities. They enhance the public realm, provide shade, cool the air in summer, frame our experience of the city, and make the city more beautiful. Most historic cities – especially in Europe … Read more

Photos from the Bristol Conference are now available on the website. If you were at the conference, I hope you will enjoy them, and they will bring back good memories. If you were not there, you are welcome to visit, and join us next year! Please click here.   The photos are of Bristol, Pre-Conference, … Read more