Designing Cities Year 2

BA Designing Cities

Tutors: Giulio Verdini and Luz Navarro

Giulio Verdini is Reader in Urban Planning and Course Leader of the BA Designing Cities. He is the Co-convener of the Emerging Territories Research Group.

Luz Navarro is Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design. She is a member of the Emerging Territories Research Group.

Climate Urbanism Studio

The climate urbanism studio investigates how to build up climate-resilient local areas, exploring ways to improve the provision and quality of green urban spaces in contemporary cities. Our Climate Urbanism Studio employs an integrated analytical and design framework to understand and map city vulnerabilities to address collaboratively complex urban challenges, and produces meanwhile scenarios of resilience and inclusive design explorations at the local level.

The case study selected this year is located in the Lower Lea Valley, in east London. Due to its very fragmented nature, being comprised of mixed residential areas, with some problems of social deprivation, and large- scale industrial areas, the area has remained relatively untouched by the large property developments of the London Docks, but equally has been affected by the Olympic Games regeneration project to the north. Since then, a framework for a new linear park along the river Lea was proposed but never fully implemented. Owing to its location between the boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, the area has been considered a ‘backyard’ historically, without being politically relevant. However, nowadays this area has been reconsidered as an important ecological resource with the potential to reinforce its role as a key social and environmental infrastructure for the surrounding residential areas.

Students have therefore worked on proposals to provide resilient and green solutions for the future of the river area. In particular, they have referred to the Newham Citizens Assembly report ‘Greening the Borough’ aiming to: encourage physical and digital access to green space; implement community projects around green space and well-being; support the development of green infrastructures networks, pockets of green, and the re- wilding of existing areas. Students’ work gives voices to local people and explores transformative strategic inter ventions while providing concrete solutions for greening the borough.

Archive of Designing Cities Year 2’s work from previous years:

BA Designing Cities Y2 2018-2019

BA Designing Cities Y2 2020-2021

BA Designing Cities Y2 2021-2022