Strategy
Urban Planning in the High North
Bodø in Norway is a small city, with big plans for its future urban and economic development. The relocation of an existing NATO airbase and construction of a new passenger airport, will unlock approximately 350Ha of land and create a significant opportunity for the city. Through an Urban Planning Advisory Team organised by the International Society of City and Regional Planners, our Director led a peer review of the city’s spatial plans. Important themes were transport connectivity, emerging technology, urban realm improvements, regeneration of the harbour area, integrating new and old parts of the city, environmental efficiency. Urben subsequently produced an edition of Plan magazine for ISOCARP explaining more about the place and ideas for its long term growth. If you can, we recommend visiting Bodø preferably before (as well as during) 2024 when it will be the European Capital of Culture.
“Spatial planning is an important lever for promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life.
UNDP, in cooperation with the Palestinian Government, UN Habitat, ISOCARP and other local and international partners, is providing a platform for integrated planning that will guide recovery and reconstruction and allow for economic growth and increased resilience in Gaza.”
— Roberto Valent, UNDP
Building Back Better
In 2015 Urben Director Elizabeth Reynolds participated in an Urban Planning Advisory Team in the Gaza Strip. The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) arranged two parallel UPATs on behalf of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Habitat with the intention of undertaking a rapid, creative spatial visioning exercise. The team working within the Gaza Strip had a particular focus on building back better, as well as long term spatial planning. Local communities were asked about their daily lives and aspirations, including how they would visualise Gaza taking shape as a place in the long term. In the absence of public transport and with extremely high fuel costs, converting a former rail corridor to a priority walking and cycling space was also proposed as a potential low cost, short term urban design intervention. As an alternative to producing a technical report as a project deliverable, a magazine titled Plan was created by ISOCARP and edited by Urben.
Urbanism & Mobility
In September 2017 Urben Director Elizabeth Reynolds prepared and delivered urbanism training to graduates working at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. The training was arranged by the International Society of City and Regional Planners and part of ten modules intended to help young professionals from a range of built environment disciplines to understand contemporary issues in urbanism. Three modules were taught in an interactive workshop setting: Transport and Urban Mobility; Implementation Strategies; and Elements of a Successful City. Key themes included:
Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
Electrification and automation of vehicles.
Catalytic effects of introducing new forms of transport.
Retrofitting cities with new infrastructure.
Techniques for delivering major projects.
Tools for reimagining places.
Defining quality of life in cities.