Design for London is the product of a unique experiment in urban planning, design and strategic thinking. Set up in 2006 by then-Mayor Ken Livingstone and his Architectural Advisor Richard Rogers, the brief for the team was “to think about London, what made London unique and how it could be made better.” At the time, large-scale state investment was often not an option, and political consensus was fragmented. In addition, cities, by their nature, are fashioned through complex negotiation and deal making that involves many different stakeholders with different agendas. All of these factors complicated the assignment—and made the resulting projects and ideas more interesting. This book aims to provide an engaging account of the strategic approaches and work of Design for London. It outlines how key projects such as the London Olympics, public space programmes, high street regeneration and greening programs were managed.
282 pages | 115 color plates | 6.14 x 9.21 | © 2020
Free digital open access editions are available to download from UCL Press.
Architecture: British Architecture
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Notes on Contributors
Acknowledgements
Foreword: Strategies for a Global City, Ken Livingstone
Foreword: London, a City of Beauty, a City for its Citizens, Richard Rogers
Introduction: Urban Interventions in a Time of Rapid Global Change, Peter Bishop
1. London the Unique City – The Establishment of the Architecture and Urbanism
Unit, Peter Bishop, Lara Kinneir and Mark Brearley
2. Design for London – An interesting but short life, Peter Bishop, Lara Kinneir
and Mark Brearley
3. High Street Places – Doing a lot with a little, Tobi Goevert and Adam Towle
4. Housing – How on earth did we pull that off? Richa Mukhtia
5. Peopled Landscapes, Peter Bishop
6. Opportunism on a grand scale – Using the Olympics as a catalyst for change,
Peter Bishop, Eleanor Fawcett and Esther Everett
7. Selling the Story – Promotion, publicity and procurement, Peter Bishop, Eva
Herr and Isabel Allen
8. Conclusions, Peter Bishop
Index
Notes on Contributors
Acknowledgements
Foreword: Strategies for a Global City, Ken Livingstone
Foreword: London, a City of Beauty, a City for its Citizens, Richard Rogers
Introduction: Urban Interventions in a Time of Rapid Global Change, Peter Bishop
1. London the Unique City – The Establishment of the Architecture and Urbanism
Unit, Peter Bishop, Lara Kinneir and Mark Brearley
2. Design for London – An interesting but short life, Peter Bishop, Lara Kinneir
and Mark Brearley
3. High Street Places – Doing a lot with a little, Tobi Goevert and Adam Towle
4. Housing – How on earth did we pull that off? Richa Mukhtia
5. Peopled Landscapes, Peter Bishop
6. Opportunism on a grand scale – Using the Olympics as a catalyst for change,
Peter Bishop, Eleanor Fawcett and Esther Everett
7. Selling the Story – Promotion, publicity and procurement, Peter Bishop, Eva
Herr and Isabel Allen
8. Conclusions, Peter Bishop
Index