Click here to subscribe to the LSE Cities newsletter
Newsletter | Issue 12: Autumn 2011
Urban Age Hong Kong: Cities, Health and Well-being | 16-17 November 2011
Urbanisation is associated with improvements in income levels and health outcomes. At the same time, the pressures of urban growth have contributed to the emergence of stark social and health inequalities in cities of the developed and developing world. The Urban Age Hong Kong conference explores urban health at both regional and global levels, with a focus on health and well-being implications of urban density, its planning and design.
Key speakers attending the conference include Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development, Hong Kong Government; York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health, Hong Kong Government; Joan Clos, Executive Director UN-HABITAT; Gonzalo Navarette, Mayor of Lo Prado and former Vice Secretary for Health, Chile; Detlev Ganten, President of the World Health Summit; Sharon Friel, Professor of Epidemiology, Australian National University; Reiner de Graaf, OMA Partner and AMO Director; Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University; Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities; and Andrew Altman, CEO, Olympic Park Legacy Company.
For an extended list of speakers and programme outline, please visit the conference webpage.
The tale of two regions: launch of new LSE Cities research publication
LSE Cities’ new study The tale of two regions, which compares the metropolitan areas of South East England and the Randstad in Holland, was launched in September in the Hague. Read more about the publication or view the event page. How can European cities establish a healthier metabolism, while still maintaining economic growth? How can regional authorities promote access to both jobs and green for all income groups? How should planners respond to moderate economic growth or even decline?
LSE Cities and the Olympic Park Legacy Company hold Sustainable Energy Roundtable
LSE Cities organised a roundtable event for the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) on 13-14 October on the topic of innovative and sustainable energy and transport. The event brought together 43 experts from academia, local government and industry, including London 2012 Partners, to discuss topics including: integrated energy strategies for urban developments, the role of ‘smart grids’, and the future of urban transport systems and technologies. The discussions helped inform the OPLC of potential opportunities in these areas for the future of the Olympic Park. See the event's page for more information.
Urbanized: Upcoming screening of Gary Hustwit’s new documentary at LSE
‘Urbanized’, a new film by Gary Hustwit featuring LSE Cities Director Ricky Burdett, will be screened at LSE’s Sheikh Zayed Theatre on 21 October at 18:30. The film will be followed by a discussion with director Gary Hustwit, Ricky Burdett, Alejandro Aravena (architect, Elemental), and more TBA. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the event’s page.
Urban regeneration and social sustainability: video online
The video from the June book launch of Urban regeneration and social sustainability is now online. Chaired by Anne Power, the authors and respondents discuss best practice in sustainable urban regeneration in five major cities in Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. Click here to watch the video.
New research to be launched at Urban Age Hong Kong
LSE Cities will launch several research projects alongside the upcoming Urban Age Conference in Hong Kong. A major qualitative research initiative in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong examines information yielded from focus groups of Hong Kong residents in various age categories and neighbourhoods, to build a comprehensive picture of Hong Kong from the inside out. The results of this study will be published alongside essays from LSE Cities’ experts in a newspaper to accompany to conference.
Metropolitan well-being study
New metropolitan scale data for health will be showcased across 129 cities around the world.
Metropolitan Density
Dramatic new diagrams demonstrate the footprint of metropolitan density around the world.
Mapping Hong Kong
New maps of Hong Kong show population density alongside social and health indicators, compared with detailed urban morphology.
Designing Hong Kong
In partnership with Joshua Bolchover’s team at the University of Hong Kong, LSE Cities presents design analysis of three Hong Kong neighbourhoods, focusing on quality of life and well-being.
The tale of two regions: a comparison between the metropolitan areas of South East England and the Randstad in Holland
How can we make cities with a ‘regional DNA’ better? What can we learn from our neighbours? LSE Cities, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the Directorate General for National Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment have performed research into these questions, comparing London and the Randstad. The research suggests that regional narratives are vital for mobilizing action and creating metropolitan identities. Strategic plans to guide development over a medium-to-long term can be used as ways to visualize and discuss these narratives and provide a framework for local action. Download the full report or read more.
Grosvenor Estate project – Resiliance and urban form
The ‘Resilient Urban Form and Governance’ project run by Juliet Davis at LSE Cities has been funded by Grosvenor since mid-2011. Its aim is to consider the potential role of long term perspectives in the financing and planning of urban development in creating ‘resilient’ urbanism for the future. It does so by learning from the past, through a comparative analysis of governance arrangements which enabled the economies and uses of globally distributed urban areas first planned between 300 and 30 years ago to be cultivated, sustained and adapted over time.
LSE Cities job vacancy: Research Fellow, Urban Governance
LSE Cities is seeking a Research Fellow to lead research that will improve our understanding of the links between city and metropolitan governance and the built environment. The post-holder will develop and lead a programme of interdisciplinary, innovative and international research under the theme of Urban Governance focusing on one or several of the following areas: local and institutional accountability; management of public services, including transport and infrastructure sustainable cities and planning; formal and informal development; investment, design and infrastructure. Read more.
Update from the Cities Programme
29 students (one part-time) have joined the MSc City Design and Social Science this year, coming as usual from a range of national and professional backgrounds and bringing many different skills and experiences with them. Suzanne Hall is now Lecturer in the Cities Programme, and will be leading the City Design Research Studio with Cities Programme director Fran Tonkiss, as well as teaching on the core Cities by Design Course convened by Ricky Burdett. The annual field trip is being planned for March 2012 and the destination (currently a rumour) will be confirmed shortly.
The Hidden Future of Cities
Alex Steffen, Urban Futurist – Friday, Oct 21, 1:00pm, Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE
Alex Steffen uses real-world examples and big-picture research to show us that a brighter, greener future is ours to choose. His most recent work is Carbon Zero, a book describing cities that create prosperity not climate change, accelerating their economies while reducing their climate emissions to zero.
Public City: an exploration of the Barbican and its urban milieu
The MSC City Design and Social Science studio focus this year is ‘Public City: an exploration of the Barbican and its urban milieu’. The studio is convened by Suzi Hall and Fran Tonkiss, and explores the question of how public space and public culture is constituted in a rapidly changing city.
Urban@LSE holds reception for new academic year
On Friday 7 October the annual Urban@LSE welcome reception was held on the top floor of the New Academic Building, giving MSc and PhD students, faculty and researchers involved in urban-related study and research across LSE the chance to meet each other and to introduce new students to LSE’s centres for urban research.