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		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/A_new_capital_for_the_UK</id>
		<title>A new capital for the UK</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/A_new_capital_for_the_UK"/>
				<updated>2016-02-05T12:13:02Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Relocating the British capital out of London would regenerate the regions, save money, and perhaps even rescue the UK itself, writes architect James Dunnett.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-----&lt;br /&gt;
The mother of parliaments is in a parlous condition, physically if not democratically. The price of refurbishing the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Government in London, has been quoted at around an eye-watering £3 billion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Westminster270.jpg|link=File:Westminster270.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unsurprisingly, the question of relocation has been raised – and not for the first time. To mark the centenary of the proclamation moving the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi, I suggested that Britain might contemplate a similar move itself. This would be a means to counter effectively the spiraling drain of wealth and economic activity to the south-east corner of the country, and also to respond to growing separatist political movements by establishing a capital for the UK that was shared equally, being more geographically central. The suggestion was not that a new city be built on a green-field site, but that it be planted in a decayed urban area to give form and hope.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I proposed West Bromwich as a possible starting point for the search of such a site, being at the hub of the motorway network and with the high street having the highest vacancy rate in the country.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:West_bromwich.jpg|link=File:West_bromwich.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the past four years these considerations have become stronger – the disparity in income and property values between London and the rest of the country has continued to grow, as has support for separatist parties – and a further factor has been added, relatively minor in economic scale even if major in symbolic value: the £3 billion price tag (the Government has started a search for architects to convert temporarily an existing building nearby for use by Parliament while the projected five-year refurbishment takes place). This third factor in particular has prompted influential pundits such as National Trust Chair Simon Jenkins and Ian Jack to speculate that possibly Parliament should be relocated elsewhere, perhaps in the north of England.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
‘Nothing would do more to correct the metropolitan centralism of modern government’, writes Jenkins. ‘A regional move would reassert parliament as a popular congress of a united kingdom. It would be a gathering of the commons, not a colloquium of elites.’&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the conversation is always framed as a temporary, rather than a permanent move of the capital. During these four years some politicians have also spoken about the urgent need to ‘rebalance the economy’ in regional terms (Michael Heseltine), or proposed moving just the House of Lords to Leeds (Lord Adonis).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By contrast to these tentative proposals, the Egyptian Government announced in March 2015 its intention to build in as little as five to seven years ‘a brand new capital city …in undeveloped desert east of Cairo …with a new airport …Its main function would be to house government departments, ministries, and foreign embassies.’ This new city, being planned by SOM, ‘could be completed by 2020’.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The purpose would be broadly the same as for the UK: Cairo has a population of over 20 million which is expected to grow to 40 million by 2050, and something needs to be done to move growth elsewhere – even though it has been the capital of Egypt since AD969, which is longer than London has been the capital of England or the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On a rather longer timescale, it is noteworthy that in 1990 the Japanese Government resolved to investigate moving the political capital away from Tokyo. Since then reports have been written, parliamentary committees established and the issue progressed. One of the significant reasons for such a move is that it would be better to have the capital of government and the capital of business in different locations in the event of a catastrophic earthquake (or, one might add remembering Fukushima, nuclear power station meltdown provoked by an earthquake).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rather more rapidly, the capital of Germany was relocated from Bonn to Berlin following reunification in 1990. The largest commercial city in a country need not be the political capital: Amsterdam has never been the capital of the Netherlands, which is the Hague, and New York City has never even been the capital of New York State, which is Albany, despite its identity and self-perception.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of Lenin’s earliest acts was to move the capital of Russia from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the medieval capital – a move that the fall of Communism has brought no known calls to reverse. The Capital bespeaks the philosophy of a nation. It would be hoped that a new capital for the UK would reflect in its conception a new spirit of clarity and rationality in the thinking of its government, a readiness to plan, and an egalitarian outlook.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Le_corbusier.jpg|link=File:Le_corbusier.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Le Corbusier uniquely presented in his City of Three Million study of 1922, the image of such a city, paradoxically free of monumental buildings but dominated by those for administration, and by the constant calm horizontal of their skyline. The elements of urbanism, he said, were ‘light, space, greenery, steel and concrete – in that order.’&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Without geometry also there could be no order, no form, and no calm – a geometry he was to impose on the new capital of Punjab, Chandigarh. Of the two ‘capitals’ recently built in the UK – Canary Wharf, second capital of commerce, and the Olympic Park, capital of sport – the former has a clear geometric layout while the latter is formless. Lutyens’ New Delhi, planned 10 years earlier than the City of Three Million, had geometry and form, light, space, and greenery, and it excited Le Corbusier even if, focused on the Viceroy’s Lodge, it was far from egalitarian. That a city could be open to nature and embrace the sense of space and scale were ideals the two had in common.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They should inspire also a new Capital for the UK, without which no effective solution to rebalance the economy has yet emerged.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
--[[User:James_Dunnett|James Dunnett]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= Find out more =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Built environment.&lt;br /&gt;
* Densification.&lt;br /&gt;
* Designing smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Eco Town.&lt;br /&gt;
* Edge Debate 71 - Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?&lt;br /&gt;
* Garden cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Green belt.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed use development.&lt;br /&gt;
* Smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Tallest buildings in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
* The compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* Town and Country Planning Association.&lt;br /&gt;
* Urban design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== External references ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://jamesdunnettarchitects.com/ James Dunnett Architects]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Theory]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Garden_cities</id>
		<title>Garden cities</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Garden_cities"/>
				<updated>2016-02-05T12:12:19Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;= Introduction =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) suggest, that a garden city is a ‘holistically planned new settlement which enhances the natural environment, tackles climate change and provides high quality housing and locally accessible jobs in beautiful, healthy and sociable communities’.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They were described in Ebenezer Howard’s 1898 publication ‘To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform’ as having, ’...the advantages of the most energetic and active town life, with all the beauty and delight of the country...'&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Howard went on to become founder of the Garden City Association (now the Town and Country Planning Association) and by 1903 land had been purchased for the first Garden City at Letchworth. This was followed in 1919 by land acquisition for the creation of Welwyn Garden City. These projects were followed by the New Towns programme in the aftermath of the Second World War, which promoted the development of larger, 'new towns' such as Milton Keynes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Garden City idea has remained popular, and the TCPA suggest that 21st Century Garden City principles include:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Land value capture for the benefit of the community.&lt;br /&gt;
* Strong vision, leadership and community engagement.&lt;br /&gt;
* Community ownership of land and long-term stewardship of assets.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed-tenure homes and housing types that are affordable for ordinary people.&lt;br /&gt;
* A strong local jobs offer in the Garden City itself, with a variety of employment opportunities within easy commuting distance of homes.&lt;br /&gt;
* Beautifully and imaginatively designed homes with gardens, combining the very best of town and country living to create healthy homes in vibrant communities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Generous green space linked to the wider natural environment, including a surrounding belt of countryside to prevent sprawl, well connected and biodiversity rich public parks, and a mix of public and private networks of well-managed, high-quality gardens, tree-lined streets and open spaces.&lt;br /&gt;
* Opportunities for residents to grow their own food, including generous allotments.&lt;br /&gt;
* Strong local cultural, recreational and shopping facilities in walkable neighbourhoods.&lt;br /&gt;
* Integrated and accessible transport systems – with a series of settlements linked by rapid transport providing a full range of employment opportunities (as set out in Howard’s vision of the ‘Social City’).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ref [http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/garden-cities.html TCPA Creating Garden Cities and Suburbs Today].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= Locally-led Garden Cities =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The supply of new homes remains a key priority for the UK government, and in April 2014, it published the [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/303324/20140414_Locally-led_Garden_Cities_final_signed.pdf Locally-led Garden Cities] prospectus which set out a broad support package for local authorities to develop garden cities. The prospectus is aimed at providing guidance for proposals which must be locally-led, include at least 15,000 homes and be supported by existing residents.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Local authorities with an interest are invited to put forward ideas:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* For how they would like to develop garden cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* How they wish to make use of the existing central-government funding and support.&lt;br /&gt;
* What else they require in terms of freedoms, flexibilities and support to make new garden cities a reality.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More than £1 billion in funding is being provided between 2015 and 2020 and it is hoped that this will deliver up to 250,000 homes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The government is offering a variety of support, depending on the requirements of the local authority:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Brockerage: Support in working across government with the Homes and Communities Agency to co-ordinate partners to overcome potential barriers.&lt;br /&gt;
* Direct planning: Support is on offer from the Advisory Team for Large Applications in the Homes and Communities Agency, who can assist with the planning and design process.&lt;br /&gt;
* Capacity funding: Available for support at the local level to help with the detailed development and implementation of new proposals.&lt;br /&gt;
* Capital funding: The government will work with local partners to identify private sector funding options which could include bids into existing funding programmes which the government will facilitate.&lt;br /&gt;
* Freedoms and flexibilities: Any assistance with freedoms and flexibilities that may help with the development of garden cities are invited.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There is an ongoing invitation for the expression of interest with no fixed deadline via the Department for Communities and Local Government.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, it was announced that two new ‘garden towns’ were being supported with £1.1 million funding. The proposals for Didcot in Oxfordshire and for North Essex will provide up to 50,000 new homes by 2031. Other government-recognised ‘garden town’ projects include; Ebbsfleet in Kent, Bicester in Oxfordshire, Basingstoke and North Northants. See Garden towns for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= Find out more =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki. ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A new capital for the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
* British post-war mass housing.&lt;br /&gt;
* Changing lifestyles in the built environment.&lt;br /&gt;
* CIBSE Case Study: Garden City.&lt;br /&gt;
* Code for sustainable homes.&lt;br /&gt;
* Compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* Creating strong communities – measuring social sustainability in new housing development.&lt;br /&gt;
* Densification.&lt;br /&gt;
* Eco Town.&lt;br /&gt;
* Edge Debate 71 - Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?&lt;br /&gt;
* Favela.&lt;br /&gt;
* Garden town.&lt;br /&gt;
* Green belt.&lt;br /&gt;
* Green deal.&lt;br /&gt;
* Home Quality Mark.&lt;br /&gt;
* Housing standards review.&lt;br /&gt;
* Lyons Housing Review.&lt;br /&gt;
* Masterplanning.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed use development.&lt;br /&gt;
* Passivhaus.&lt;br /&gt;
* Smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Terraced houses and the public realm.&lt;br /&gt;
* The compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* Town and Country Planning Association.&lt;br /&gt;
* Urban design.&lt;br /&gt;
* Zero carbon homes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== External references ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-offers-support-for-locally-led-garden-cities Government offers support for locally-led garden cities].&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/303324/20140414_Locally-led_Garden_Cities_final_signed.pdf Locally-led Garden Cities].&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/garden-cities.html Town and Country Planning Association Garden Cities.]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:History]] [[Category:Theory]] [[Category:Policy]] [[Category:Sustainability]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Edge_Debate_71_-_Can_decentralisation_solve_the_housing_crisis%3F</id>
		<title>Edge Debate 71 - Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Edge_Debate_71_-_Can_decentralisation_solve_the_housing_crisis%3F"/>
				<updated>2016-02-05T12:12:01Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Edge_debate.jpg|link=File:Edge_debate.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 3rd February 2016, the 71st Edge Debate was held at the offices of Ramboll UK in Southwark with the aim of examining different approaches to solving the housing crisis.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Edge is a campaigning built-environment think tank. Its 71’st debate, ‘Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?’ hinged on the continuing focus of the UK’s political, economic and cultural activity on London, and the amazing employment opportunities that this creates, but contrasted this with the unassailable fact that there is a housing crisis which is driving young adults out of the capital.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The debate set out to consider whether this is a desirable or sustainable situation, or whether more effort should be made to either ‘densify’ London, or to increase activity in other parts of the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Luke Raikes, from think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), spoke about their 2014 report ‘Decentralisation Decade’ and the need for cross-party support to try to tackle the North-South divide by pushing power out and away from Whitehall. Raikes asserted that not only is it impossible for northern cities to emulate London, now a truly global city, its high unemployment and poverty actually makes it an unattractive model.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to the IPPR, George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse initiative, whilst being a positive start, requires a more sophisticated approach, building on existing assets, with more investment in research and development and the creation of high-quality jobs and education.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The architect and researcher James Dunnett spoke about his proposal to move Parliament and central government out of London completely. His report ‘A New Centre of Growth for the UK’, explores relocating the machinery of government to another city, or to a new city, dramatically altering the economic geography of the country. He cited the fact that the population of London is far higher, proportionally, than the largest cities of countries such as Italy or the US - 13% as opposed to 4.3% (Rome) and 2.6% (New York City).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With tongue firmly in cheek, he proposed West Bromwich as the place most suited in terms of available space and locality, and in most need of rejuvenation, for a new capital to be ‘superimposed’, inspired by Le Corbusier’s plans for Paris.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
John Sampson, an urban designer and project manager at URBED (Urbanism, Environment and Design), a specialist in urban design and sustainability, spoke about the need to support growth in other regional cities across the UK. He highlighted Sheffield’s current ambitious targets for 14% growth per decade, translating into 5,000 new homes a year and generating 70,000 new jobs. He also discussed the ideas from URBED’s Wolfson Prize-winning entry ‘Uxcester’ that was proposed as a new garden city extension to existing urban centres, in a process termed ‘green field accretion’.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Finally, urban designer and masterplanner Kathryn Firth suggested that since London was likely to remain the centre of economic and cultural activity, local solutions to the capital’s unique challenges are still required. A former Chief of Design at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), Firth claimed that intensification didn’t necessarily mean building high-rise, and that there were more creative and inventive ways of using space in London more effectively, even just by raising buildings in certain areas to two storeys, utilising the space above shops and supermarkets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She spoke about the potential for more ‘shared’ ways of living and occupying our cities, and cited custom-build projects, such as Trevenson Park in Cornwall, and co-housing schemes such as Springhill in Stroud, as examples of innovative solutions that could better serve inhabitants in high-density areas without infringing on privacy or quality of life.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Contributions from the audience focused on the effect the housing crisis is having on young people and whether there is the political will, or the money to develop cities outside of the south east.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= Find out more =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A new capital for the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
* Densification.&lt;br /&gt;
* Devolution.&lt;br /&gt;
* Garden cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed use development.&lt;br /&gt;
* National planning policy framework NPPF.&lt;br /&gt;
* [[w/index.php?title=W/index.php%3Ftitle%3DW/index.php%3Ftitle%3DW/index.php%3Ftitle%3DRedefining_density,_making_the_best_use_of_Londons_land_to_build_more_and_better_homes%26action%3Dedit%26redlink%3D1%26action%3Dedit%26redlink%3D1%26action%3Dedit%26redlink%3D1&amp;amp;action=edit&amp;amp;redlink=1|Redefining density]].&lt;br /&gt;
* Sustainable development.&lt;br /&gt;
* The compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* The future of the green belt.&lt;br /&gt;
* The London Plan.&lt;br /&gt;
* Urban design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Organisations]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:News]] [[Category:Property_development]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Densification</id>
		<title>Densification</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Densification"/>
				<updated>2016-02-05T12:11:25Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;[[File:Densification.jpg|link=File:Densification.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More than half the planet's population lives in cities, and this figure is predicted to rise to more than 70% by the second half of the century. During the same period, human population will have increased by two billion.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As people have tended to move from rural to urban areas, and the boundaries of those urban areas have been constrained by policies such as the protection of the green belt, so those areas have become more densely occupied, with buildings expanding upwards and downwards, green areas and brownfield sites being developed and homes becoming more compact and closer together.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
British architect Richard Rogers, points out that in England, in 1800, just 10% of the population lived in towns and cities, now the figure is 90%, and our population is projected to increase to 62 million by 2035. He suggests it is short sighted to imagine we can sustain anything other than compact lifestyles. See Compact sustainable city for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Densification is a term used by planners, designers, developers and theorists to describe the increasing density of people living in urban areas.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are number of methods by which urban density can be measured, including:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Floor area ratio: Total building floor area divided by the area of the land buildings are built on.&lt;br /&gt;
* Residential density: Number of dwelling units in a given area.&lt;br /&gt;
* Population density: Number of people in a given area.&lt;br /&gt;
* Employment density: Number of jobs in a given area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Advocates of densification argue that the denser a city, the more sustainable it is, since dense cities use less energy per person than suburban or rural areas where people are spread over a wider distance and so travel more often and further. It is also argued that less waste is produced by dense cities as smaller spaces take less energy to heat and cool and use fewer resources to fit out. In addition, the level of infrastructure and supply chain coordination can be more efficient in areas of high density.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Policies that encourage densification generally also provide for the protection of communities and green and public spaces. Home to over 13 million people, Tokyo is often used as an example of positive densification with a small proportion of high rise construction; an answer to critics who believe that densification necessarily leads to an increase in the number of tower blocks. Advocates suggest the aim should be better organisation and finding ways to increase shared space.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
High-density living can be extremely desirable, as the New Town in Edinburgh and Kensington in London demonstrate. Both have at least 250 dwellings per hectare, and yet are extremely expensive and highly sought after. In our most attractive villages and market towns it is the older houses clustered at higher densities in the centre that achieve the highest prices. Building at 50 homes to the hectare and above has created the attractive spaces we like best. At below 50 homes per hectare, it is hard to keep shops, buses, doctors, nurseries and schools within walking distance. The less dense our cities are, the further they sprawl, the worse the traffic problems are.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Traditional southern European towns and villages can have double, triple or even quadruple the density of a typical English town. Continental cities are also built at a much higher density.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Despite this, in 2010, the government’s Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) was revised to remove the national indicative minimum density of 30 dwellings per hectare to give local authorities the '…flexibility to set density ranges that suit the local needs' a position that was re-stated in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in 2012.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Critics suggest that densification means reducing the private space of inhabitants and point to the fact that, whilst around 50% of the global population lives in cities, they account for more than 75% of the consumption of non-renewable resources, and create around three quarters of global pollution. They also point to the fact that since 1900 our cities have actually become less dense and more extensive.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The successful development of urban areas requires consideration of more than just density and planning policy, rather it needs integrated consideration of; governance and growth, urban development and infrastructure, environment and natural resources, and society and community. See Smart cities for more information.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A Savills Research Report to the Cabinet Office, [http://pdf.euro.savills.co.uk/uk/residential---other/completing-london-s-streets-080116.pdf Completing London’s Streets, How the regeneration and intensification of housing estates could increase London’s supply of homes and benefit residents], published on 7 January 2016, compared two methods of redeveloping social housing estates in London; replacing the existing site with new blocks and towers in a similar layout but higher density (contemporary regeneration) or reintegrating the estates into the surrounding urban fabric (complete streets). They found that the complete streets approach creates greater opportunities for mixed use development and integration into the wider city, resulting in better life chances. Publication of the report coincided with a pledge by David Cameron to tackle social deprivation and poverty by transforming ‘sink estates’ around the country. See Sink estate regeneration plans.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
= Find out more =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* A new capital for the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
* Built environment.&lt;br /&gt;
* Designing smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Edge Debate 71 - Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?&lt;br /&gt;
* Favela.&lt;br /&gt;
* Fourth annual planning survey.&lt;br /&gt;
* Garden cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed use development.&lt;br /&gt;
* Public space.&lt;br /&gt;
* Redefining density, making the best use of London’s land to build more and better homes.&lt;br /&gt;
* Skyscraper.&lt;br /&gt;
* Smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Tallest buildings in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
* The compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* The future of the green belt.&lt;br /&gt;
* Top 10 skyscrapers located in the UAE.&lt;br /&gt;
* Urban design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:International]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Theory]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

	<entry>
		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/A_new_capital_for_the_UK</id>
		<title>A new capital for the UK</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/A_new_capital_for_the_UK"/>
				<updated>2016-02-05T12:10:08Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: Created page with &amp;quot;Relocating the British capital out of London would regenerate the regions, save money, and perhaps even rescue the UK itself, writes architect James Dunnett.  ----- The mother of...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;Relocating the British capital out of London would regenerate the regions, save money, and perhaps even rescue the UK itself, writes architect James Dunnett.&lt;br /&gt;
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The mother of parliaments is in a parlous condition, physically if not democratically. The price of refurbishing the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Government in London, has been quoted at around an eye-watering £3 billion.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:Westminster270.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Unsurprisingly, the question of relocation has been raised – and not for the first time. To mark the centenary of the proclamation moving the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi, I suggested that Britain might contemplate a similar move itself. This would be a means to counter effectively the spiraling drain of wealth and economic activity to the south-east corner of the country, and also to respond to growing separatist political movements by establishing a capital for the UK that was shared equally, being more geographically central. The suggestion was not that a new city be built on a green-field site, but that it be planted in a decayed urban area to give form and hope.&lt;br /&gt;
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I proposed West Bromwich as a possible starting point for the search of such a site, being at the hub of the motorway network and with the high street having the highest vacancy rate in the country.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:West bromwich.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
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In the past four years these considerations have become stronger – the disparity in income and property values between London and the rest of the country has continued to grow, as has support for separatist parties – and a further factor has been added, relatively minor in economic scale even if major in symbolic value: the £3 billion price tag (the Government has started a search for architects to convert temporarily an existing building nearby for use by Parliament while the projected five-year refurbishment takes place). This third factor in particular has prompted influential pundits such as National Trust Chair Simon Jenkins and Ian Jack to speculate that possibly Parliament should be relocated elsewhere, perhaps in the north of England.&lt;br /&gt;
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‘Nothing would do more to correct the metropolitan centralism of modern government’, writes Jenkins. ‘A regional move would reassert parliament as a popular congress of a united kingdom. It would be a gathering of the commons, not a colloquium of elites.’&lt;br /&gt;
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But the conversation is always framed as a temporary, rather than a permanent move of the capital. During these four years some politicians have also spoken about the urgent need to ‘rebalance the economy’ in regional terms (Michael Heseltine), or proposed moving just the House of Lords to Leeds (Lord Adonis).&lt;br /&gt;
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By contrast to these tentative proposals, the Egyptian Government announced in March 2015 its intention to build in as little as five to seven years ‘a brand new capital city …in undeveloped desert east of Cairo …with a new airport …Its main function would be to house government departments, ministries, and foreign embassies.’ This new city, being planned by SOM, ‘could be completed by 2020’.&lt;br /&gt;
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The purpose would be broadly the same as for the UK: Cairo has a population of over 20 million which is expected to grow to 40 million by 2050, and something needs to be done to move growth elsewhere – even though it has been the capital of Egypt since AD969, which is longer than London has been the capital of England or the UK.&lt;br /&gt;
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On a rather longer timescale, it is noteworthy that in 1990 the Japanese Government resolved to investigate moving the political capital away from Tokyo. Since then reports have been written, parliamentary committees established and the issue progressed. One of the significant reasons for such a move is that it would be better to have the capital of government and the capital of business in different locations in the event of a catastrophic earthquake (or, one might add remembering Fukushima, nuclear power station meltdown provoked by an earthquake).&lt;br /&gt;
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Rather more rapidly, the capital of Germany was relocated from Bonn to Berlin following reunification in 1990. The largest commercial city in a country need not be the political capital: Amsterdam has never been the capital of the Netherlands, which is the Hague, and New York City has never even been the capital of New York State, which is Albany, despite its identity and self-perception.&lt;br /&gt;
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One of Lenin’s earliest acts was to move the capital of Russia from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the medieval capital – a move that the fall of Communism has brought no known calls to reverse. The Capital bespeaks the philosophy of a nation. It would be hoped that a new capital for the UK would reflect in its conception a new spirit of clarity and rationality in the thinking of its government, a readiness to plan, and an egalitarian outlook.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[File:Le corbusier.jpg]]&lt;br /&gt;
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Le Corbusier uniquely presented in his City of Three Million study of 1922, the image of such a city, paradoxically free of monumental buildings but dominated by those for administration, and by the constant calm horizontal of their skyline. The elements of urbanism, he said, were ‘light, space, greenery, steel and concrete – in that order.’&lt;br /&gt;
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Without geometry also there could be no order, no form, and no calm – a geometry he was to impose on the new capital of Punjab, Chandigarh. Of the two ‘capitals’ recently built in the UK – Canary Wharf, second capital of commerce, and the Olympic Park, capital of sport – the former has a clear geometric layout while the latter is formless. Lutyens’ New Delhi, planned 10 years earlier than the City of Three Million, had geometry and form, light, space, and greenery, and it excited Le Corbusier even if, focused on the Viceroy’s Lodge, it was far from egalitarian. That a city could be open to nature and embrace the sense of space and scale were ideals the two had in common.&lt;br /&gt;
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They should inspire also a new Capital for the UK, without which no effective solution to rebalance the economy has yet emerged.&lt;br /&gt;
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--[[User:James_Dunnett|James Dunnett]]&lt;br /&gt;
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= Find out more =&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Built environment.&lt;br /&gt;
* Densification.&lt;br /&gt;
* Designing smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Eco Town.&lt;br /&gt;
* Edge Debate 71 - Can decentralisation solve the housing crisis?&lt;br /&gt;
* Garden cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Green belt.&lt;br /&gt;
* Mixed use development.&lt;br /&gt;
* Skyscraper.&lt;br /&gt;
* Smart cities.&lt;br /&gt;
* Tallest buildings in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
* The compact sustainable city.&lt;br /&gt;
* Town and Country Planning Association.&lt;br /&gt;
* Urban design.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== External references ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://jamesdunnettarchitects.com/ James Dunnett Architects]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Research_/_Innovation]] [[Category:Theory]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

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		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/File:Le_corbusier.jpg</id>
		<title>File:Le corbusier.jpg</title>
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				<updated>2016-02-05T12:09:37Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
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		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

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		<id>https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/File:West_bromwich.jpg</id>
		<title>File:West bromwich.jpg</title>
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				<updated>2016-02-05T12:07:47Z</updated>
		
		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;James Dunnett: &lt;/p&gt;
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		<author><name>James Dunnett</name></author>	</entry>

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