Smarter Urbanisation and Rapid Growth HFA March 2022June 2025 Cities need to change direction fast, if we are to satisfy our needs and retain social values. As the world tips towards the East, and to ‘mega cities’ of more than 10 million inhabitants, countries such as the UK need to offer better models for how to manage growth. The young and the poor feel squeezed out of the residential property markets. But we all complain of congestion, pollution and stress, despite the promised benefits of the Digital Revolution. What is to be done?
Growing Historic Cities September 2019July 2025 A symposium in Oxford’s Kellogg College drew members of the Historic Towns Forum ranging from St Albans to Wells and York, together with a large contingent from Oxford.The aim was to learn from success, and to debate the principles that would lead to sustainable or ‘smarter growth’ that does not outstrip infrastructure capacity. Presentations on Grenoble and Freiburg provided an international dimension, and Dr. Nicholas Falk, one of the co-organisers drew out lessons from four other European cities acclaimed by the Academy of Urbanism, including Montpellier and some Dutch examples.
Academy of Urbanism ‘Here & Now’ article series December 2018June 2025 A series of publications written by Nicholas Falk for the Academy of Urbanism’s Here & Now journal since 2015.
Investing in the green recovery June 2009July 2025 The 2009 Budget heralded the prospects for city regions and for introducing “innovative financing mechanisms to support locally driven investment in growth and regeneration”. This paper summarises arguments for enabling county councils and unitary authorities to raise finance to achieve new (and “greener”) housing and local economic development in the right places through infrastructure bonds and “quality deals”. It builds on the pamphlet Funding Sustainable Communities, which reviews the options, and on recent research projects into US and European experience with infrastructure funding and regeneration.
