The urban design interview
The urban design interview with Amanda Reynolds
What is your current job and how long have you been there?
My current ‘job’ is more of a new life as I have just begun my own urban design consultancy since leaving Llewelyn Davies Yeang – Amanda Reynolds Urbanism - and even though it is only 3 months old, I’m hoping it’ll go on and on.
Can you describe the path that you followed to become an urban designer and what motivated you?
I was born an urban designer by instinct I think, although it took me a few decades to figure out how to be one. Despite, or perhaps because of, being brought up in a low-density beachside suburb, I was always fascinated by cities. Sydney and Melbourne were great places to visit as an architecture student. Travelling through the US and Central America in my twenties I absorbed a lot of what did and didn’t work in terms of good place-making, but was still focused on architecture. Arriving in London, I found a place where architecture was immediately less important (some would still disagree) than the relationships between the forms – it seemed to be called urban design and it felt like home.
What do you find exciting about your work?
Cities are our greatest invention, the best and worst expression of people’s ability to work together. Feeling confident about making successful places is pretty exciting.
What do you think are the most important skills of an urban designer?
My response to people who ask ‘what on earth is urban design?’ has always been “It’s a simple combo of politics and colouring-in”. A bit trite perhaps, but basically we have to have a clear vision, be able to express that vision (draw it), then sell it - no brilliant urban design scheme is any good parked in a CAD file or in a drawer, we either need to be or work with good politicians in all senses of the word, who can get things done. Process is as important as product – politics and colouring-in both matter!
What would you like to be doing in ten years’ time?
Hanging out in a fantastic finished ‘urban design’ product around London.
As an urban designer, do you have a role model?
No, not really, I think we’re still inventing what it is that urban designers do and how we work, but there are a number of people whose work and activities I admire. I owe a lot to my father who was an old-style architect-planner and worked in the UK for Berthold Lubetkin as well as Coventry City Council in the 1940-50s; Jane Jacobs was a great inspiration as a student; new ideas coming out of ‘planet-saving’ challenges outside the UK look really interesting; and I also really enjoy Sir Terry Farrell who keeps pushing grand visions, like his ‘Green Thames’ scheme. It is important to keep reminding ourselves that we have to aim for almost unattainable visions, in order to get simple things done better – and I love the idea of islands in the mouth of the Thames.
If you were to recommend an urban design scheme or study (past or present) for an award, what would you chose?>
Pompeii, because it is a fantastic ‘live’ study of how good urban form hasn’t changed much in a few thousand years, or the Victorian/Edwardian builder’s pattern-book terrace house grid development – but we don’t seem to be doing as well in many of our new developments. Not that we want to slavishly replicate, but there are certainly some lessons there.
Where is your favourite town or city and why?
My constant favourite is of course London, the inherent conflicts in a city dripping with both ancient history and developer dosh, and which is working on self-renewal cannot be but exciting to an urban designer – planning processes nothwithstanding. But my favourite ‘adrenalin city’ is Tokyo – stimulation overload is guaranteed and almost none of its lessons can be usefully applied to a mixed-use urban extension in Essex…
Where is your most hated place and why?
This is a tough question, I always respond to grim urbanity by immediately trying to figure out how to fix it, hence it is hard to have a ‘proper’ holiday, as the urban design bit of my brain is absorbing and redesigning whatever place I go to. I do however struggle with my home town of Auckland in New Zealand. It has some of the greatest urban potential and worst urban built form and public realm to be found, with a particularly awful city centre ringed by impenetrable motorways and dire public transport, yet all set on a fantastic harbour and wonderful pile of old volcanoes with a terrific heritage of Victorian timber architecture. I’m hoping that the steady stream of emigrating urban designers from Europe will fix it. Also, at risk of annoying Italians, I think Rome is rubbish – overrated and treated with disdain by its populace, its quality of public realm is atrocious, and that includes the Vatican. Romans and the world deserve better.
What advice would you give to UD readers?
Two things: work towards bold visions, and improve the quality of the every day – the street, square or park that we all inhabit should be a pleasure to walk through.
What should the Urban Design Group be doing now or in the future?
Raising the profile of urban design, getting involved in the big political issues about our cities’ futures.
Finally, who would you like to see interviewed by UD?
The Mayor of London and high-profile developers – how are they dealing with urban design?
Louise Thomas
