Case studies and good practice
Case studies
RUDI's specialist team has, over the years, created detailed case studies relating to urban design projects around the world.We hope to provide many more such examples focusing on projects, case studies and works in progress, and we welcome any information that you would like to share with others on this site. Please contact us with your comments and case study suggestions.
Click here for a 'quick link' to an alphabetical listing, by place name, of case studies. Alternatively, browse the taster pages below for each case study and click on the hyperlink to access the full case study information.
We also publish 'in a nutshell' project overviews featuring project data supported by images, plans and drawings, where available. Projects may be of any type: streets, housing estates, parks, squares, walkways, waterfronts – any part of the built environment in any part of the world as long as it references points of interest.
We welcome submissions for this section, please contact RUDI for details.
A community adventure playground set within an historic park is providing space for natural play in an adventurous, exciting and imaginative setting An innovative new play space in Devonport, Plymouth, is helping to inject a new lease of life into an attractive but once under-used historic city park. Following a detailed consultation process with local stakeholders, the landscape team from Atkins has created a natural play area that is attracting families and inspiring young people from across the city.
By Pranali Parikh Derby’s Cathedral Green, a once underused green space in a rundown urban landscape, has been transformed into a lively waterfront venue. It’s also been a key for inward investment
In August 2007, the BBC announced: 'It's another big day in Derby's development as work starts on the £3.8m Cathedral Green, creating a modern new footbridge as well as seating and space for outside events. 'Two years later, Derby is proud to see the swing bridge nominated for the Prime Minister's award for Better Public Building.
Accessible, legible and walkable urban spaces, supported by a rich mix of urban uses, cycling routes, public transport and sustainable travel solutions, attract people and encourage activity.
A RUDI one-day event was held as part of the 2009 Transport Modelling Forum to explore a range of approaches, being developed by transport planners, urban designers and academics, that aim to understand how people move around and interact in towns and cities
By Lindsey Whitelaw Ashford’s shared space relies on layout and the language of materials rather than traditional highway traffic calming measures
Whitelaw Turkington's involvement began with a commission to put 'flesh on the bones' of the Town Centre Development Framework and Public Realm Strategy. The brief was to deliver a 'unique and distinctive' public realm for Ashford, raising the town's profile and setting a new standard for future development.
Open green space provides tangible benefits that developers should be able to take into account in their business plans Our first task was to gain a full understanding of the context, both in terms of the immediate site and the wider town of Waterlooville. We found that the existing town, while being surrounded by countryside, had little relationship to it. There were virtually no public open spaces or parks for residents to enjoy.
Both developer and designer have a vested interest in creating places that are socially and commercially viable for the longer term
In 2006, FCB Studios were appointed to work alongside Carey Jones Architects and Martha Schwartz Partners on the redesign of an approved outline design for the Wellington Place development, Leeds. Changing market conditions and new proposals for the surrounding west end of the city centre had led developer MEPC to reconsider its approach to the site.
Successful placemaking results from ‘designing in’ flexibility and adaptability, and
from uniting stakeholders with a long-term vision
Focusing stakeholder commitment on improved placemaking is one of the benefits of creating an Urban Framework Plan. KSA was appointed by Dundalk Town Council to prepare such a plan, with a brief that it should be flexible enough to adapt to changing retail, commercial and social trends. Obtaining a detailed understanding of a place is fundamental to establishing character.
An inventive townscape regeneration project in Burscough Bridge, a large village in Lancashire, has delivered an inspiring new public realm. Vision, innovation, craftsmanship, quality materials and partnership work together to underlie the project’s success The design partnership worked closely with West Lancashire District Council, Lancashire County Council, Burscough Parish Council, Lancashire County Council and a local community steering group. The community had clear preferences, with a new village clock being a top priority. The £1 million scheme, funded by West Lancashire Investors in Business Regeneration Programme (NWDA) also had the key objective of bringing about a dramatic change in how Burscough Bridge is perceived. watch the animation
RPS’s approach to delivering a low carbon project at Beechfield, Torquay, has involved acting on community feedback to meet high environmental and design standards and to minimise local impact, says Ruth Millington
Shared aspirations for this project, from client Sovereign Housing Association, working with Cavanna Homes and Torbay Council, include the delivery of an ‘exemplar’ sustainable, mixed tenure housing scheme. The sustainability targets set mean achieving the highest practical environmental standards; Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) levels 3 & 5. The project is expected to have a ‘wow’ factor; a landmark scheme that will trigger similar low carbon
developments in Torbay.
While the Greater Ellis Park area of Johannesburg is enjoying major regeneration
ripples from the 2010 World Cup, urban designer ASM has focused on re-connecting
and uplifting a community blighted by ‘apartheid’ planning practices
Albonico Sack Mzumara (ASM), an architectural and urban design practice based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was appointed by the Johannesburg Development Agency, in association with MMA Architects, to prepare an urban design framework and business plan for the city’s Greater Ellis Park development. With Ellis Park Stadium selected as one of the venues that will host the 2010 World Cup, the Greater Ellis Park precinct, an area housing many of the city’s sports complexes, has benefited from a ZAR 2 billion facelift (£145,000,000).
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