Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square

Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square

by Nick Corbett

'Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square demonstrates the way in which local leaders have devised strategies guiding investment decisions that have significantly transformed urban areas. Nick Corbett has direct experience of delivering high quality public space, and this book is well illustrated with exciting case studies' Lord Rogers of Riverside, Chief Adviser to the Mayor of London

'I welcome Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square because it will give confidence to people who want to challenge the status quo in the design and management of public space. It demonstrates how a strategic approach can be developed to channel resources in a coherent way to transform the built environment' Jon Rouse, Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation
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Publication date: 11 November 2004

Binding: Paperback
Extent: 169 pages

ISBN: 1859461603
The city square has always been at the heart of public urban life. Governments around the world are encouraging city authorities to work with the private sector to regenerate by investing in urban design, and new city squares are providing the focus for this activity.

The various governmental, professional and corporate organisations involved with the design, development and management of public space have traditionally been divided into separate disciplines, resulting in a fragmented system characterized by communication gaps between the main stakeholders. A recent poll showed that almost a third of people did not visit public open spaces because they were afraid of crime. If the people responsible for the design and management of public space do not effectively communicate and cooperate with each other, it seems that the result on the ground could be further neglect and antisocial activity.

An urban transformation can be achieved through the design and management of public space, and Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square explains how to do it. It shows how to close the communication gaps through strategic leadership, management, and high-quality design – all to assist in the delivery of an urban renaissance. City squares are the focus of this book because they are the most intensively used public spaces. The story of the renaissance of Birmingham city centre is a seam that runs through the book and culminates with the detailed case study provided in chapter four.

This book will be of particular interest to those who make decisions about city development and their advisers, providing new insights into the value of urban design for new public spaces complementing the existing literature about urban design theory by showing how ideas can be realised on the ground, providing a bridge between theory and practice.

Urban design is about creating visually stimulating, safe, and sustainable settlements. By identifying the physical components that make good public spaces, and by championing closer working relationships between the main development players, the book shows how we can create a friendlier and smarter, city environment. Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square, fully illustrated throughout and based on real experience, is an important examination linking strategy and design to the delivery of a successful public urban realm.