Posts on Urban Squares (+ see introduction to Urban Squares)
Beyond Green: Rethinking Nature in Urban Public Spaces Is the idea of nature relevant to public open space in urban areas? Yes. Should landscape architects be involved? Yes. But what, why, how and where can and should nature influence the …
Landscape architecture CPD: nature in urban public open spaces Read more »
Many thanks to Colin Moore for remembering Michael Brown’s work in a Merl blog post. Michael Brown’s office (in which Colin worked) produced the best UK housing landscape designs of the 1960s and 70s. The outdoor space was very well …
Michael Brown and the landscape architecture of housing Read more »
PPS.org has identified 10 Principles for Successful Squares. Though sensible they remind me of 10 Qualities That Make Him A Perfect Husband or ten qualities to make a Good Wife ‘smart, wise, beautiful, compassionate, funny, hard-working, aesthetically inspired, spiritual, passionately desirous‘. The …
Public Open Space parks, squares, landscape character assessment Read more »
Public open space needs to be assessed as a routine aspect of its planning, design and management. But how should it be done? This was the question Dr Ying Li took for her PhD research at the University of Greenwich …
Assessment of public open space POS squares piazzas parks SUPOS Read more »
Lewis Cubitt Park was designed by Townsend Landscape Architects as part of Argent’s 72 acre King’s Cross development in north London. About 40% of the land is privately owned public open space. Designed and managed in a different manner to …
St Andrew’s Square was built after 1772, as the first part of Edinburgh’s New Town, designed by James Craig. It was a private pleasure garden for use by local residents but was opened for public use in 2008. The old …
The space in front of King’s Cross was redesigned by Stanton Williams in 2010. Previously, it was occupied by a scrappy ticket hall which partly obscured Cubitt’s handsome 1852 station facade. Clearing the space was a wise choice. The open …
King’s Cross Square landscape architecture London Read more »
The 2012 re-design of Leicester Square by landscape architects Burns+Nice is working well. It was changed it from ‘just another London Square’ into the heart of a cinema district. But they could do with a big outdoor screen for showing the …
