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As anyone who has already been will tell you, Shaping Hamilton speakers just can’t be missed – like all great thinkers they’ll have you in stitches one moment only to inspire you in the next.
Our last session –‘Sustainable Urban Design in Hamilton’ - Dr Richard Simmons - Wednesday 7 September 2011
The centrepiece of Dr Simmons’ lecture was a case study of the design of the London 2012 Olympic Park and venues in East London, in which he and his former organisation CABE were closely involved.
Dr Simmons advocated the need for sustainability to be at the heart of all urban design practice. He offered a definition of urban design which is about more than just prettification, arguing that sustainable urban design has to be conceived at appropriate scales - the street, neighbourhood and city – to get the best results.
Based on the principles and actions which are embodied in the London 2012 success story, Dr Simmons looked at how learning from London 2012 might help to deal with some of the key issues facing Hamilton today:
Decentralisation of retailing and offices; The resulting changing role of the CBD; The provision of quality, distinctive public urban spaces; Ensuring key sites are appropriately marketed and developed; How to connect with and ensure that the Waikato River is used, celebrated and developed; Inner City living and provision of quality higher density housing.
Dr Richard Simmons has over 30 years experience in town planning, regeneration and urban design. He has led in central and local government, and in development corporations and regeneration companies, as well as serving on the boards of several regeneration partnerships.
Until March 2011 Richard was Chief Executive of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the UK government’s adviser on architecture, urban design and public space and the world leader in its field.
Before joining CABE, Richard was Director of Development and Environment at Medway Council, a local authority serving 250,000 in the Thames Gateway growth area east of London where riverside regeneration was one of his key roles.
He had previously led a regeneration company and worked on some of the UK’s largest regeneration projects – Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks in London Docklands. He started his career as a town planner working in east London and advising on regeneration in a government department.
View Dr Richard Simmons presentation (pdf format)
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