London (Re)generation AD: Architectural Design

The Bartlett’s Michael Batty, Matthew Carmona, Edward Denison, Murray Fraser, Matthew Gandy, and Hilary Powell all feature in current issue of Architectural Design, a lively, thought-provoking exploration of the contemporary regeneration of London, edited by David Littlefield.

 

Plans to regenerateEast Londonand transform the capital are integral to the vision of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This issue brings into focus notions of regeneration within the specific context ofLondon: what does the term actually mean, how has it been applied and is it being applied? Historical overviews of large-scale interventions from the past are combined with case studies of new and planned schemes, and explorations of how change and rejuvenation can retain or enhance the city’s unique sense of place and identity. Looking beyond the Games, the various contributions will look at the direction in which regeneration is going in a post-recession economy. How can a long-established, highly protected and even cherished city, likeLondon, continue to renew and expand? Unlike Chinese or Middle Eastern cities, London is constrained by a wide range of factors from heritage protection and geography to finance and democratic accountability; yet the city continues to grow, change and develop, either incrementally or through big, dramatic leaps, like the Olympic Park and King’s Cross. In this way,Londonprovides a fascinating case study of how a developed, Western city can negotiate and greet the pressures for change.

 Mike’s paper is called Urban Regeneration as Self-Organisation and we have posted it before – click here – and as soon as we get an online version, up it will go. His paper is on his www.complexcity.info weblog