VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

In tackling the crisis in affordable housing we must also address the existing condition of the city. Drawing lessons from three urban strategies in the London Boroughs of Brent and Haringey – the St Raphael Estate, the Selby Urban Village and the Broadwater Estate – this paper explores how repairing urban fabric can provide a catalyst for homes, but also a framework for realising long-term social and economic value. In the past decade, architecture and urban design practice has coalesced to recognise that monetary measurement alone is a poor tool for quantifying the value of participation in the city. In London, public-led housing programmes focus upon the legacy of post-war housing neighbourhoods where an earlier generation’s design theories have incubated isolation. In tackling this, the designer is urban seamstress, tailoring spatial retrofit to support more inclusive urban environments. A given site may be measured in how many units can be accommodated. However, making that site liveable is the process of recognising the value of what is already there, what is nearby and engineering connections between people and places, amenities and opportunities to promote social cohesion and support urban resilience. Incorporating the analysis of engagement, co-design processes, resident evidence bases and a variety of methods to creatively engage citizens and stakeholders, this study by Karakusevic Carson Architects will explore the development of three urban design frameworks. Featuring findings of more than three years of research, it will assess key components that promote resilient approaches to renewal with a focus on community wealth, climate, employment, health and wellbeing.