Matthew Carmona: Urban design adds value
"Quality public spaces enhance the economic and social value of their surroundings." This is the idea popularized by Professor Matthew Carmona, one of the most prominent academics today engaged in urban planning. On how quality design of streets and squares can influence a city’s prosperity or contribute to its ecological sustainability, Carmona will speak in a lecture "Urban design adds value" at the Czech Technical University in Prague on Thursday, September 24, at 6:00 PM.
"We still have a problem understanding the relationship between good urban design and the value of the environment," says Carmona, who is also an advisor to the British government. Through the example of four research projects, he will show what investments in quality urban spaces bring to a city.
"Changing Prague’s squares and streets for the better is one of our most important tasks. It is essential to realize that it is the face of public spaces that makes a city pleasant for the life of its residents. That is precisely why we place such emphasis on projects like the reconstruction of Vinohradská Avenue,” stated Petr Hlaváček, director of the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague. "Matthew Carmona is an exceptional personality; unlike other theorists, his knowledge of city creation is grounded and provides a more realistic, although often complicated, picture of the relationship between the process of creating public spaces and their actual state. We are pleased that IPR Prague, in collaboration with FA ČVUT, can welcome him in Prague."
Urban design as an independent field emerged half a century ago as part of the effort for synergy in designing public spaces. The best designs for public spaces indeed arise from collaboration among experts from several fields - architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, environmental protection, and social sciences focused on human behavior and city management. Urban design as an academic discipline also examines the relationship between the quality of public spaces in streets or squares and the values they bring. It often turns out that investments in quality design yield returns for the city: a tree-lined city avenue with benches not only increases the value of adjacent properties but also attracts people who then shop in local stores.
Matthew Carmona is a professor at the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, where he teaches urban planning and urban design. His lecture will take place on Thursday, September 24, at 6:00 PM in the "Gočár" hall of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, Thákurova 9. Following it will be a discussion featuring Pavla Melková, director of the Public Spaces Office at the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague, and architect Michal Kohout from FA ČVUT. The lecture and discussion will be conducted in English.
"We still have a problem understanding the relationship between good urban design and the value of the environment," says Carmona, who is also an advisor to the British government. Through the example of four research projects, he will show what investments in quality urban spaces bring to a city.
"Changing Prague’s squares and streets for the better is one of our most important tasks. It is essential to realize that it is the face of public spaces that makes a city pleasant for the life of its residents. That is precisely why we place such emphasis on projects like the reconstruction of Vinohradská Avenue,” stated Petr Hlaváček, director of the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague. "Matthew Carmona is an exceptional personality; unlike other theorists, his knowledge of city creation is grounded and provides a more realistic, although often complicated, picture of the relationship between the process of creating public spaces and their actual state. We are pleased that IPR Prague, in collaboration with FA ČVUT, can welcome him in Prague."
Urban design as an independent field emerged half a century ago as part of the effort for synergy in designing public spaces. The best designs for public spaces indeed arise from collaboration among experts from several fields - architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, environmental protection, and social sciences focused on human behavior and city management. Urban design as an academic discipline also examines the relationship between the quality of public spaces in streets or squares and the values they bring. It often turns out that investments in quality design yield returns for the city: a tree-lined city avenue with benches not only increases the value of adjacent properties but also attracts people who then shop in local stores.
Matthew Carmona is a professor at the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, where he teaches urban planning and urban design. His lecture will take place on Thursday, September 24, at 6:00 PM in the "Gočár" hall of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, Thákurova 9. Following it will be a discussion featuring Pavla Melková, director of the Public Spaces Office at the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague, and architect Michal Kohout from FA ČVUT. The lecture and discussion will be conducted in English.
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