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The nature of suburbia - change and
continuity

Adaptable Suburbs: a study of the relationship between networks of human activity and the
changing form of urban and suburban centres through time
Background

The UK‟s suburbs are overlooked and poorly understood.

The word „suburb‟ betrays their perceived status as places
that are subordinate to the centre.

Urban policy has tended to treat them simply as extensions
of towns and cities and as places where nothing changes,
rather than as separate entities we can learn from, with their
own particular characteristics.
Key research questions

• How does the urban design of suburbs contribute
  to their success?
• Is the adaptability of these places contributing to
  their sustaining over time?
• What is the influence of social interactions and
  spatial movement on the economic vitality and
  adaptability of places?
1. DEFINING SUBURBS
Defining suburbs

• The suburbs are not a recent
  innovation.
• The stone carving of the ancient
  Persian city of Madaktu shows
  suburban domiciles situated
  among the palm trees outside
  the city walls.
• Peter Ackroyd has also
  commented of London‟s
  suburbs that they are “as old as
  the city itself” (London: The
                                     Relief of the Elamite city of Madaktu, Persia. The town
  Biography , 2000, 727).            itself, with its towered walls and its suburbs in which every
                                     house is sheltered by a date tree, is figured in the centre
                                     (668-627 BCE). Source: The Project Gutenberg EBook of
                                     „A History of Art in Chaldæa & Assyria‟, v. 1, by Georges
                                     Perrot and Charles Chipiez, page 332
                                                                                                5
Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres Project: www.sstc.ucl.ac.uk




         kilometres
The suburban environment: sprawl?
Or town centres with residential hinterlands?


                                                         Wealdstone




                                                Harrow
Photograph of High Road, Wealdstone c.1900


   The suburban
   environment as
   sprawl? Or as a
   place – generator
   of activity – that
   has been sustained
   over time.




                                             9
Conventional image 4: The suburban high
The suburban
environment as
street as a
sprawl? Or
• No generator this slide: photograph of busy high
place – text on
of activity – that is
   street
more than just
retail




                                                     10
2. KEY FINDINGS FROM
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
2. KEY FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS PROJECT


    Multi-scale movement
    and activity


    Borehamwood is
    functioning
    simultaneously as local
    centre, commuter route
    and dormitory suburban
    town centre

    This is an outcome of its
    multi-scale properties




                                        Borehamwood, High Street
2. KEY FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS PROJECT


    Long tail of activity                            900000
                                                                  113 outer London town centres ordered by commercial floorspace


                                                                      Croydon
                                                     800000


                                                     700000


                                                     600000




    Approx. top 15 centres                           500000




                                 Flr_Space_Sqm
    account for 50% of
                                                     400000
                                                                        Watford
                                                     300000


    commercial floorspace;                           200000
                                                                                Uxbridge


    approx. 100 account for                          100000



    the other 50%                                            0




    Smaller centres
                                                 -100000
                                                                                                                 Observations




    contribute to sustainable                                     113 outer London town centres ordered by commercial floorspace (excluding Croydon, Kingston, Watford, Bromley and Ealing)


    urban life by supporting
                                                         300000
                                                                             Romford


    socio-economic and
                                                         250000

                                                                                 Uxbridge

    cultural diversity across                            200000




    a wide range of activities
                                         Flr_Space_Sqm




                                                         150000

                                                                                         Brent
    and nurturing them at                                100000
                                                                                         Cross


    the local scale. Essential                           50000
                                                                                                                Surbiton           Chipping
                                                                                                                                   Barnet            South

    links in the chain                                       0
                                                                                                                                                     Norwood



                                                         -50000
                                                                                                                Observations
Cities are very complex systems, but they grow from a simple idea: they are
large dense aggregates of buildings linked by space. The space takes the form
of a linear network, which we call a town plan or street network. It’s what we
see when we look down from above.
It is over 20 years since space syntax suggested this network might be of
interest in itself for understanding cities, by showing that the network had
certain potentials which could shape how cities worked. Here we see a
network model that calculates all potential movement to central London.
Holloway Road
                                        Stoke Newington Road




                               Oxford Street




                       King’s Road




Our research shows if people moved from everywhere to
everywhere else by simplest routes, then some streets would
get more movement through them than others. With high
speed computers, this through movement potential of streets
can be calculated mathematically.
                                                                    Integration
                                                                           16
                                                               (segment global)
Holloway Road
                                                   Stoke Newington Road




                                          Oxford Street




                                  King’s Road




 Some streets are also much easier to get to than others. It’s a
 question of the complexity of routes from each street to all
 others. These different degrees of accessibility for to-
 movement can also be measured mathematically.
Some streets are also much easier to get to than others. It‟s a question of the complexity of
routes from each street to all others. These different degrees of accessibility for to-movement
can also be measured mathematically.
                                                                                     Choice
                                                                                        17
                                                                            (segment global)
Through-movement potential at smaller scale highlights persistence of activity
beyond reaches of official town centre




Residents




                                     Segment Log
                                     Choice 800m
                                            2000m


Non Residents                                                                18
Land-use and choice
Small-scale spatial model
reveals long-tail of activity,
longevity of non-residential
presence in the area




                   Choice radius 400
Land-use and choice
Distribution of uses varies
across location and scale of
potential journey.




                 Choice radius 800
Land-use and choice
A given street or area may
be central at a local scale
but relatively segregated at
a larger scale.




                 Choice radius 1600
Adaptable suburbs 2010-14
3. RESEARCH PROGRAMME:
Research programme: Space Syntax




Residents 74% (n=69);
Median route length: 982m




                            Segment Log
                                   2000m
                            Choice 800m


Non Residents 26% (n=24);
Median route length: 389m
Research programme: Business ethnography
Research programme: qualitative GIS
Research programme: quantitative GIS
Research programme: urban history




High Barnet 1913                    High Barnet 1965
4. RESEARCH IMPACT
(KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER)
4. RESEARCH IMPACT




4. Research Impact (Knowledge Transfer)
• Inform social-economic policy
• Advance analytic and modelling capabilities
• Benefit government agencies, civic society and the third
  sector
• Raise the profile of suburbs as having a role to play in the
  future of urban sustainability
Further information:   http://www.sstc.ucl.ac.uk
Blog:                  http://uclsstc.wordpress.com/
Twitter:               @AdaptableSuburb


5. QUESTIONS

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Demos LSE presentation - Nature of The Suburbs

  • 1. The nature of suburbia - change and continuity Adaptable Suburbs: a study of the relationship between networks of human activity and the changing form of urban and suburban centres through time
  • 2. Background The UK‟s suburbs are overlooked and poorly understood. The word „suburb‟ betrays their perceived status as places that are subordinate to the centre. Urban policy has tended to treat them simply as extensions of towns and cities and as places where nothing changes, rather than as separate entities we can learn from, with their own particular characteristics.
  • 3. Key research questions • How does the urban design of suburbs contribute to their success? • Is the adaptability of these places contributing to their sustaining over time? • What is the influence of social interactions and spatial movement on the economic vitality and adaptability of places?
  • 5. Defining suburbs • The suburbs are not a recent innovation. • The stone carving of the ancient Persian city of Madaktu shows suburban domiciles situated among the palm trees outside the city walls. • Peter Ackroyd has also commented of London‟s suburbs that they are “as old as the city itself” (London: The Relief of the Elamite city of Madaktu, Persia. The town Biography , 2000, 727). itself, with its towered walls and its suburbs in which every house is sheltered by a date tree, is figured in the centre (668-627 BCE). Source: The Project Gutenberg EBook of „A History of Art in ChaldĂŚa & Assyria‟, v. 1, by Georges Perrot and Charles Chipiez, page 332 5
  • 6. Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres Project: www.sstc.ucl.ac.uk kilometres
  • 8. Or town centres with residential hinterlands? Wealdstone Harrow
  • 9. Photograph of High Road, Wealdstone c.1900 The suburban environment as sprawl? Or as a place – generator of activity – that has been sustained over time. 9
  • 10. Conventional image 4: The suburban high The suburban environment as street as a sprawl? Or • No generator this slide: photograph of busy high place – text on of activity – that is street more than just retail 10
  • 11. 2. KEY FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH
  • 12. 2. KEY FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS PROJECT Multi-scale movement and activity Borehamwood is functioning simultaneously as local centre, commuter route and dormitory suburban town centre This is an outcome of its multi-scale properties Borehamwood, High Street
  • 13. 2. KEY FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS PROJECT Long tail of activity 900000 113 outer London town centres ordered by commercial floorspace Croydon 800000 700000 600000 Approx. top 15 centres 500000 Flr_Space_Sqm account for 50% of 400000 Watford 300000 commercial floorspace; 200000 Uxbridge approx. 100 account for 100000 the other 50% 0 Smaller centres -100000 Observations contribute to sustainable 113 outer London town centres ordered by commercial floorspace (excluding Croydon, Kingston, Watford, Bromley and Ealing) urban life by supporting 300000 Romford socio-economic and 250000 Uxbridge cultural diversity across 200000 a wide range of activities Flr_Space_Sqm 150000 Brent and nurturing them at 100000 Cross the local scale. Essential 50000 Surbiton Chipping Barnet South links in the chain 0 Norwood -50000 Observations
  • 14. Cities are very complex systems, but they grow from a simple idea: they are large dense aggregates of buildings linked by space. The space takes the form of a linear network, which we call a town plan or street network. It’s what we see when we look down from above.
  • 15. It is over 20 years since space syntax suggested this network might be of interest in itself for understanding cities, by showing that the network had certain potentials which could shape how cities worked. Here we see a network model that calculates all potential movement to central London.
  • 16. Holloway Road Stoke Newington Road Oxford Street King’s Road Our research shows if people moved from everywhere to everywhere else by simplest routes, then some streets would get more movement through them than others. With high speed computers, this through movement potential of streets can be calculated mathematically. Integration 16 (segment global)
  • 17. Holloway Road Stoke Newington Road Oxford Street King’s Road Some streets are also much easier to get to than others. It’s a question of the complexity of routes from each street to all others. These different degrees of accessibility for to- movement can also be measured mathematically. Some streets are also much easier to get to than others. It‟s a question of the complexity of routes from each street to all others. These different degrees of accessibility for to-movement can also be measured mathematically. Choice 17 (segment global)
  • 18. Through-movement potential at smaller scale highlights persistence of activity beyond reaches of official town centre Residents Segment Log Choice 800m 2000m Non Residents 18
  • 19. Land-use and choice Small-scale spatial model reveals long-tail of activity, longevity of non-residential presence in the area Choice radius 400
  • 20. Land-use and choice Distribution of uses varies across location and scale of potential journey. Choice radius 800
  • 21. Land-use and choice A given street or area may be central at a local scale but relatively segregated at a larger scale. Choice radius 1600
  • 22. Adaptable suburbs 2010-14 3. RESEARCH PROGRAMME:
  • 23. Research programme: Space Syntax Residents 74% (n=69); Median route length: 982m Segment Log 2000m Choice 800m Non Residents 26% (n=24); Median route length: 389m
  • 27. Research programme: urban history High Barnet 1913 High Barnet 1965
  • 29. 4. RESEARCH IMPACT 4. Research Impact (Knowledge Transfer) • Inform social-economic policy • Advance analytic and modelling capabilities • Benefit government agencies, civic society and the third sector • Raise the profile of suburbs as having a role to play in the future of urban sustainability
  • 30. Further information: http://www.sstc.ucl.ac.uk Blog: http://uclsstc.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @AdaptableSuburb 5. QUESTIONS

Hinweis der Redaktion

  1. The research made it clear that often ignored places can be models of flexible form, sustaining successful spatial networks over centuries, and basing their success on ‘invisible’ spaces, such as garages and backlands and ‘invisible’ uses such as small business, workshops and offices.UCL developed tools for planners to help them apply this knowledge to decisions about their places.  Now a 3½ year successor project is underway, building on these findings to investigate how the shape of suburbs contributes to their success.   Adaptable Suburbs is seeking to understand why the networks of street and spaces in 20 of the London suburbs already studied work well.  Extensive, multi-disciplinary analysis will be used to explore the influence of social interactions and spatial movement on the economic vitality and adaptability of places.  Key techniques will include space syntax analysis of street network accessibility; historical analysis of change over time; street-level ethnography, interviewing the people who use and trade in each centre and mapping their perceptions of their spatial networks; and detailed town centre analysis using socio-economic data.  Local workshops will inform the development of a practical model for use by planners.  In tough economic times, the era of large-scale, all-encompassing regeneration projects is probably over.  Instead growth and positive change will come from small-scale, incremental change specific to each place, builds directly on individual strengths and assets.  Adaptable Suburbs will make small suburban neighbourhoods visible to policymakers; provide new information and understanding on how to make place work better; and make this knowledge available to local authority planners so it can be applied and used where it is needed.
  2. Second, local shopping street to the east, Ewell Road, used by residents. Non resident shopping routes are very limited.Shoppers: 29 (85.3%) residents (1061m); 5 (14.7%) non residents (916m)Non-shoppers: 36 (70.6%) residents (906); 15 (29.4%) non residents (487m)
  3. UCL’s EPSRC-funded Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres project challenged policy assumptions about suburbs, revealing that they have a great deal to teach us.  Looking at 26 suburban centres in outer London – places such as Barnet and Bexleyheath, South Norwood and South Harrow, Wallington and Whetstone, seen as both unfashionable and unremarkable – the research team delivered new findings about the extent of their adaptability and resilience.  The research made it clear that often ignored places can be models of flexible form, sustaining successful spatial networks over centuries, and basing their success on ‘invisible’ spaces, such as garages and backlands and ‘invisible’ uses such as small business, workshops and offices.UCL developed tools for planners to help them apply this knowledge to decisions about their places.  Now a 3½ year successor project is underway, building on these findings to investigate how the shape of suburbs contributes to their success.   Adaptable Suburbs is seeking to understand why the networks of street and spaces in 20 of the London suburbs already studied work well.  Extensive, multi-disciplinary analysis will be used to explore the influence of social interactions and spatial movement on the economic vitality and adaptability of places.  Key techniques will include space syntax analysis of street network accessibility; historical analysis of change over time; street-level ethnography, interviewing the people who use and trade in each centre and mapping their perceptions of their spatial networks; and detailed town centre analysis using socio-economic data.  Local workshops will inform the development of a practical model for use by planners.  In tough economic times, the era of large-scale, all-encompassing regeneration projects is probably over.  Instead growth and positive change will come from small-scale, incremental change specific to each place, builds directly on individual strengths and assets.  Adaptable Suburbs will make small suburban neighbourhoods visible to policymakers; provide new information and understanding on how to make place work better; and make this knowledge available to local authority planners so it can be applied and used where it is needed.
  4. Chipping Barnet market - March 2011
  5. UCL’s EPSRC-funded Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres project challenged policy assumptions about suburbs, revealing that they have a great deal to teach us.  Looking at 26 suburban centres in outer London – places such as Barnet and Bexleyheath, South Norwood and South Harrow, Wallington and Whetstone, seen as both unfashionable and unremarkable – the research team delivered new findings about the extent of their adaptability and resilience.  The research made it clear that often ignored places can be models of flexible form, sustaining successful spatial networks over centuries, and basing their success on ‘invisible’ spaces, such as garages and backlands and ‘invisible’ uses such as small business, workshops and offices.UCL developed tools for planners to help them apply this knowledge to decisions about their places.  Now a 3½ year successor project is underway, building on these findings to investigate how the shape of suburbs contributes to their success.   Adaptable Suburbs is seeking to understand why the networks of street and spaces in 20 of the London suburbs already studied work well.  Extensive, multi-disciplinary analysis will be used to explore the influence of social interactions and spatial movement on the economic vitality and adaptability of places.  Key techniques will include space syntax analysis of street network accessibility; historical analysis of change over time; street-level ethnography, interviewing the people who use and trade in each centre and mapping their perceptions of their spatial networks; and detailed town centre analysis using socio-economic data.  Local workshops will inform the development of a practical model for use by planners.  In tough economic times, the era of large-scale, all-encompassing regeneration projects is probably over.  Instead growth and positive change will come from small-scale, incremental change specific to each place, builds directly on individual strengths and assets.  Adaptable Suburbs will make small suburban neighbourhoods visible to policymakers; provide new information and understanding on how to make place work better; and make this knowledge available to local authority planners so it can be applied and used where it is needed.
  6. UCL’s EPSRC-funded Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres project challenged policy assumptions about suburbs, revealing that they have a great deal to teach us.  Looking at 26 suburban centres in outer London – places such as Barnet and Bexleyheath, South Norwood and South Harrow, Wallington and Whetstone, seen as both unfashionable and unremarkable – the research team delivered new findings about the extent of their adaptability and resilience.  The research made it clear that often ignored places can be models of flexible form, sustaining successful spatial networks over centuries, and basing their success on ‘invisible’ spaces, such as garages and backlands and ‘invisible’ uses such as small business, workshops and offices.UCL developed tools for planners to help them apply this knowledge to decisions about their places.  Now a 3½ year successor project is underway, building on these findings to investigate how the shape of suburbs contributes to their success.   Adaptable Suburbs is seeking to understand why the networks of street and spaces in 20 of the London suburbs already studied work well.  Extensive, multi-disciplinary analysis will be used to explore the influence of social interactions and spatial movement on the economic vitality and adaptability of places.  Key techniques will include space syntax analysis of street network accessibility; historical analysis of change over time; street-level ethnography, interviewing the people who use and trade in each centre and mapping their perceptions of their spatial networks; and detailed town centre analysis using socio-economic data.  Local workshops will inform the development of a practical model for use by planners.  In tough economic times, the era of large-scale, all-encompassing regeneration projects is probably over.  Instead growth and positive change will come from small-scale, incremental change specific to each place, builds directly on individual strengths and assets.  Adaptable Suburbs will make small suburban neighbourhoods visible to policymakers; provide new information and understanding on how to make place work better; and make this knowledge available to local authority planners so it can be applied and used where it is needed.