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

This project is a study of how small-scale centres of social and economic activity are shaped by the way in which physical and social networks change their form through time. Due to their frequently being below the policy radar, there is a clear gap in knowledge about how smaller centres form part of the large-scale spatial/social network. This subject area requires an interdisciplinary approach; both to provide the tools to handle large data sets on street-level activity within and around town centres, as well as by providing the knowledge and understanding to interpret the spatially related social/economic data in a meaningful way. Due to our collective expertise, we are in a position to test a novel proposition about how centres of socio-economic activity emerge through time, for which existing theoretical models of centre-periphery or fringe-belt do not seem adequate. We will address the question of how local self-organisation, design interventions and functional changes have an impact on large-scale network of connections. The need for a specific policy on suburbs to realise their untapped potential is essential to improve the quality of cities today. Our research will provide the evidence for targeted funding in the UK suburbs that Kochan and others have maintained are required for preventative action to halt further decline in the suburbs and to avoid the need for major expenditure in the future . It is clear that the city as a whole is inextricably linked and no centre can succeed in isolation from the others (as outlined in the London Mayor's report on 'Planning for a Better London', July 2008). At a time of great social and economic flux characterised by new communications technologies and radically changing patterns of work, living and consumption (such as flexible working and the current economic downturn), suburban centres are critical to an urgently needed re-evaluation of how to plan for the future growth of our older cities.These theoretical gaps are mirrored in the design and policy worlds, which find it hard to apply general principles to particular cases; taking one example, a policy demand for 'densification' implemented nationally comes up against an inability to understand its implications in particular, local contexts. It is vital to understand the spatial configuration and social/economic significance of smaller centres at the peri-urban edge. An informed understanding of how to shape these smaller centres is necessary to prevent current solutions creating their own problems in the future. This proposal comes at a critical juncture in policy and place-making. We have been told by policy-makers that there is an urgent need to address the future sustainability of urban and sub-urban environments by tapping into their potential for densification, reuse and adaptation. An understanding of how smaller centres work within their immediate and regional networks of larger centres is critical to the future economic, social and environmental sustainability of complex mega-cities such as London. One of the major problems with current conceptualisations of these three domains is that they are not viewed in an integrated and holistic way. Preliminary evidence suggests that diversity of activity helps create the vitality in local centres that provides the customers, employees and employers of the local economy; the economic and social aspects are dependent in turn on environmental sustainability: we need to understand the potential of an aging infrastructure to reduce resource consumption.

The project will provide an empirical, evidence-based approach to analysing cities that will generate an increased understanding of how spatial structure and social conditions contribute to the ways in which people use their local areas and which can benefit local planning bodies, government agencies, civic society and the 'Third Sector'. The impact on these will be as follows: Policy: the knowledge gained will inform policy-makers and assist in the creation and application of national and local government policy to foster economic performance, physical and social sustainability, assist in planning urban infrastructure engineering and neighbourhood renewal. Through this the effectiveness of public services will be enhanced and will in turn enhance the quality of life for people living and working in the UK. Bearing in mind our plans for rapid dissemination of project outputs, the impact should start to be felt within eighteen months of the project's start. We intend to ensure the impact is long-lasting by building capacity amongst end-users of the project knowledge so that it can be disseminated within organisations in a form that is relevant and comprehensible. The knowledge gained will inform policy in urban infrastructure engineering, planning, social justice, and local government. Of particular importance is the realm of place-making, which is central to much activity in design and planning research and where there are insufficient studies that employ quantitative alongside qualitative techniques such as this proposal. For this reason we are bringing in expertise in dissemination of research outputs to practitioners and policy makers in architecture and the built environment. Quality of Life: the ability to demonstrate the importance of local areas to maintaining and sustaining economic growth, and the influence of economic success on well-being will have an important outcome on improved social cohesion. We envisage making an impact by improving the quality of the public realm as well as assisting smaller market-places in informing decisions on start-up businesses and job creation in smaller centres. Knowledge Transfer/Exchange: New methods will be obtained by: urban designers for integrating knowledge into their designs and GIS specialists working in government and practice. Collaborative innovation in spatial data analysis across time will enable rapid modelling of the vast temporal social/spatial datasets held by government in order to enable detailed planning of interventions in the ageing built fabric. Specific organisations who have already expressed an interest in project outputs and promised their support are: CABE (The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), Savills Research, the Greater London Authority, the Outer London Commission and Shared Intelligence. Our plans for communication and engagement encompass traditional means, including conferences and journals in our respective domains that reach out both to academic and to non-academic audiences. We will publish a book to disseminate the innovative interdisciplinary activity to students and researchers. We will also use less traditional means of dissemination, such as a web-based profiler of spatially-related socio-economic data, a project blog, professionally facilitated workshops with local inhabitants and workers, professionally written project briefings circulated via a recognised built environment design body, placement of project staff in local authorities and publication of project outcomes in the press.