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Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square demonstrates the way in which local leaders have devised strategies
guiding investment decisions that have significantly transformed urban areas. Nick Corbett has direct
experience of delivering high quality public space and this book is well illustrated with exciting case studies.
I welcome the contribution that this book makes.
Lord Rogers of Riverside - Chief Adviser to the Mayor of London.
I welcome Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square because it will give confidence to people who want to
challenge the status quo in the design and management of public space. It demonstrates how a strategic approach
can be developed to channel resources in a coherent way to transform the built environment.
Jon Rouse - Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation
In today’s world cities compete in a global marketplace where their image is increasingly important, and the
city square has always been at the heart of public urban life. Governments around the world are now encouraging
city authorities to work with the private sector to regenerate by investing in urban design, and new city
squares are providing the focus for this activity.
The various governmental, professional and corporate organisations involved with the design, development and
management of public space have traditionally been divided into separate disciplines, resulting in a fragmented
system characterised by communication gaps between the main stakeholders.
Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square shows how to close these gaps through strategic leadership,
management, and high-quality design – all helping the delivery of an urban renaissance.
The book has two main themes. Firstly, it is about how the decision making infrastructure can be improved;
secondly, it is about the physical design and management required to create and maintain sustainable public
spaces.
City squares are the focus of this book because they are the most intensively used public spaces. They derive
their unique identity from the buildings that enclose them, from the people that occupy them and from the uses
that they are put to. As building density increases, so too does the need for public open spaces. The city
square allows for shared experience – a sense of participation with an area that is totally inclusive of all
members of society.
Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square explores public spaces of all shapes, sizes, and functions. The story
of the renaissance of Birmingham city centre, is a seam that runs through the book and culminates with the
detailed case study provided in Chapter Four. The improvements to London’s Trafalgar Square are also examined
in detail, together with other examples from the USA and Europe.
Transforming Cities: Revival in the Square will be of particular interest to those who make decisions about city
development and their advisors, providing new insights into the value of urban design for new public spaces.
It complements the existing literature about urban design theory by showing how ideas can be realised on the
ground, providing a bridge between theory and practice.
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