Every City is a Conversation
Contribution to launch of Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘Humanise’ Campaign
I attended the book launch of Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise recently, a powerful call for a more person-centred approach to how we make buildings, particularly those that impact and intrude on the daily life of passers-by.
The book is itself an engaging and panoramic vista, exploring human experience and history through the lens of the built environment. Well written and ambitious it makes a complex set of issues legible without losing sight of the detail – the health, economic and environmental consequences of poor design. It also crystallises a way forward based on a sharp analysis of what makes for human interest and engagement.
There is contention here too, it will spark a debate, and that’s perhaps the point, one which Thomas returned to repeatedly in his presentation: that he wants to start a conversation. So, this is more than a book, it’s a campaign, with resources behind it which Thomas and the Heatherwick Studio team will use to engage and work with places across the UK to impact positively on urban quality and experience.
I’ve been working with the Studio team on this, and although there is real complexity at the heart of these issues, understanding the totality of forces that shape our cities and their buildings, there is also a big opportunity here, to use the profile that has been created to move debate forward. To create new investor dialogue, push back positively into government, and use the international reach of the campaign to build new networks in way that results in tangible support for cities and other places here in the UK.
I’ve written an article on this for the Studio, using that theme of dialogue, and that, as the planner Patsy Healey said, ‘every city is a conversation’. You can find the article here… and full details about the Humanise book, campaign and other articles here:
(lead image by Ian Schneider)
