Diversifying Design : Urban ecology by, with and for diverse actors

Image credit: Timothy Schenck

Diversity is vital to designing cities. It helps us define and understand the variety of social needs and find ways for people to live well together. A range of capacities, skills and types of knowledge helps us better inform governance and ensure it is both holistic and rigorous. Diverse representation amongst professionals involved helps drive more considered urban design and development. However, we don’t often stop to think about the importance of diversity for urban ecologies. This event will do just that.

Urban environments are complex living ecologies with built, natural and hybrid dimensions, all of which are part of the diversity in cities and a vital element for design considerations.

Planning has always relied on visions of ‘the city’, and even the earliest thinkers were concerned with a notional distinction between new built environments and the natural world. Whilst people and professionals can have a voice in planning, places are very much shaped by nature itself.

At this interactive co-design event, with the help of students studying Urban Ecologies through UCL Bartlett’s MSc in International Planning and MSc in Spatial Planning, we’ll explore both how we can give nature a voice in co-designing the city and what cities can do for nature.

This is a free event, but places are limited. Please book your ticket through Eventbrite to to secure your place.

This event is an online event broadcast from UCL Bartlett, with staff and students working in-person with The Glass-House team.

Please note: We will be capturing and sharing this event.

During the event we will be recording video, taking screen-shots and live-tweeting to help us share the evening’s activities and our learning with others. Some of the information collected during the evening may also be used for research purposes. Please read our Capture Policy for more information.

Please feel free to email us at info@theglasshouse.org.uk if you have any queries.

About the Series

As the world continues to adapt to the ever-shifting influences of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Glass-House 2021/22 WEdesign event series will dive into some of the themes that have brought people together around the globe to fight for equity, celebrate diversity, tackle climate change and grapple with how we both celebrate and mitigate against the influences of our past to shape our society today.

The Glass-House WEdesign events are interactive spaces where students, practitioners, policy-makers and citizens work together with The Glass-House and with students and tutors from our partner universities The Manchester School of Architecture, The Glasgow School of Art, University of Sheffield School of Architecture & Live Works, and University College London, Bartlett. Together we will explore and co-design propositions to innovate design and placemaking, drawing and building on student projects that explore these global themes.

Local Places, Global Issues is being planned as a hybrid event series, with interactive events and co-design activities taking place, when possible, in person in Manchester, Glasgow, London and Sheffield as well as online.

Visit The Glass-House website.