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John Tibbitt's picture

Putting traffic in its place: time for a new culture of transportation | Policies for Places

Submitted by John Tibbitt on August 17, 2023 - 07:26

So the UK Prime Minister has declared he is ‘on the side of the motorist’ in the aftermath of a parliamentary byelection in which the imposition of an extended ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) was a major issue.  Other attempts at controlling traffic movement in towns and cities in the UK through measures such as low traffic zones (LTZs) or controlled parking zones (CPZs) are also meeting opposition, and are being postponed (as in Oxford, Bristol and elsewhere) or abandoned. All this, when the social, environmental and health benefits of lower traffic seem clear, and popular support for environmental action remains firm.

Susan Kelly's picture

Sociability: Public Spaces as an Antidote to Isolation | Placemaking Round-up

Submitted by Susan Kelly on August 17, 2023 - 06:01

This round-up from the Project for Public Spaces connects people who share a passion for public spaces to ideas and issues, news, quotes, places, and events from the placemaking movement.

Mike Osborne's picture

University of Glasgow delegation visits University of Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Submitted by Mike Osborne on August 16, 2023 - 10:44

We are very pleased that eight representatives from the University of Glasgow were able to visit the University of Duhok in May 2023 under the aegis of Erasmus+ Institutional Mobility Programme. The delegation was led by Michael Osborne, Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning, Director of CR&DALL (School of Education) and Director of PASCAL Europe, and also included Qammar Abbasi, Professor of Electronic & Nanoscale Engineering, Brian Barrett, Reader in Environmental Remote Sensing (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences), John Davies, Research Fellow and Associate Director of Arts Lab (College of Arts), Muhammad Imran, Professor of Communication Systems/Dean Transnational Engineering Education, Mary Ryan, International Development Research Manager (Research & Innovation Services),  Yulia Nesterova, Lecturer in International and Comparative Education (School of Education) and Kirstie Wild, Head of Research and Operations Strategy (College of Arts).

John Tibbitt's picture

Safer Places, Passive Surveillance and Placemaking | Policies for Places

Submitted by John Tibbitt on August 15, 2023 - 14:00

Safety is a vital ingredient of a successful place, yet stories in the media of violence and harassment in city streets and other ‘third places’ are everywhere. How should towns and cities respond? In this piece I want first to explore the idea of a safe place a little and outline broad perspectives which commonly underpin responses to promote place safety. Second, I set out some measures which are commonly taken relating to each perspective, and then third I will try to relate the implications of all this for the lived experience of cities and neighborhoods.

Bill Bowen's picture

State Sponsored Imposition of Ideology on American University Campuses - The Urban Lens Newsletter

Submitted by Bill Bowen on August 9, 2023 - 14:24

Urban America would be a different – and lesser – place without universities.  They provide vocational instruction and prepare young people for the workforce.  But more importantly, the liberal tradition in higher education increases our capacity to understand and reshape the world far beyond the university.  Yet liberal education is under siege throughout a range of states in the United States.

Bill Bowen's picture

Should U.S. Cities and Urban Regions Have Their Own Economic Development Strategies? Part Two: The Question of Costs and Benefits - The Urban Lens Newsletter

Submitted by Bill Bowen on July 11, 2023 - 14:48

Bob Gleeson started this thread of discussion last week and plans to continue building his line of thought soon.  While his discussion takes a broad, strategic look at this question, my own answer is more pragmatic: “Yes, they should.”  But the costs and benefits of each should be carefully, openly and honestly evaluated on a case by case basis.

Mike Osborne's picture

In Memoriam - Chris Duke

Submitted by Mike Osborne on July 10, 2023 - 07:40

It is with great sadness that we report of the death of one of the leading lights of adult education of the 20th and 21st century, Professor Chris Duke. Chris, amongst many other positions was a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow, and made extensive practical and conceptual contributions to PASCAL over the past two decades.

Heribert Hinzen's picture

Farewell, Chris Duke - ASPBAE Secretary General (1972-1985)

Submitted by Heribert Hinzen on July 10, 2023 - 07:24

ASPBAE and the adult education movement has lost another one of its own. On 22 June 2023, Dr. Chris Duke, former ASPBAE Secretary General (1972-1985) passed on.

Chris Duke was a towering figure in the adult education movement. A significant part of what ASPBAE has accomplished and reached today is built on Chris' vision and exemplary work. ASPBAE owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

John Tibbitt's picture

Lost Spaces, Third Places, and Improving Placeness | Policies for Places

Submitted by John Tibbitt on July 10, 2023 - 06:03

As pressures increase for (re)development in urban areas in the face of demand for affordable housing, environmental concerns and changing patterns of employment, open public spaces are constantly having to compete against other land uses. As cities also face calls for reclaiming public space for public use as crucial to the social sustainability and wellbeing of urban living, urban planners and developers seek to find a balance between economic development, environmental challenges and social expectations of residents.

Bill Bowen's picture

Dark Days Ahead: A Fresh Look at Jane Jacobs's Warnings About Urban Life in the 21st Century - The Urban Lens Newsletter

Submitted by Bill Bowen on June 15, 2023 - 13:14

The name Jane Jacobs is familiar to many of our readers.  Jacobs, who died in 2007, celebrated almost everything about cities.  Although she was born and raised amid the economic and social decline of Depression-era Scranton, Pennsylvania, Jacobs became a devoted believer in the positive potential of cities to overcome economic crises and create widespread prosperity and rich cultural experiences for all residents. 

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