WRITING + SPEAKING

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Editorial - Understanding and shaping urban landscape character.
Academic Editorial - by J.W.R. Whitehand: Understanding and shaping urban landscape character. Urban Morphology. 2005.
- positioning Guy's (2002, 2005) writing's in the morphological framework and interdisciplinary thought.
J.W.R. Whitehand is the editor of Urban Morphology, an international journal for the International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF). Prof. Whitehand is recognised as the definitive leader in the field of the British school of urban typo-morphology. He holds a DSc with the University of Birmingham.

12.05

Paper (pdf 440k)

PLANNING FOR MIND & BODY

A paper discussing form-based planning techniques in relation to environmental psychology and brain physiology.
A justification of the parameters of character planning and public space composition in relation to the visual cortex system.
Evolutionary psychologists, such as Gibson and the Kaplan’s, state that we prefer:

• coherence and complexity in two dimensions, and

• legibility and mystery in three-dimensional space

because of its advantages to our survival in the natural world.

This concept is analysed in the realm of urban design and town planning to derive the desire for a level of conformity amongst elements in any urban space, conjoining with complexity and variety.
The mystery concept is missing from contemporary urban design philosophy. The paper supports introducing mystery in the urban milieu (after Gordon Cullen’s Townscape text), along with legibility, a concept successfully entrenched by Kevin Lynch.

Paper presented in Volos, Greece, 2002 as part of the AESOP (Assn of European School of Planning) gathering [AESOP]. Academic Conference.

Guy, B (2002). Mental Morphology. XVI AESOP Conference, Volos, Greece. September.

9.02

paper (400kb pdf)

THE DEMYSTIFICATION OF CHARACTER

Guy, B. (2002). The Demystification of Character. Planning Research Conference (2002), University of Dundee, Scotland. 8-10 April.

A discussion of the psycho-spatial justifications behind why we design spaces and environments the way we do.
The paper argues that legibility and ready 'cognitive mapping' (aka Kevin Lynch) as well as a sense of mystery and intrigue are required in scenes.

In today's environments we either get monotonous regularity and predictability (eg typical shopping mall) that is mentally understandable within a micro-second); or we get a distorted incoherent cacophony of individuality in which we're all trumpeting louder than each other!

Town planning, meanwhile, focusses on land use (!). But: Character, Place and Identity primarily derives from physique (form and space). Thus, we should change our focus. Hence the rise of Urban Design.

Character is generally desired by all. It has social status and economic benefit. Character implies environmental sustainability - environments with character are maintained and re-used, they get bulldozed less often.

This paper provides some of the psycho-physiological reasoning for why and how this works. It analyses brains, 2D and 3D perceptual mechanisms, and the evolutionary rationale of we like spaces that are good for us (imagine if we didn't!).

Design and urban planning are anthropocentric (for the human). Understanding a little of the human animal is a good place to start.

5.02

article pdf

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Town Plans (MMORPTP's)
A look at the use of computer games, espcially online role-playing games, their graphics and their suitability for transforming town plans from boring non-descript tomes of planning jargon to interactive, cinematic experiences that can be accessed from anywhere.
pending publication - white paper on Urban Circus.

1.06

article jpg

What are Blocks and Why Should We Think About Them ?
A discourse on what is the street-block grid and why it is an important thing to consider - especially for permeability and walkability.
Professional paper
Published in Urban Briefs. AIUS (Queensland Division)Inc. Urban Briefs Newsletter No.4 November, 2001. p8.

11.01

Value of quality streets.
Poem and ditty on the value of streets and space as one aspect of Biophillia - the topic for the Envirofest festival. Public Talk

Urban Design and Public Culture. ABC Radio North.
Discussion of urban design issues for the Far North, especially hill slopes and a discussion of intensification in and around the CBD to stop extensive environmental erosion and increase environmental efficiency.
Discussion on cultural press, newspapers, as guest editor of The Fly, and how this contributes to the creative life of the city.

Visions of a Creative City. Arts Nexus Forum.
Discussion on the value of public space quality to attract and retain high quality creative talent. A visual journey on what kind of facilities these people may seek, and what kind of facilities this place, Cairns in Queensland, offers.
A retrospective in relation to Richard Florida's Rise/Flight of the Creative Class books, and how Cairns could benefit from this economic trend.

Brochure and photo thanks to Eve Stafford of Arts Nexus. (pdf 200kb)

Creative City talk. ABC Radio North.
Discussion on issues of Creative City for Cairns and what it means along a number of dimensions.

'The Great Debate': Development vs Culture ?
Public Forum. Part of EnviroFest celebrations.
A series of viewpoints regarding the mix of development and culture. Ben Guy agues that our most 'cultured' cities and places in the world have been 'developed'. Thus development is not anti-culture. A lack of culture and place in modern developments comes from poor design guidance and political vision and leadership, and not development per se.

Space-based planning for making places. Public seminar.
A discussion and slide show on how setting the parameters of public space first in a development decision and in town planning can lead to much higher quality public space outcomes. City Library.

Urban Morphology in Urban Planning. Uni Lecture
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane.
What is urban morphology ? A discussion on the levels of resolution through the built form elements - tissues, blocks, plots, buildings and materials. How to use rational urban design principles applied to these morphological elements to create quality urban spaces, and test their validity.

How to Be an Eco-City.
A light discussion of the visions for an Eco-city in Cairns with the planning minister. 600 words. Published in The Fly Newspaper, Cairns, 23.June. 2005. p3.

Urban Design in the City.
Design issues in Cairns City, discussing the need for clear design guidelines and the role of the public street and space as a primary design consideration. Response to poor urban design layouts in the local paper on a new Civic Theatre project.
900 words. Published in The Fly Newspaper, Cairns, 23.June. 2005. p2.

article in press (pdf)

Planning Matters.
Snippet on the issues of the masculine and the feminine in the built environment, inspired after a read of The Da Vinci Code. Male as form and dying paradigm of thought-processes, and female as Space and the emergent and enlightened social consciousness.
Planning Matters.
Snippet on the issues of the masculine and the feminine in the built environment, inspired after a read of The Da Vinci Code. Male as form and dying paradigm of thought-processes, and female as Space and the emergent and enlightened social consciousness.
350 words. Published in The Fly Newspaper, Cairns, 6 June 2005. p3.

Creative Planning.
Published in The Fly Newspaper, Cairns, 26 May 2005. p3.

article pdf in press

Cairns : City for Creatives?

A review of the case put forward by Richard Florida in The Rise of the Creative Class and an analysis of its application to the City of Cairns. It is argued that Cairns, whilst small, has many assets that would attract the footloose and free 'creative talent' that is proposed to be the raw material of the New Economy. International airport, great weather, lifestyle, nature and proximity to Nature. However, the dull streets and suburbs, the lifeless shopping centres and car-dominated CBD are real drawbacks, and reveal a naiveté in urbanism and economic attraction. The question remains open - can we do something about this banal environment and help the city attract the right people for a prosperous, vital life?
1400 words. Published in The Fly Newspaper. 2.5.05. p3.

Urbanism : Racing for a Show in Cairns.

An analysis of two large sites for housing opportunities, one the racetrack and one the showground, with a discussion on how the latter, closer to the CBD (within its 'walkability circle), would provide a far better outcome for the city and future residents than the former, where the housing is expected to end up. A new slum will probably ensue - with the racetrack an 'edge' site surrounded by large highways and industrial uses. Matrix provided with scores on criteria for each site.
1000w. Published in The Fly Newspaper. 14.4.05. p4.

Green City
A 600 word response to the question posed : Is a green city possible?
Ben Guy. 600w. 12.4.05. Published in Connect Magazine, Qld.