News 2008-11
European Award Winning Doctoral Thesis
Dr Rebecca Madgin was awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the EU Committee of the Regions in their 2009 Doctoral Thesis Competition on Local and Regional Authorities.
The PhD entitled Urban Renaissance: The Meaning, Management and Manipulation of Place, 1945-2000 was awarded by the Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester in June 2008. The thesis was concerned with decisions to re-use or demolish historic industrial buildings during the process of urban regeneration in Britain and France. The thesis identified a four-stage process of place making in which decisions whether, and how, to re-use or demolish historic buildings were made. The thesis concluded that the decision to retain or demolish the historic environment rested on three points. Firstly, the psychological consequences of losing part of the historic environment motivated new agencies to campaign for the retention of these buildings; secondly, the institutional framework and organisational structures of governance in each city and country regulated the ways in which the historic environment was viewed by stakeholders; and thirdly, the inherent malleability of the historic environment which enabled it to be manipulated at every stage to legitimate positions, secure visions and implement plans through the conscious moulding of the spaces, places and ideas of historic urban spaces.
This research is now available as a monograph: R. Madgin (2009) Heritage, Culture and Conservation: Managing the Urban Renaissance (VDM Verlag: Saarbrucken).
Glasgow welcomes civil service trainees from Romania
Twenty six civil service trainees from Romania have begun a one-year bespoke Masters programme at the University of Glasgow, partly in the Department of Urban Studies.
The University was the government of Romania’s preferred choice for the selected students to study for an MSc or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Public Policy & Management.
Funded by the Romanian Government’s Scholar Young Professionals scheme, the new courses, provided by the Department of Urban Studies and the Department of Management, aim to develop future public sector leaders who understand both the organisational contexts and challenges that face governments, and the processes and politics of policy formation and delivery.
Welcoming the students to the university and the city, Vice Principal Graham Caie said: “Glasgow is a fantastic laboratory within which to study policy making and delivery in action. The city is seen as an object-lesson in public-sector led revival and as the largest, most cosmopolitan and most vibrant city in Scotland, it is an exciting place to live and study. We hope that you will have a thoroughly enjoyable and productive time studying in Scotland.”
The specially designed programme aims to provide the future graduates with the skills and knowledge to make an effective contribution to the formation and evaluation of public policy. The courses aim to produce independent, critical thinkers, able to work in a wide range of organisational contexts and roles.
Nick Bailey, Director of Teaching and Learning in Urban Studies, who, along with Dr Steve Tiesdell, will be leading the programme said: “Urban Studies has an international reputation for the excellence of its research and teaching in public policy, urban and housing policy, social justice and social welfare, and planning and real estate.
“Our teaching is shaped by our desire to break down boundaries between professions and to integrate cutting-edge research and we are delighted that the Romanian Government has recognised the teaching excellence we can provide in Glasgow.”
Further information:
Martin Shannon, Senior Media Relations Officer
University of Glasgow Tel: 0141 330 8593
ENHR Prize Award
Gwilym Pryce's paper Social Segmentation, Housing Submarkets and Dwelling Substitutability won The Hypotecni Banka Award for the best European Network of Housing Research 2009 Conference Paper.
Student funding for Masters study in Real Estate, Planning or Regeneration
Student funding for Masters study in Real Estate, Planning or Regeneration
The Department of Urban Studies is delighted to announce the availability of a fully funded studentship for the academic year 2009-2010. This new annual studentship, generously provided by The Ian Mactaggart Trust, carries full funding towards tuition fees (up to £6,600) in addition to an annual living allowance (up to £10,000). The new studentship enhances the existing support, from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, for RICS and RTPI accredited courses in the Department of Urban Studies.
The Ian Mactaggart Scholarship reflects the continued need for high calibre graduates in the Real Estate, Planning and Regeneration professions in Scotland, despite recent economic uncertainties. This new investment is particularly welcome at a time in which Real Estate, Planning and Regeneration professionals have begun to take stock of recent market adjustments and are once again thinking about future recruitment needs. Douglas Smith, Chairman of CBRE Scotland, said:
“Encouraging high quality graduates to pursue a career in real estate has arguably never been more important. The built environment and the ongoing process of urban regeneration will play an increasingly important part in economic development, not just in the UK but in markets around the world. This Scholarship offers an excellent opportunity to study a postgraduate course which is well aligned with the evolving needs of the international real estate market.”
The Ian Mactaggart Trust has made this new award available partly to help facilitate entry of outstanding graduates from less privileged backgrounds to the RICS and RTPI accredited courses run by the Department of Urban Studies. Sir John Mactaggart, Chairman of the Trust, said:
“The Trustees are delighted to support this initiative at The Department of Urban Studies with the establishment of a new Scholarship. It will provide the resources to enable a talented student to develop their skills in this vital sector.”
New and existing applicants to the Masters programme in Real Estate, Planning and Regeneration are encouraged to read the programme web site for further details on making an application. Applicants are advised to clearly state their reasons, financial and otherwise, for wishing to be considered for the Mactaggart Scholarship. Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Chris Leishman: chris.leishman@glasgow.ac.uk
URBAN STUDIES SCOOPS TOP PLANNING EDUCATION AWARDS
The Department of Urban Studies has won two top education awards at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) 2008 Planning Awards ceremony, held at London’s Hilton Hotel on 5 February 2009. The Award for Excellence in Planning Education 2008, aimed at staff teaching on RTPI accredited planning courses who either individually or as part of a group are able to demonstrate a major contribution to planning education through teaching and learning, was won by the Department’s MSc Programme in Real Estate, Planning and Regeneration (REPR). The award, which was presented by BBC journalist, Fi Glover, was collected on behalf of the Department by Professor David Adams (Ian Mactaggart Chair of Property and Urban Studies) and Dr Allison Orr (Senior Lecturer and REPR Programme Director)
Through the REPR programme, launched in 2006, the Department has created an entirely new Planning School in the West of Scotland. The judges commented: “The department has worked hard with professionals to design courses for full-time, part-time and modular students that will equip them well for careers in planning, real estate and regeneration. It has reintroduced planning education to the west of Scotland with confidence and creativity, using the opportunity to produce a truly innovative programme. Its use of a core programme that leads to several specialist masters degrees is efficient as a business model and enlightened as a curriculum model. Glasgow has set a benchmark for delivering interdisciplinary masters level courses. It is an inspiring experiment that will be watched closely by its competitors”
Alongside this award for the REPR programme as a whole, George Weeks, one our 2008 graduates in City Planning and Real Estate Development, won the RTPI Student Award for Outstanding Achievement in Planning Education 2008 for his Designing Places project, which skilfully analysed an area of the University campus that he had identified as a dysfunctional urban space. The judges commented that that George had “cleverly intertwined theoretical ideas with detailed site appraisal to identify the key issues and recommend practical improvements.” The Department congratulates George on such impressive recognition in winning this award for “an exceptional student who has achieved a high level of knowledge, skill and competence in spatial planning and has shown an in depth understanding of the complexities of planning both from theoretical and practical perspectives.”
Please look at the RTPI press release for further information.
2008 Research Assessment Exercise
The results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise confirm that Glasgow remains one of the best research universities in the UK with broad expertise in urban studies. Significantly, Glasgow was one of only four UK universities out of the 25 that submitted to Town and Country Planning Unit of Assessment to have 95% or more of its submission rated as international (the other three were Cambridge, Sheffield and Leeds). Its overall performance puts the Department of Urban Studies in the top six universities in RAE rankings for its discipline, according to The Guardian, retaining its position as the top research university in Scotland for urban studies, housing, planning, real estate and related areas.
The Department’s own strong performance is matched by that of the University of Glasgow as a whole in which 88% of the research submitted to the RAE was internationally rated, with 70% classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Professor Ken Gibb, Head of the Department of Urban Studies, commented that "I am delighted that that the RAE 2008 confirms the high regard in which Urban Studies research at Glasgow is held and congratulate all staff for their success in enhancing the Department's research performance over recent years."
International Sociological Association - RC43 Housing Conference in Glasgow on September 1 - 4 2009
The Department of Urban Studies has just released the latest information about the above conference. If you would like further information, please either contact Tilly Wright or visit the conference website at http://www.gla.ac.uk/events/housing/.
The Department of Urban Studies has won two top education awards at the RTPI 2008 Planning Awards ceremony, held at London’s Hilton Hotel on 5 February 2009. The Award for Excellence in Planning Education 2008, aimed at staff teaching on RTPI accredited planning courses who either individually or as part of a group are able to demonstrate a major contribution to planning education through teaching and learning, was won by the Department’s MSc Programme in Real Estate, Planning and Regeneration (REPR). The award, which waspresented by BBC journalist, Fi Glover, was collected on behalf of the Department by Professor David Adams (Ian Mactaggart Chair of Property and Urban Studies) and Dr Allison Orr (Senior Lecturer and REPR Programme Director)
Through the REPR programme, launched in 2006, the Department has created an entirelynew Planning School in the West of Scotland. The judges commented: The department has worked hard with professionals to design courses for full-time, part-time and modular students that will equip them well for careers in planning, real estate and regeneration. It has reintroduced planning education to the west of Scotland with confidence and creativity, using the opportunity to produce a truly innovative programme. Its use of a core programme that leads to several specialist masters degrees is efficient as a business model and enlightened as a curriculum model. Glasgow has set a benchmark for delivering interdisciplinary masters level courses. It is an inspiring experiment that will be watched closely by its competitors
Alongside this award for the REPR programme as a whole, George Weeks, one our 2008 graduates in City Planning and Real Estate Development, won the RTPI Student Award for Outstanding Achievement in Planning Education 2008 for his Designing Places project, which skilfully analysed an area of the University campus that he had identified as a dysfunctional urban space. The judges commented that that George had cleverly intertwined theoretical ideas with detailed site appraisal to identify the key issues and recommend practical improvements. The Department congratulates George on such impressive recognition in winning this award for an exceptional student who has achieved a high level of knowledge, skill and competence in spatial planning and has shown an in depth understanding of the complexities of planning both from theoretical and practical perspectives.
Dr Steve Tiesdell, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy (1964-2011)
Dr Steve Tiesdell, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Glasgow and one of the UK’s leading academic urban designers, died on 30 June 2011, aged 47.
Steve was brought up in East Anglia and studied at the University of Nottingham, from where he gained a BA in Architecture & Environmental Design in 1985, a Bachelor of Architecture in 1988 and an MA in Environmental Planning in 1989. He worked briefly for Tibbalds Munro, qualifying as a chartered architect in 1990, before then returning to Nottingham as a Lecturer in Planning (Design).
In 1998, Steve became a Chartered Town Planner. That year, he moved to the University of Sheffield and thence on to the University of Aberdeen in 2000, where he was appointed to a Senior Lectureship in Land Economy. By then, his expertise was becoming widely known in the UK and abroad. He gained his PhD in 1999, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2000, and held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Pennsylvania in the US in 2003. In 2005, he moved on to his last academic appointment at the University of Glasgow.
Throughout his career, Steve was at the forefront of re-interpreting and re-energising urban design as a means to transform people’s lives for the better by creating places in which they could thrive. His strong commitment to social justice was reflected in the importance he attached to urban regeneration and, more recently, in his growing interest in South Africa and other parts of the global South. He was much inspired by Francis Tibbalds’ approach to making ‘people-friendly towns’ and by a highly creative period of collaboration with like-minded colleagues at Nottingham who developed a radically different approach to understanding and teaching urban design. He tested out this ‘people-based’ approach in a series of early research projects on making city centres safer, and on managing town centres and the evening economy.
Despite the greater commitment needed, Steve always believed strongly in the importance of publishing books, even though he also wrote numerous conference and journal papers, both individually and jointly. He served as book reviews editor for Journal of Urban Design (which he helped to establish in 1996) and became a highly respected editor of the Elsevier urban and regional studies research monograph series. In due course, the ‘Nottingham’ view of urban design thus found expression in the now seminal text on ‘Public Places – Urban Spaces’ which he published with Matthew Carmona, Tim Heath and Taner Oc in 2003 and which appeared in a much expanded second edition in 2010. Other books flowing from this important collaboration included ‘Revitalising Historic Urban Quarters’ with Oc and Heath, and ‘The Urban Design Reader’ with Carmona. He was himself a prolific book collector and reader, amassing an extensive ‘enlightenment’ library spanning architecture, design and much of the social sciences, with travel, sport and literature also well covered.
Steve remained incredibly passionate about urban design throughout his academic career. He spent many of his holidays building up his direct knowledge (and extensive photographic collection) of design issues across the world. What made this passion so intellectually powerful, however, was his inherent curiosity and his enthusiasm for scholarship. This marked him as possessing an unusual keenness to reach out well beyond his own discipline and build numerous bridges to those with other academic and professional interests. He was a fervent advocate of multidisciplinary approaches and a powerful critic of what he called ‘silo-based’ thinking.
By the time, he arrived in Scotland in 2000, Steve increasingly understood the importance of effective delivery to urban design, which led to his growing interest in land and property development as well as policy and governance. His architectural background proved no barrier to developing an ever stronger knowledge of these fields – indeed by drawing on design language he was often able to communicate key policy concepts more effectively. He employed and developed institutional theory to promote a more holistic understanding across disciplines. Steve’s Glasgow work was thus marked by the distinctive way in which he combined his passion for urban design with his increasing insight into policy science – indeed, he increasingly saw urban design as a specific illustration of public policy.
Steve was a highly effective communicator, whether in the lecture room or, as he loved to do, guiding a party of students or visitors around the cities in which he lived and worked. As one former student said, Steve “had the rare gift of being able to convey the commonsense nature of urban design in such a way that was inherently memorable and intuitive.” He could readily capture and retain audience attention by the enthusiasm he always conveyed for his subject. With his voice resounding across the lecture theatre or in the open air, it was never hard to hear what Steve said or to appreciate the importance he attached to saying it. He was keenly committed to seeing practitioners equipped with stronger design skills and appreciation and indeed was equally at home speaking to practitioners as to students. He developed urban design modules for CPD purposes and became an active member of the Glasgow Urban Design Panel advising on the design of new development in the city.
Steve fundamentally believed in the prime responsibility of academics to enhance the student experience and he always took this seriously himself. He consistently sought innovation in course design and quality in course delivery. He thought it important to invest time in students, often on an individual basis, to make sure they understood what he wanted them to learn. His approach was never dry, for Steve well knew the importance of humour in embedding knowledge and used it to good effect in his teaching. As one former student commented that he was “an amazing lecturer who always made us laugh – so full of wit and energy”, while for another his courses were “very efficiently planned, highly educational and yet fun too”. Indeed, Steve’s field trips were so well planned that they were famous for ending in a city centre tavern with participants enjoying a beer and continued conversation.
Although passionate about academic enquiry, he never took himself too seriously – his self-deprecating sense of humour was frequently used to good effect. So many people have remarked how much they enjoyed their lively discussions with Steve about academic matters and indeed much more, and will long remember those chances to share a drink or a meal and appreciate his company. In many ways, he was an old-fashioned conversationalist – keen to listen as much as to talk – but always liable to inject new insight and new direction into any discussion. His widespread popularity among colleagues and students alike reflected his own generosity of time and his keenness to share and debate ideas. He was well known for his collegiality as a colleague. As a highly committed team player, Steve was willing to take on burdensome administrative tasks uncomplainingly, while always seeking to make improvements.
Steve grew up as a keen sportsman, playing cricket from an early age and participating in five-a-side football until his late 30s, when he was diagnosed with a heart condition. Although frustrated by the constraints this sometimes imposed, Steve’s creativity and enthusiasm for academic enquiry remained undiminished. Since mid 2010, he had fought with great courage against brain cancer, continuing to work on as far as possible on two new books (Urban Design in the Real Estate Development Process published shortly before his death and Shaping Places, due out in 2012, both with David Adams) and in sketching out new areas for research. His continued legacy of publications will remain a powerful resource for many years ahead - no doubt continuing to instruct future generations of urban designers about the critical importance of making places with people primarily in mind.
David Adams
University of Glasgow