Walking the GR10
Next week, I’ll be swapping the Second Floor Studio for the GR10, a long distance trail that runs the length of the Pyrenees from Hendaye on the Atlantic to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. It is around 900km, with 48,000m of elevation, and will take roughly 45 days, walking solo and unsupported with just a backpack, […]
RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence
We are proud to share that Feria Urbanism was commended in the Small Planning Consultancy of the Year category at this year’s Royal Town Planning Institute South West Awards for Planning Excellence. The award recognises a year of work across neighbourhood plans, design codes and community engagement, all shaped by our commitment to open, honest […]
Corfe Mullen Exhibition
Last month we designed, organised and ran a free public exhibition of bold ideas for the future of Corfe Mullen, held over two days at the village hall on Towers Way. It was a pleasure to welcome so many local residents through the doors, all keen to explore what their parish might become as a […]
Awards Shortlisting
This week brought welcome news on two fronts. Feria Urbanism has been shortlisted for Small Planning Consultancy of the Year in the RTPI South West Awards for Planning Excellence, with the winner announced on 1 July. Alongside this, the Spelthorne Design Code (a collaborative project we delivered as part of a team led by David […]
Staines Town Centre Design Charette
Saturday brought an energising day of co-creation in Staines-upon-Thames. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside twenty local people, we developed a sketch master plan for the town centre in just eight hours. We divided into four groups, each exploring options for a different area of change, before drawing the threads together by the […]
East Suffolk Place Shaping
Our East Suffolk place shaping project is gathering real momentum. Appointed late last year by East Suffolk Council, as part of a team led by David Lock Associates with Feria Urbanism and KMC, we have spent the opening months of the year agreeing the programme and planning event logistics. The pace has picked up considerably […]
Totton Town Centre Gallery & Exhibition
Last Friday saw the successful running of our Totton Town Centre Masterplan Gallery and Exhibition, welcoming over 250 visitors and gathering more than 100 completed surveys. The event gave local people the chance to see the emerging urban design and planning ideas for the town centre, displayed across 24 posters. Members of the project team, […]
Bournemouth Town Centre Co-Created Action Plan
It has been one of the highlights of my career to work on a project that listens to local people and turns their ideas into a clear, deliverable action plan for Bournemouth town centre. Last week we launched the co-created plan at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, and it led the front page of […]
Celebrating the Academy of Urbanism
Last night at the JTP offices we celebrated twenty years of The Academy of Urbanism. It was a pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces from earlier days, including Kevin Murray, Jas Atwal and John Dales, and to spend time with Stephen Haines, Alessandra Covino, Robert Blake and Joe Bonomo from David Lock Associates Ltd. Outgoing […]
Evolving Watchet
It has been an interesting and challenging few days in Watchet, Somerset. Earlier this week we gained permission to close a surface car park in order to test ideas for how the town might become greener, more welcoming, more biodiverse, more climate resilient, and more people focused. The temporary closure created space to explore new […]
National Urban Design Conference
It was an inspirational few days in Ipswich at the National Urban Design Group Conference. I was invited to speak in the opening session, “Making It Happen: Collaborative Mechanisms for Place Delivery.” My talk, “Maps, Meetings & Meaning,” explored how Feria Urbanism engages diverse groups to create responsive urban design solutions. By combining technical investigation […]
Fordingbridge Public Exhibition
Our exhibition in Fordingbridge last week was a great success, attracting nearly 500 visitors over three days and generating more than 160 completed surveys. This marks an important step forward for the Fordingbridge Neighbourhood Plan. Feedback from attendees was very positive, with many praising the innovative ideas, clear presentation, and exciting future proposals. Several noted […]