Supported by cutting-edge construction technologies, the housing solutions are designed to be affordable for a generation that has increasingly found homeownership out of reach.<\/p>\n
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How does Urcadia relate to new towns?<\/h3>\n
The government\u2019s proposed new towns are expected to create large-scale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each. This number is comparable in scale to one of the clusters in the Urcadia model, or to Meridian Water, a masterplan we developed with Persicope, Kjellander Sj\u00f6berg and Jacobs for the London Borough of Enfield between 2019 and 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n The new towns are intended to help unlock the economic potential of existing towns and cities across the country. Our wider analysis of improved connectivity between Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford shows that the critical relevance of this east-west corridor is not confined to a narrow band but impacts positively within a much broader area, shaping the opportunity for a new polycentric regional development. Therefore, in order for the new towns to have the intended wider impact, they have to be part of a wider infrastructure network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The government\u2019s new communities will be governed by a \u2018New Towns Code\u2019 \u2013 a set of rules developers will have to meet to make sure new towns are well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people will want to live. The Code has parallels with Urcadia\u2019s 10 \u2018Development Principles\u2019.\u00a0 <\/span>Along with transport infrastructure, these overlapping network principles were established to guide specific placemaking and to establish a regional zero-carbon, circular economy. The principles set up a framework within which symbiotic and sustainable growth can flourish.<\/p>\n By establishing symbiotic overlapping networks, Urcadia’s vision creates a unique and varied polycentric region within a natural environment that can develop and grow over time, increasing the mobility and quality of life of all residents, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and creation of sustainable economic activity and creating places with lasting social and community value. The principles include codes addressing: Diagram showing increased interconnectivity within rail and road networks where infrastructure acts as the fulcrum of a broader and networked placemaking programme<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n The centerpiece of Urcadia\u2019s success is its ability to combine placemaking with infrastructure to create a network of thriving communities. Key to this is the current development of East-West Rail (EWR), a project that will redefine connectivity across the region. EWR will link Oxford, Cambridge and key growth points, such as Milton Keynes and Northampton, allowing for a polycentric region where multiple centres of activity interconnect. The proposal envisions these hubs as key drivers for growth, addressing housing needs while boosting innovation and economic development.<\/p>\n The benefits of EWR and associated road networks go far beyond regional connectivity. This infrastructure is not just about facilitating movement; it serves as the backbone of a broader, networked placemaking programme. By linking up with the High-Speed 2 (HS2) and other transportation networks, Urcadia could be at the centre of an ecosystem that integrates London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, forming a dynamic region where knowledge, goods and people flow easily between urban centres. At the heart of Urcadia is the concept of the New Living Campus. These are not just housing developments but clusters of innovation and creativity, where living and working coexist in harmony. Each campus cluster is designed to function autonomously, yet integrates into the broader region, offering a flexible and scalable model of development.<\/p>\n Each cluster in the New Living Campus will house between 5,000 and 25,000 people, with various housing typologies to meet different needs. Whether it\u2019s self-built terraces or multistorey apartment blocks, the aim is to create inclusive communities that foster creativity and collaboration. The clusters are not isolated; they are connected to each other and to surrounding natural environments by a network of green spaces, waterways, and transport links. A critical element of this model is its emphasis on research and innovation. The New Living Campus will include specialised research faculties that focus on fields such as construction material innovation and biotechnology in food production. These hubs of knowledge will be designed to facilitate collaboration, allowing innovators to work near each other, thereby accelerating progress and ensuring that Urcadia becomes a leader in technological and scientific advancements.<\/p>\n Initial tree planting creates amenity for general use and prepares timber for future harvesting. At the same time, transport infrastructure can be established in advance of construction phase works for each cluster to set up cycle, road, rail and green corridors. Clusters can be constructed individually to work with the local landscape and material supply to sculpt and create a working landscape<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n In line with modern sustainability practices, Urcadia’s design is centered around symbiotic networks. These allow for the creation of a zero-carbon, circular economy, where every aspect of life \u2013 energy, food, transport, and waste \u2013 is interconnected and designed to minimise environmental impact.<\/p>\n For instance, the Health and Happiness Network prioritises wellbeing by ensuring that green spaces and healthcare facilities are easily accessible. The Economic Network fosters local investment, ensuring that the infrastructure meets the needs of its residents and promotes growth. Urcadia\u2019s Food Network integrates sustainable food production, emphasising the importance of local supply chains and reducing food miles. Meanwhile, the Energy Network minimises demand through renewable energy sources and on-site energy storage.<\/p>\n These networks create a rich, multilayered urban fabric, where residents can move easily between dense urban cores and natural environments. This interplay of built and natural landscapes is a core tenet of Urcadia\u2019s design philosophy, fostering an environment where people can thrive, both economically and personally.<\/p>\n A view towards an urban cluster and working landscape<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n The design of Urcadia draws on the best aspects of both urban and rural typologies. Unlike traditional centric or linear urban development models, which often exacerbate economic inequalities or rely heavily on car travel, Urcadia\u2019s Campus Island Model proposes polycentric growth. Each cluster integrates residential, technological, social and civic buildings, creating a diverse and high-performing community. By concentrating development in walkable, mixed-use clusters, the region minimises its land footprint and ensures that nature and agricultural lands are preserved.<\/p>\n The surrounding landscape, termed the Living Landscape, is as much a part of Urcadia\u2019s identity as the built environment. This publicly accessible parkland integrates recreational spaces, wildlife corridors and areas for sustainable agriculture and energy production. The Living Landscape creates a harmonious relationship between human habitation and nature, providing ecological benefits while serving as a valuable resource for the community.<\/p>\n Urcadia\u2019s focus on landscape integration extends to its involvement with organisations such as the Wildlife Trust, which aims to restore ecosystems and make wildlife-rich green spaces accessible to all. This ensures that the natural world is not just an aesthetic backdrop but an integral part of daily life in Urcadia. The settlement edges are designed to be outward-facing, blending seamlessly into the landscape, while green corridors and tree-lined streets bring nature back into the urban fabric.<\/p>\n The New Living Campus proposes clusters of development\u00a0within a natural setting, encouraging the landscape to flow through and around\u00a0the whole. Each\u00a0cluster has the potential to accommodate a variety of densities\u00a0and types of housing, as well as a range of other uses<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n One of the unique aspects of the Urcadia proposal is its commitment to local material use and sustainable innovation. Urcadia aims to become a leader in building materials, with research clusters focusing on new uses for local timber, clay, and stone. Investments in renewable energy technologies will not only power the community but drive innovation in wind and solar power generation, distribution, and storage.<\/p>\n The Development Charter for Urcadia ensures that these principles are upheld over the long term. With a 40-year development corporation to oversee planning, infrastructure investment and construction, the project will maintain its vision through economic, social and political changes. Strong ties with local authorities and residents will ensure that the community\u2019s voice is heard throughout development.<\/p>\n Aerial illustration of 10 urban clusters at the intersection of HS2 and the East-West Railway<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n Urcadia\u2019s growth will be supported by a multi-modal mobility system designed to reduce car dependency and promote sustainable transport.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The integration of major transport infrastructure, such as the EWR and HS2, ensures that Urcadia is well connected to regional and national transport networks. Within the city, an inner cordon prioritises walking, cycling,and public transport, while driverless electric vehicles and automated buses ensure smooth connectivity for all.<\/p>\n The design of Urcadia\u2019s streets and boulevards also emphasises inclusivity, with spaces that encourage social interaction and cultural activities. Public squares, pedestrian pathways and cycle routes are all integral to the design, ensuring that residents have easy access to the amenities and services they need.<\/p>\n One of Urcadia\u2019s most significant strengths is its flexibility. The development can grow organically over time, with individual clusters completed based on demand and location.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This allows for a phased approach to development, ensuring that the region evolves in a way that meets the needs of its residents while maintaining the overarching vision of a polycentric, sustainable and ecologically integrated settlement.<\/p>\n Early development phases could see clusters initiated by pioneers, including self-builders and innovators in sustainable construction. Over time, as the region grows, Urcadia could become home to 250,000 people, spread across interconnected clusters.<\/p>\n Illustrative masterplan of Meridian Water, by M\u00e6, Persicope, Kjellander Sj\u00f6berg and Jacobs<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n Each 1km2<\/sup> cluster is similar in size to the area of Meridian Water. The masterplan carries many of the hallmarks of the cluster concept developed for Urcadia. Meridian Water is the largest regeneration priority area identified in the London Borough of Enfield, covering 82ha of brownfield, retail and industrial land within the Lee Valley National Park.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Enfield Council has established the development area and has set ambitious targets for the creation of a new town centre, 10,000 new homes and 6,000 jobs across a broad range of industries over the next 30 years. Alongside attractive new homes and world-class public spaces and community facilities, the development now has its own brand-new railway station, which opened in 2019, unlocking the area for commuters, with better connections south to Stratford and London Liverpool Street and north to Stansted and Cambridge.<\/p>\n The masterplan creates a place structured around a progressive approach to sustainability, with low carbon, circular economy, biodiversity, enhancement of waterways, parkland and the provision of exceptional new open spaces that connect the site to the Lee Valley National Park as a central focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We developed a set of metrics with Useful Projects modelled on Kate Raworth\u2019s Doughnut Economics diagram, establishing performance indicators for building a social foundation covering affordable housing, training and employment and active lifestyles, alongside values for working within an environmental ceiling with targets for embodied carbon, water-sensitive design, biodiversity and designing for circularity, as examples.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Above and below: Two street views of a micro-neighbourhood at Meridian Water, showing mansion block housing, shared streets and green loop<\/p>\n\t <\/p><\/p><\/div>\n Urcadia offers a transformative vision for the future of urban development. By combining the intensity and density of a city with the pastoral richness of the English countryside, Urcadia creates an environment where people can live, work, and innovate in harmony with nature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With its commitment to sustainability, local innovation, and placemaking, Urcadia represents a new model for living \u2013 one that is resilient, adaptable and inclusive, ensuring a high quality of life for all its residents for generations to come.<\/p>\n Alex Ely is founding director of Mae, an architect and town planner. He was formerly head of sustainable communities at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). He sits on the RIBA\u2019s Housing & Planning Expert Advisory Group and is a former Mayor\u2019s Design Advocate<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Cambridge-to-Oxford corridor is poised to become one of the most innovative and transformative regions in the UK. Our proposal envisions a new urban concept called Urcadia, a living environment designed for a diverse population \u2013 Millennials, Generation Rent, entrepreneurs, scientists and dreamers \u2013 those who are pushing the boundaries of technology, research and industry. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79508,"featured_media":764200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[3107,100812,1855,2384,100900,1738],"yoast_head":"\n
\n1<\/b> Health+Happiness
\n2<\/b> Economy
\n3<\/b> Culture and society
\n4<\/b> Communications and data
\n5<\/b> Transport
\n6<\/b> Energy
\n7<\/b> Food
\n8<\/b> Land, water and wildlife
\n9<\/b> Materials and waste, and
\n10<\/b> Knowledge<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/11\/14153707\/RegionalNetwork_Mae-1024x724.webp\")
A natural and technological network<\/h3>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\nThe New Living Campus: a cluster of opportunity<\/h3>\n
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Symbiotic networks for a sustainable future<\/h3>\n
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Campus typologies and landscape integration<\/h3>\n
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Sustainable innovation and local resources<\/h3>\n
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Placemaking and infrastructure at the core<\/h3>\n
Growth over time: a flexible and scalable future<\/h3>\n
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Testing a cluster<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/11\/14153603\/Meridian-Water-credit-Pictureplane--1024x724.webp\")
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<\/p>\nA vision for a new type of place<\/h3>\n