Welcome to the first issue of the 25th volume of this Journal. Quarter of a century earlier my late colleague Steven Tiesdell and I introduced Journal of Urban Design, stating:
Urban design constitutes the interface of a number of disciplines: architecture, town planning, landscape architecture, surveying, property development, environmental management and protection, and a host of other disciplines who would not perhaps even recognize this interface. We hope that the success of this and other journals will be seen as symbolic of urban design’s maturity as a topic worthy of academic endeavour, scholarship and research. In turn, the publication and dissemination of good research and scholarship should lead to better urban design practice, more liveable urban environments and more cherished urban places. In this Editorial, we seek to highlight the attitude that urban design is inclusive rather than exclusive and one that is capable of embracing a multiplicity of interpretations and understandings. A questioning and inquisitive approach to the discipline is encouraged such that it is dynamic and evolving. In further issues, prominent academics and practitioners will be invited to offer their viewpoints and perspectives to contribute to and develop the many strands of debate.
We argued that Urban design can be regarded as a re-emergent discipline. This re-emergence has also been a process of evolution. From an initial – predominantly aesthetic – concern with the distribution of building masses and the space between buildings, it has become primarily concerned with the quality of the urban public realm – both social and physical – and the making of places for people to enjoy and respect. Contemporary urban design is simultaneously concerned with the design of urban space as an aesthetic entity and as a behavioural setting. Accordingly, it places greater emphasis on understanding how spaces function and on what cultural meanings and values are expressed; appropriate research and scholarship can enhance and inform this understanding.
From the start, my academic career has been guided by a focus on contributing towards our discipline becoming more environmentally responsible and how the environment can better accommodate the needs and aspirations of all groups, particularly those with fewer choices and who might otherwise be disadvantaged. I am pleased that the Journal has and continues to make a contribution to this aim with the wide range of articles we publish.
It has been a rewarding journey. Starting with five invited articles, first one being from Jon Lang, my former teacher at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the years it has been a launching pad for the careers of a number of young academics who keep returning with their new research papers. Receiving a very large number of articles annually, JUD publishes a wide variety of articles mainly, but not exclusively, based on sound and innovative empirical research aimed at not only exploring, but importantly, understanding better places for people.
In this journey, I have been supported by many. Along with Steve, Sarah Shaw, Jenny Chambers and Emma Clews provided me with valuable administrative support in Nottingham. Very early on I was joined by Michael Southworth as North America Associate Editor, and Matthew Carmona as European Associate Editor and their continuing roles are central to the success of the journal. Journals thrive with the support of their editorial boards, and JUD owes a huge gratitude to the current and former members. Jon Lang, Jonathan Barnett, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, John Punter and Marion Roberts have been with the journal since its inception and I give them special thanks and hope to enjoy their support for years to come.
Over the past decade, my rock has been my colleague Elisabete Cidre, the Deputy Editor. I would like to thank her for her dedication, wisdom and friendship. I would also like to thank the Bartlett School of Planning for providing a collegiate home for JUD over the past 12 years.
Editor’s work does not end with the decision to publish, a supportive publisher is paramount. I would like to thank Dr David Green for recognizing the value and deciding to invest in this new venture. I owe an enormous gratitude to Carolyn Haynes, the Production Editor of JUD, who has patiently and wisely given me invaluable support over the past quarter century and it is through her knowledge and professionalism that JUD is such a consistently good publication.
Finally, I would like to thank the researchers, scholars, and practitioners who have chosen to publish in JUD, without your contributions we cannot aspire to realize better places for people. In the first section of this issue, you will find some thoughts from some members of the Editorial Board revisiting aspects of our discipline and exploring what the future may hold for our discipline and how we may contribute in this fast changing world. JUD will continue to enable and encourage debate between different points of view as illustrated below in the contributions by the editorial board members.