OUR APPROACH

• • Collaborative working

    We work closely with the client to develop the brief and achieve the project’s objectives. We are highly experienced in organising collaboration in local communities.

    Effective teamworking

    For each job we bring together the right team, with hands-on leadership by a UDS director throughout the project.

    Creative thinking

    The award-winning methods that UDS has developed are the starting point for a unique approach to each project:

    • Capacitycheck: developing an organisation’ skills
    • Placecheck: understanding places and organising action
    • Placeplanning: creating visions and action plans for local places
    • Qualityreviewer: guiding design and assessing design quality

  • Our success has led to us working with clients over long periods, making things happen and building the client organisation’s own capacity.

    UDS’s achievements have been recognised by a number of awards:

    • RTPI Urban Design Network Award project of the year (Capacitycheck)
    • RTPI Planning Awards for Small Planning Consultancy of the Year (Finalist)
    • Regeneration and Renewal Awards (Harlesden Town Charter) Highly commended
    • Scottish Government and RTPI Awards for Quality in Planning
    • Scottish Government Awards for best practice in community regeneration
    • Architecture Foundation Aldgate East international design competition (exhibited as part of the London Festival of Architecture)

    We have worked with more than 50 local authorities, a range of design practices and development companies, and influential national organisations in the UK and beyond.

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MEET THE UDS DIRECTORS

• ROB COWAN

  MRTPI

  Rob is the UK’s most experienced urban design trainer and author of design guidance. With his colleagues at UDS he has originated three influential and widely used urban design methods: the Placecheck method of urban design audit; the urban design skills appraisal method Capacitycheck; and the design appraisal method Qualityreviewer. Rob was a special advisor to the House of Commons ODPM Committee.

  His many publications include The Dictionary of Urbanism.

  Send Rob an email here.

  

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• DAVID CHAPMAN

  BA (Hons) MArch Mphil MRTPI

  David’s skill lies in making projects happen. He is highly effective at creating innovative project strategies and building the collaborations required to take projects forward.

  He is skilled in managing complex projects, leading teams and acting as a project facilitator and negotiator. David’s recent work includes York New City Beautiful: Toward an Economic Vision, the Neilston Renaissance Charter and the Scottish Design Symposium.

  Send David an email here.

  

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• SCOTT ELLIOTT ADAMS

  BA MArch (Dist) MUD (Dist) MAICP

  Scott understands the potential of existing places and create captivating visions and plans to enhance an area’s inherent characteristics.

  He is experienced in leading projects from neighbourhood to citywide scales, and developing innovative design processes with stakeholder engagement. Recently he has led the Harlesden Town Charter and the design development of York New City Beautiful.

  Send Scott an email here.

  

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