Publications

Published in 2019 by Lund Humphries - this useful guide sets out a bespoke applied urban design process that works through urban analysis; policy and people; strategic design framework; concepts and options; design layering and technical detail; to delivery of place.

It provides a clear overview of the role that urban design plays in shaping and creating places today and how designers conceive and deliver contextually responsive, high-quality design solutions.

The book articulates a transparent, comprehensive, and flexible approach for urban design practice within the wider context of rapidly evolving contemporary urban conditions.

• Black, P. and Kerr, R. (2025). Lessons from Vienna: A People First Approach to Regeneration. Building Conservation, 32, 116-120

• Black, P. and Mell, I. (2024) ‘Effective alignment of urban and landscape design: Barriers and successes for education and practice’. Research Handbook for Urban Design, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

• Richardson, R. (2024) Conceptualising ‘street-level’ urban design governance in Scotland. Urban Studies. 61, 7.

• Richardson, R. (2024) Place leadership through local planning: integrating urban design and economic development. Regional Studies, 59(1). 

• Black, P. (2019) ‘Educating urban designers: process, pedagogy, and practice’. Urban Design Journal, 152, 2019, 18-22.

• Black, P. and Sonbli, T. (2019) ‘‘The ‘veil’ of control: The perceptions and attitudes of UK design control planners’. Town Planning Review. 90(2).

• Black, P. (2018) ‘Beauty in the eye of the design reviewer: The contested nature of UK design review’ Journal of Urban Design. 24:4, 556-574

• Sonbli, T., & Black, P. (2022). Rethinking planning and design maps: The potential of discourse analysis. Urban and Regional Planning, 7(3), 74-86.

• Black, P. and Sonbli, T. (2021) ‘Culturally sensitive urban design: The social construction of Homs Dream, Syria’. Urban Studies and Public Administration, 4(2), 87-105.

• Black, P. and Street, E. (2014) ‘The power of perceptions: Exploring the role of urban design in cycling behaviours and healthy ageing’, Transportation Research Procedia, 4, pp68-79.

The two documents linked below form the outputs from a collaborative project between Manchester Urban Design LAB (MUD-Lab) at the University of Manchester and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - the partnership was established to inform the Council’s borough-wide Design Code.

The project involved 30 students studying on the 2024-25 MSc Urban Design and International Planning (UDIP) course and supervised by the MUD-Lab staff team.

Study area reports

• Download Davenport Study Area document (PDF, 23.2MB)
• Download Woodley Study Area document (PDF, 28.7MB)

• Richardson, R. (2024). Local government fiscal constraint in Scotland: Risk and resilience. (International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO)). The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO).

• Yong, J., Hodson, M., Mcmeekin, A., Lockhart, A., De, A., Stafford, A., Mell, I., Bi-Swinglehurst, I., Wong, C., Zheng, W., Carter, J., Foggitt, E., Browne, A. L., & Hoolohan, C. (2024). On Infrastructure. (Thought leadership and ideas on infrastructure). policy@manchester. 

• Street, S. and Black, P. (2016) ‘Cycling into older age: A review of policy and practice’. Working Note 2016, CycleBOOM.org, 43pp.