Sharing the Beautiful Everyday Journey

DSDHA / Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

As one of the recipients of the 2015 Built Environment Research Fellowship — awarded by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 — I have investigated the nature of London’s urban mobility, taking into account often overlooked aspects of aesthetic and psychological order.

With colleagues from DSDHA (Tom Greenall, Ellen Hadden and Astrid Bois d’Enghien), and working closely with TFL and our mentors Alan Baxter, Bill Mount and Deborah Saunt, I developed a methodology for the appraisal of transport infrastructure and the design of non segregated urban journeys. This methodology consists of a series of visual tools which facilitate a kinetic understanding of the city — allowing one to consider the approach to a junction from different perspectives and to chart its changing conditions across the day and the seasons. Its aim is to make cycling and walking more pleasurable and accessible modes of transport, turning London's junctions into places of positive encounter, rather than conflict, and welcome a more diverse population of cyclists and pedestrians.


Four Futures for Paris

Carlo Ratti Associati

Working as research consultant for the Turin-based design and innovation studio Carlo Ratti Associati, I completed an extensive report on best practices and emerging urban and construction trends in Paris. After carrying out an extensive literature review, conducting interviews with designers, academics and key industry players, I developed four speculative future scenarios — Deep Adaptation, Green Growth, Degrowth, Terraforming — each pointing to different attitudes towards climate change and their consequences for Paris' urban evolution. The research informed a strategic design brief with a focus around sustainable freight and mobility.