The Cass Cities Unit

Unit Brief

This is the Unit that works with Mark Brearley and Cass Cities, hosting students on the Cass Cities MA (formally titled the Spatial Planning and Urban Design (MA) course). Here urban explorations, observations and propositions are made by 4th Year Professional Diploma in Architecture students who have elected to also take the Cass Cities MA, in combination, and students taking the Cass Cities MA as a stand alone. We can also welcome by agreement a limited number of 5th Year students.

We are currently busy exploring the idea that it would be good to make the economy of cities more extrovert, more shared, more celebrated. We are focusing our detailed investigations and projects in London's Lea Valley and the borough of Waltham Forest. Work includes an audit and detailed mapping of the economy of Waltham Forest, dioramas of details of localities incorporating speculation about what could be, and suggestions for large scale adjustment of parts of Walthamstow, Chingford, Leyton and Leytonstone.

Other features of the current year include a few days of adventure in Glasgow, roving far and wide, seeing things that brought a smile and others that made us angry. Also a two day workshop in Brussels, with our friends from Ruimte Vlaanderen, about what to do in Heysel, now to be followed by a Cass Cities summer school.

To discuss the possibilities, informally, for joining our energetic mission to make the shaping of places be done better, and to speak out on some key matters about the future of London and elsewhere, you can contact Mark Brearley through this link, or you can contact any of the Unit tutors.