Zoe Green is a senior planning consultant with Atkins Ltd, with experience in policy and masterplanning projects for both private and public sector clients internationally, and sits on a number of committees for the UK Royal Town Planning Institute.
Two years after the introduction of Permitted Development Rights, Zoe Green argues that the policy is threatening the local creative economy in UK cities by pricing out small and medium sized enterprises.
A range of UK government initiatives seek to rebalance the country's urban-based economic growth on major cities other than London. Zoe Green assesses the field.
The Royal Docks in east London were left behind by the containerisation of shipping. In the wake of the Olympics, planning efforts and business investment is once again focused on the area.
The UK Government wants to make it easier to convert offices to residential use, but it runs the risk of turning valuable commercial space into more empty houses.
A new generation of apartment towers are rising above London. Is this the answer to London's housing crisis? And is social cohesion being reinforced or jettisoned at the same time?
Doha is part of Qatar's push to become an urban exemplar for the region, diversifying away from an oil-based economy by investing in education, enterprise, sport, transport and the quality of the public realm.
The UK government is abolishing Regional Spatial Strategies, giving greater power to local governments. But with many cross-regional issues remaining, will they be able to fulfil their new roles?
The 'smart city' concept has existed for several years, but only now, with some trial and error, are we seeing the real fruits of these efforts coming to light.