Citymakers: Communities shaped by transport

In 2024, Citymakers turned its attention to transport. Not the design of the infrastructure itself but rather its influential impact on shaping the development of the contemporary city and the lives of its citizens.

Our first event happened on home turf, at the lecture theatre of the recently completed London College of Fashion. And then for the first time in its six-year history Citymakers ventured overseas taking our second evening of talks and discussion to Toronto, where the practice is setting up a new studio on the back of nearly a decade of work in the city.

Population growth and congestion, the shortage of homes, and the climate crisis have all driven ideas about how we might better and more efficiently use the land in our cities. The densification of London’s brownfield sites where there is good access to public transport has been a policy shaping London for over twenty years. In Toronto, the fastest growing city in North America, a similar approach known as ‘transit-oriented communities’ is now also being rolled out.

Our annual publication records the two events and the discussion of topics that ranged from debating the infrastructure investment ripple-effect to the length of time it takes to deliver a station; asked: What are the ingredients for a great place beyond an easy commute?, and When is good transport too much transport?; and above all emphasised the importance of bringing the community along for the ride.

With essays and contributions from Yvonne Yeung, Shonda Wang, Robert Evans, Dr. Philipp Rode, Naama Blonder, Jon Love, Emma Cariaga, Eleanor Fawcett, Craig Lametti, and Allies and Morrison’s Paul Eaton, Angie Jim Osman, Alfredo Caraballo and Antje Saunders. Edited by Miranda Westwood.

You can read the publication online here.