7-8 April 2022

The Post-Covid world has put a focus on planning and designing for housing which both contribute to health and wellbeing, and the current debates on climate change and sustainability add another urgent layer. The experience of the UK New Towns and recent experiments in building Garden Towns and Villages have much to offer in that debate.

In association with the New Towns Heritage Research Network, the Centre for British Studies of the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris (a member of the Sorbonne Nouvelle research centre on the English-speaking world) is organising a study day and field trip on 7-8 April 2022 on housing and the challenges of designing for health and wellbeing in a period of climate change using the example of the British New Towns.

The conference will be conducted in English. It will consider the positive lessons to be learned for the planning and design of the New Towns and the challenges of re-design they now face as part of a multi-disciplinary and cross-sector debate.

We are inviting papers from British and French practitioners, civic societies as well as from academic researchers.

Funding is available for accommodation for up to 8-10 participants from the UK. Travel expenses may be paid for depending on our final budget.

The conference organisers welcome papers that could focus on:

• The housing crisis and UK New Towns
• Innovative housing design and re-design in the UK New Towns
• The Covid 19 pandemic, health questions and UK New Towns
• The evolution of New Town planning and housing heritage in the face of modern challenges for sustainability
• The expansion or wider regeneration of New Towns

Proposals for contributions including title and abstract of 300 words should be sent to Professor David Fee by November 30^th 2021 at david.fee@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr