We are delighted to share that our very own Hannah Smart has been elected Chair of the Urban Design Group!
After seven years volunteering on the Executive Committee and having recently become a Trustee as the UDG transitions from an Unincorporated Charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Hannah is thrilled to be a voice for those who wants to create positive change in Urban Design.
The UDG’s purpose remains the same: to promote high standards of performance and inter-professional collaboration in Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and all aspects of the built environment, and to educate both the professions and the public on matters relating to Urban Design 🧡
“I’m deeply grateful to have a few months working alongside our wonderful outgoing Chair, Paul Reynolds, as I start to shape what I’d like the Urban Design Group to achieve in the years ahead alongside our collaborators. We’re entering an exciting new chapter with the ever-steady hand of Robert Huxford at the helm, the much-anticipated return of superstar Louise Ingledow as MD, new team members joining the office and the continued support of our Patrons, Trustees, and fellow officers Louise Thomas & Paul Reynolds, and the fantastic Executive Committee.
At the SGM, I was genuinely glad to be challenged on my values 🩷 if you weren’t there – this is my incoming manifesto:
“If you asked our members, “What is Urban Design to you?” you’d get a different answer every time. Urban Design is both broad in its remit and deeply personal. It is policy and pavement. It is landscape and lived experience. It is the space between buildings, the buildings themselves, and the quality of life within them.
As Chair Elect, I want to lead the UDG into a future that celebrates this richness of perspective and brings together our collective voice. I want to champion landscape-led, human-centred design – rooted in accessibility, happiness, and belonging. Urban Design must work for everyone: children and elders, neurodivergent individuals and those with limited mobility. We must lead the way.
I want Urban Design to be better understood by the public – featured in mainstream news, debated in communities, and recognised for its role in shaping everyday life. We need to demystify design and open it up to everyone.
With experience in inclusive placemaking and an award-winning accessibility initiative, I bring drive and strategic vision. Together, we can build a more visible, welcoming, and impactful UDG – one that leads with care, creativity, and purpose in a world that changes every day.” 🩷
