Who We Are
How We Help People
Urban Design Works provides professional development and urban design services for people and organisations with an interest in the design of places. We can help you grow skills, knowledge, careers, designs and projects.
We offer a range of courses, resources and ways of working with you. Our values go beyond subjective notions of beauty, and are about the richness of life that is made possible by well-designed places.
We work for, and collaborate with, a variety of different people and organisations, from developers, local authorities and other design professionals and consultants.
If you’re interested in urban design whether professionally, personally, or both, enjoy our website, find us on social media and please get in touch we’d love to hear from you.
How We Help People
Urban Design Works provides professional development and urban design services for people and organisations with an interest in the design of places. We can help you grow skills, knowledge, careers, designs and projects.
We offer a range of courses, resources and ways of working with you. Our values go beyond subjective notions of beauty, and are about the richness of life that is made possible by well-designed places.
We work for, and collaborate with, a variety of different people and organisations, from developers, local authorities and other design professionals and consultants.
If you’re interested in urban design whether professionally, personally, or both, enjoy our website, find us on social media and please get in touch we’d love to hear from you.
Founder and Director:
Rob Beardsworth
Rob is a practitioner, educator and mentor in urban design. He founded Urban Design Works in 2021, following 15 years of experience in local and national urban design roles with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), City of York Council, Hull City Council, and as a member of the Yorkshire Design Review Panel.
Having been practising since 2006, a desire to share his experience, skills and enthusiasm led him to set up Urban Design Works to support and enhance knowledge and understanding of design throughout the public and private sectors.
Rob is a Recognised Practitioner with the Urban Design Group and a Design Champion for RTPI Yorkshire. He started his career working as a Town Planner, has worked as a Conservation Officer and now also practices as a Heritage Advisor.
Education: University of Westminster (Urban Design) and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Town Planning).
Outside of urban design, Rob is a trained brewer, and a community football coach. Rob lives by the North Sea coast close to Newcastle with his son, where he likes to kayak, play beach cricket (badly) and loves an occasional beer or two.
Founder and Director:
Rob Beardsworth
Design champion at
Rob is a practitioner, educator and mentor in urban design. He founded Urban Design Works in 2021, following 15 years of experience in local and national urban design roles with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), City of York Council, Yorkshire Design Review and Hull City Council, where he leads the city’s Urban Design Service.
Having been practising since 2006, a desire to share his experience, skills and enthusiasm led him to set up Urban Design Works to support and enhance knowledge and understanding of design throughout the public and private sectors.
Rob is a Recognised Practitioner with the Urban Design Group, a Design Champion for the RTPI and a Design Review Panel Member. He started his career working as a Town Planner, has worked as a Conservation Officer and now also practices as a Heritage Advisor.
Education: University of Westminster (Urban Design) and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Town Planning).
Outside of urban design, Rob is a trained brewer, and a community football coach. Rob lives by the North Sea coast close to Newcastle with his family, where he likes to kayak, play beach cricket (badly) and loves an occasional beer or two.
Dr Ian Joseph Morton
Ian is a lecturer in the built environment having worked at Newcastle University, Northumbria University and the University of Sunderland. Ian’s expertise focusses upon the role of urban public spaces in the life of the city, spatial planning and the international development sector, how built heritage is used to develop stories and identities for urban areas, and the compact city agenda. Ian is also a Town Planner.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with Urban Design Works, Ian co-presents the Urban Design Works Podcast and is a regular contributor to The Foundation Certificate in Urban Design course. Ian’s degree programme attracts students from across the UK and from around the world. He brings a wealth of experience of lecturing and leading field trips and study tours.
Dr Ian Joseph Morton
Ian is a lecturer in the built environment having worked at Newcastle University, Northumbria University and the University of Sunderland. Ian’s expertise focusses upon the role of urban public spaces in the life of the city, spatial planning and the international development sector, how built heritage is used to develop stories and identities for urban areas, and the compact city agenda. Ian is also a Town Planner.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with Urban Design Works, Ian co-presents the Urban Design Works Podcast and is a regular contributor to The Foundation Certificate in Urban Design course. Ian’s degree programme attracts students from across the UK and from around the world. He brings a wealth of experience of lecturing and leading field trips and study tours.
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