Hosted by the Urban Design Group & the Institute for Name-Studies, University of Nottingham
Understanding the names of our streets, fields, villages, and neighbourhoods is far more than an antiquarian interest - it is a key to interpreting the cultural, social, and environmental history of the landscape around us. On 27 November 2025, the Urban Design Group will host a free one-hour online workshop titled “Place Names – Past and Future”, led by specialists from the Institute for Name-Studies (INS) at the University of Nottingham.
The event promises to offer participants a rare glimpse into how place-name research, stretching back centuries and even millennia, continues to inform modern urban design, planning practice, and heritage protection.
⭐ Programme Highlights
🔹 Chair: Hannah Smart
Chair Elect, Urban Design Group
Hannah Smart will open the workshop and outline how place-name studies are increasingly relevant for planners, designers, and local authorities seeking historically meaningful and culturally sensitive naming strategies.
🔹 John Baker
Professor of Medieval Studies and Name-Studies, University of Nottingham
Topic: Introduction to place-names as a source
Professor John Baker will introduce the foundations of place-name scholarship:
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What information names preserve
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How linguistic layers reveal settlement patterns, land use, and cultural contact
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Why many maps appear blank at first glance, yet contain deep archival stories beneath
His talk will set the stage for understanding place-names as a rich documentary source for reconstructing landscapes and human activity.
🔹 Susan Kilby
Fellow, Institute for Name-Studies
Topic: Street and field-names as evidence for earlier economic and social history
Susan Kilby will explore field-names and street-names as windows into past lives - from agricultural systems to social structures.
She will also highlight the complexities of modern naming, including cases where commemorations intersect with sensitive histories such as slavery or colonial exploitation.
🔹 Abigail Lloyd
Research Affiliate, Institute for Name-Studies
Topic: Using historical material to inform naming practice today
Abigail Lloyd will discuss how historical evidence, archival resources, and digital tools can support contemporary naming decisions.
Key points include:
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How to evaluate historical sources when naming streets and places
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Integrating community knowledge and local identity
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Common challenges in research and implementation
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Practical resources for planners, councils, and designers
🧭 Why This Workshop Matters
For local authorities, developers, and scholars, place-name knowledge has powerful modern applications:
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uncovering forgotten land use patterns
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supporting sustainable planning decisions
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avoiding culturally insensitive naming
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strengthening local identity and heritage
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promoting transparent, research-based naming processes
In an age of rapid urban expansion, this workshop shows how the past can directly shape a more informed, inclusive, and historically grounded future.
🖥️ Event Details
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Date: 27 November 2025
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Time: 2:00–3:00 PM (GMT+1)
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Format: Free online workshop
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Organizers: Urban Design Group & University of Nottingham, Institute for Name-Studies
More information and registration are available via the Urban Design Group’s event page.
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