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Discover Ayako Henson's journey from Geography graduate to global Urban Designer, and how The Bartlett's Spatial Planning MSc helped her launch a career shaping cities worldwide.
About Ayako
Ayako Henson’s fascination with how people perceive spaces led her from a degree in Geography to pursuing a career where she could actively shape urban environments, based out of New York. The Spatial Planning MSc at The Bartlett School of Planning allowed her to apply her skills in real-world settings. Discover how Ayako explored new avenues like urban design through hands-on elective modules, collaborative group projects and insights from industry experts during her studies to take off in her career.
From geography to urban design
With my undergraduate degree in Geography, I have always been fascinated by how people perceive the world around them. When it came time to decide what I wanted to do as a career, I knew that I wanted to apply my Geography skills practically; to actively shape the places and spaces we interact with, in a way that is sensitive to the unique social and cultural characteristics of a place and its people. Spatial planning and urban design gave me this opportunity.
Discovering a new passion
When I was looking at options for which courses to apply to, my university friend (also a Geographer!) recommended I look at The Bartlett School of Planning. The academic rigour the course offered, alongside the opportunity to work on “live” real-world projects as part of the degree, was instantly appealing - I applied straight away! I was awarded a merit-based scholarship by The Barlett when they accepted my application.
The aspect of my studies I enjoyed the most was the vast range of electives that the Spatial Planning MSc offered. This let me explore avenues and disciplines I hadn’t considered before, while still grounding me in the fundamentals of urban planning. Having not done a design-related subject since high school, I decided to try my hand at the Urban Design elective, composed of the 'Urban Design: Density and Form' and 'Urban Design Governance' optional modules. The way the elective was structured around projects in real London locations gave me an incredible insight into what a career as an urban designer would be like. The emphasis on group projects also allowed me to learn a great deal from my peers as well as my professors, and fostered working partnerships I still have to this day.
The 'From Strategic Vision to Urban Plan' module also gave me the chance to work with local community groups to create bespoke planning and strategy documents that they could use to ensure their voices would be heard as their neighbourhoods changed. It showed me how planning and urban design can have a transformational impact on people’s quality of life.
Having spent time away from London for my undergraduate degree, being back in London for my postgraduate degree gave me a new appreciation for the city. The Bartlett made the most of its prime location by always embedding our projects in real locations around the city, which helped me get a better understanding of what working in the built environment profession would be like. It wasn’t all just work and study though; my fellow students and I made the most of all London had to offer, including architectural exhibitions, neighbourhood walking tours, and, of course, the pub for some post-submission celebrations!
Launching a global career
As I hadn’t come from a traditional architecture background, I took some time post-graduation to self-teach the design software and visual communication skills I would need for a career as an urban designer. While doing this, I got an internship role at KLH Sustainability where I got hands-on experience of what I had learnt during my degree. A particular highlight was working on the water and energy sustainability strategies as part of the Reserved Matters Applications for legacy developments at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Following my internship, I was able to secure my first position as an Urban Designer at PRP Architects.
The Spatial Planning programme gave me multiple opportunities to work on real-world projects; it gave me great training at the earliest stage of my Urban Design career. For the Urban Design elective, we also had leading industry professionals come in for design reviews to give us feedback on our work. Being able to hear from experts in the field was a great learning experience. During our more theoretical work assignments our professors encouraged our critical thinking skills, which I have carried forward into my professional career.
I am now an Urban Designer at HOK, an international architecture and engineering firm with 26 offices around the world. I have worked on projects across the US, the Middle East and the UK, designing for a broad range of sectors including sports and entertainment districts, university campuses, and transit-oriented development. I am currently based in New York having transferred over last year. There are both similarities and differences in the challenges New York faces compared to London, and I am excited by what I will learn here as well as being able to apply my skills in a new city.
My role on a project usually starts with comprehensive site analysis, before moving onto developing urban design strategies, concept masterplanning and public realm design. Throughout my career I have been involved in all stages of the planning and design process - from producing vision documents and leading in stakeholder consultation events, to submitting schematic and detailed planning applications. However, every day is different and there is definitely no such thing as a “typical day”!
Building a sustainable future
Most notably, in my career I was elected as the Next Generation member for New London Architecture’s Expert Panel for Transport and Infrastructure in 2022 to 2023. Along with my fellow panel members, we produced a Transport and Infrastructure Whitepaper that dealt with the future of mobility and the impact of transport to unlock growth in post-pandemic London.
Being an urban designer for eight years has opened up new possibilities in fields I would not have been able to consider without the creative training it has offered me. My future ambition is to further explore where I can apply these analytical and design skills, both in the physical and digital worlds as the future becomes increasingly digital.
Advice for aspiring urban planners
The Spatial Planning programme provides the best pathway for anyone considering a career in the built environment. While providing a grounding framework in urban planning principles, it also allows flexibility to tailor the degree to your desired career - whether in policy, development consulting, or design. As with any career, there is a learning curve to overcome; but the critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills gained at the Bartlett will give you the best toolkit to get into and succeed in your chosen field.
Discover more about Ayako and what she's currently working on via LinkedIn.
Are you interested in studying the Spatial Planning MSc at The Bartlett School of Planning?
Discover more about the course and the career opportunities it could unlock by visiting the UCL Graduate prospectus.