The Design Studio component of the MSc City Design and Social Science was reorganised in the academic session 2005-06 to include focussed research by students in the second term on a particular urban theme. The Land Securities development of Bankside 123, designed by Allies and Morrison Architects behind the Tate Modern, was studied by groups organised into specific research clusters, each comprising three or four students. In 2006-07 the focus was on Housing and the City, again particularly in Southwark. Thanks to a generous donation by John McAslan + Partners, this research was published in book form and distributed free to interested parties.

The theme for 2007-08 was urban development on the city fringe, or Outer City - specifically Barking and Dagenham, in East London.  See below for the electronic version of all three publications.