Open City

This week Merlin is joined by Tom Wilkinson. Tom is a writer and historian, and author of the new book ‘ Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914–1923 ' // Competition probe into the UK’s biggest housebuilders // Heatherwick to turn BT Tower into a luxury hotel // Government redirects billions from HS2’s scrapped northern leg // And architects report the longest...

This week Producer Poppy spoke to Fran Williams - the architectural journalist and occasional host of The Brief - to discuss the big stories in housing, architecture, and planning news this week. // Government warned London house building is grinding to a halt // A new benchmark for sustainable housing wins planning in East Sussex // Loss of Jewish East End heritage as landmark beigel shop closes...

This week Sahiba spoke to Rob Fiehn, the Director of the London Society // RIBA president Muyiwa Oki slams Labour’s £28 billion pound green U-turn // Michael Gove approves controversial South Bank tower plans // The public toilet crisis isolating vulnerable people // And delivery riders stage a Valentine’s Day strike demanding fair wages //  The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects , the...

In this episode Paul spoke to the architect, curator and urbanist, Madeleine Kessler. Together they looked at waste water management in London, and investigated the value of holistic design-led approaches to major infrastructure projects. You can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sahiba spoke to Pooja Agrawal. Pooja is an architect, chief executive of Public Practice, and a trustee of Open City. // Housebuilders throw support behind Labour as Conservatives ‘bow to Nimbyism’ // Fresh plans submitted for London tower set to be joint-tallest in Europe // Channel 4 to sell iconic Richard Rogers-designed HQ amid job cuts // And the clifftop project dubbed Grand Design...

This week Merlin spoke to the architect and co-founder of the Stirling Prize-winning practice Haworth Tompkins, Graham Haworth. // Calls for a Royal Commission into housing and health as 5,000 deaths caused by cold and damp homes // A new wave of multistorey industrial developments transforming urban skylines // South Korean architect Minsuk Cho picked for 2024 Serpentine pavilion // The Brie...

Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides. This week Merlin spoke to Siraaj Mitha, Head of Open City's Accelerate programme. // Lesley Lokko wins RIBA Gold Medal // The state of Britain’s pavements forces many to stay at home // 2023 named hottest year ever recorded globally by a blistering margin // And t...

Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides. On the show this week Merlin spoke to Des Fitzgerald. Des is a professor of medical humanities and social sciences, and author of the new book ‘ The City of Today is a Dying Thing ’ // Fresh divisions emerge in the debate over greenbelt development // Big oil...

In this episode we investigated the importance of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in building a greener future, with Sue Illman who guest edited this edition of Landscape which is dedicated to the evolving landscape of water. Sue is a landscape architect and past president of the Landscape Institute. Her career has changed the landscape of water management this year was a recipient of an ‘Outst...

Special episode of award-winning podcast series examining forest restoration. Open City is delighted to present this special episode of Words on Wood , a fantastic podcast created by the American Hardwood Export Council in conjunction with Disegno journal exploring how the world’s forests can be restored. We’ve been fans of Words on Wood for for some time. It’s a very well produced show...

This week Merlin spoke to Rowan Moore - the architecture critic of The Observer and author of several books including ‘Property: The myth that built the world’ // UK rents up by more than a quarter since 2020 // MPs still deliberating over Parliament’s restoration // Stratford Sphere given one last chance by Michael Gove // And how the richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66%...

In this episode, Paul spoke to Karen Fitzsimon, Colleen D’Souza and Rajan Dewan. Karen is a chartered landscape architect, historian, and horticulturist. Colleen is Director and Head of Cracknell’s Integrated Horticulture Team. She has been instrumental in expanding the plant typologies used in the Middle East and North Africa regions of the last three decades, challenging local standards and...

Given the climate and biodiversity crises we currently face, there is an urgent need to make urban environments more sustainable. This walking tour has been produced to raise awareness of key issues, and to highlight ways that cities can be redesigned to prioritise sustainability principles. In line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, there is a particular focus on inclusivity, resilience, an...

This week Merlin spoke to Director of the C20 Society, Catherine Croft. // Extreme weather labelled ‘greatest threat’ to UK built heritage // Concrete concerns back in the spotlight as Bristol tower block evacuated // Climate questions over Labour’s 1.5 million homes pledge // And the London Mayor refuses Sphere venue plans for Stratford // The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects , the free a...

This week Phin spoke to Gareth Dennis, the railway engineer, writer, and sustainable transport advocate. // Uncertainty rages over the future of HS2’s Euston terminus // Dramatic cabinet reshuffle brings sixth change of housing minister within a year // UK accused of violating international law over poverty levels // And WeWork’s bankruptcy calls into question the future of urban regeneration...

In this episode, Paul spoke to Neil Manthorpe, and Kate Digney. Neil leads the Atkins London Landscape and Urban Design Studio, which has just won planning permission from the City of London Corporation to upgrade and introduce biodiversity gains to the second part of the high walkway which runs around the Barbican Centre and the Barbican Estate. Kate is Head of Landscape at Levitt Bernstein...

This week Merlin spoke to Matthew Lloyd Roberts -- the architectural historian, writer, and editor of the About Buildings podcast // New images of Liverpool Street’s contentious redevelopment revealed // The debate over transforming London golf courses into housing heats up // Could the acclaimed Venice Biennale be about to fall victim to the culture wars? // And the large-scale peaceful prot...

This week Sahiba spoke to Charlie Edmonds - a project-lead at Civic Square and co-founder of campaign group Future Architects Front . // Housing crisis takes centre stage in UK media and politics // 10 billion pounds a year extra needed for UK infrastructure amid the climate crisis // Thomas Heatherwick launches a new national conversation around boring buildings // And the online traditional arch...

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. Host, Laura Schofield, spoke to Kirstin Taylor, Rachel Smith and Jon Rowe. Kirstin is a director at LDA Design and joint lead of LDA’s Glasgow studio. She is a chartered landscape architect who has led on the regeneration of the Sighthill estate in Glasgow; the rethinking of George Str...

This week we revisit some of the top housing stories we've covered over the past few months on The Brief Episodes Featured: London faces a crisis of dullness with Nabil Al-Kinani New analysis shows how race and income affect the quality of air you breathe with Merlin Fulcher Labour group proposes nationalising 500,000 private homes with George Kafka Low income renters left with nowhere to live ami...

This week Phin catches up with Joe Giddings: architect, UK lead at Built by Nature , and co- founding member of Architects Climate Action Network . // ‘Mutant’ housing block facing demolition just one year after completion // As party conference season begins, Rishi Sunak U-turns on key net zero policies // Outrage over the felling of Northumberland’s iconic Sycamore Gap tree // And is Britai...

In lieu of a regular episode of The Brief, we are bringing you an episode of one of our favorite podcasts Cursed Objects . We highly recommend you check out their other episodes via this link , and whilst you're at it why not give them a follow on X and instagram . The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects , the free arts and culture app. Click  here  to get early, ad-free access to T...

This week Fran spoke to Barbara Speed, the Deputy Opinion Editor at the Guardian. // Government takes over Birmingham City Council amid threats of further local authority bankruptcies // HS2’s Manchester leg and Euston terminal both facing the axe // Outrage after benches and ping pong tables removed in Southwark to curb anti-social behaviour // And experts warn banning XL Bully dogs could fa...

The schools estate is crumbling and new revelations over the risks of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) have forced closures across the country, stoking alarm among parents and forcing the government into crisis. Remediation could cost billions of pounds and meanwhile a whole raft of under-maintained post-war buildings could now face demolition. Is decades of under-investment about to...

This week Merlin spoke to the new director of The London Society, Rob Fiehn. //156 schools to close over concrete safety concerns, sparking a crisis in government // Acclaimed social housing architect Peter Barber calls for a mass homes building program // The rising support among Londoners for the Ultra-Low Emission Zone // And Marks & Spencer launches an appeal to resurrect its Oxford Street...