Ben Yeoh Chats Do We Still Build Beautiful? Samuel Hughes on Architecture & Cities
Samuel Hughes, editor at Works in Progress, joins me to talk architecture, planning, and how we think about beauty in our cities.
“Most buildings in Tokyo are ugly, but the streets are beautiful—urban form matters more than facades.”
In this episode we explore:
Can we still mass-produce beautiful buildings?
Japanese urban design and zoning lessons
How long buildings should last: UK vs Japan
Rent control and housing history in Berlin
Rethinking the greenbelt in Britain
Dresden’s reconstruction and underrated cities
Future solutions for housing supply
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Full Contents
01:02 Mass Producing Beautiful Buildings
01:43 The Decline of Ornament in Architecture
04:37 Tokyo’s Urban Design and Zoning
10:05 How Long Should Buildings Last? UK vs Japan
16:13 Philosophy, Beauty, and Emotions
25:53 Public Policy Trade-offs in Practice
31:41 Berlin: Rent Control and Urban Planning
36:32 Housing in Europe: A Historical Context
38:02 Modern Housing Markets and Trends
41:50 Rethinking the Greenbelt
44:40 Planning Authorities and Their Role
50:40 Overrated and Underrated Urban Ideas
1:02:03 Dresden: Lessons in Urban Reconstruction
1:05:03 The Future of Britain’s Housing Supply
1:08:40 Career Advice on Policy and Design
Full transcript, video and links here: https://www.thendobetter.com/arts/2025/8/20/samuel-hughes-architecture-beauty-and-the-future-of-cities-podcast