Open City New Towns, High Streets, Terry Farrell and 'The House of Architecture'
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Oct 2, 2025 Join disability design activist Jos Boys, co-founder of Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative, as she dives into the new towns initiative and the lessons we can learn from places like Milton Keynes. She critiques the affordability crisis in housing and questions the effectiveness of proposed targets. Jos also explores the political implications of high street aesthetics and the potential of community-led regeneration, all while remembering the influential architect Terry Farrell and advocating for greater accessibility in the built environment.
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New Towns Shift Risk Without Tackling Market Power
- New towns are framed as a public mechanism to make large-scale housing and infrastructure feasible quickly.
- Jos Boys warns this risks shifting public risk to enable private builders to keep high profits instead of addressing systemic market issues.
Living Lessons From Milton Keynes
- Jos Boys lived in Milton Keynes for about a decade in the 1980s and 90s and observed long development timelines and weak public transport.
- She notes cultural facilities emerged later, showing new towns take decades to mature rather than delivering instant solutions.
Crisis Rooted In Policy, Not Just Supply
- Britain faces a long-term housing shortfall driven by council stock sales, market inflation and overreliance on ownership.
- Jos argues policy must broaden beyond homeownership and restore substantial public social housing provision.
