

Open City
Open City
Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brief – an award-winning review of the big stories in architecture, planning and housing news – hosted by Sahiba Chadha and Fran Williams on a fortnightly basis.Alongside this is Deconstructed – a monthly podcast hosted by Matthew Lloyd Roberts taking apart the architecture of individual buildings and InterCities – a monthly podcast hosted by Owen Hatherley exploring municipal transformation around the world. All three shows profile new, expert and diverse voices from across industry, journalism, academia and beyond. The Open City Podcast is produced by Hunter Charlton and Paige Reynolds. The commissioning editor is Merlin Fulcher. The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.Photo credit: Owen Hatherley portrait © Antonio Olmos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 21, 2023 • 40min
Feminist Cities, and Inclusive Green Design
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 Street in Edinburgh; and the restoration of the historic Union Terrace Gardens in central Aberdeen.Rachel is a chartered landscape architect with an interest in urban placemaking for health, nature, and climate resilience, and is Assistant Group Manager Parks Development for Glasgow City Council.Finally, Jon is a chartered landscape architect working with Sustrans – the walking and cycling charity – to deliver their new National Cycle Network in Scotland.To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 12, 2023 • 39min
The Brief - Housing Special
This week we revisit some of the top housing stories we've covered over the past few months on The BriefEpisodes Featured:London faces a crisis of dullness with Nabil Al-KinaniNew analysis shows how race and income affect the quality of air you breathe with Merlin FulcherLabour group proposes nationalising 500,000 private homes with George KafkaLow income renters left with nowhere to live amid unaffordability crisis with Prudence IveyHow UK homes are becoming ‘lethal furnaces’ in heatwaves with Kate WagnerLabour pledges discount land sales for local authority housebuilders with Peter AppsPoor housing costing NHS £1.4 billion pounds each year with Melissa YorkThe Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 5, 2023 • 46min
‘Mutant’ housing block facing demolition just one year after completion
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 Britain really a ‘nation of drivers’? //The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 28, 2023 • 1h 5min
Cursed Objects: The Glass & Steel Totems of Canary Wharf
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 The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 21, 2023 • 35min
Government takes over bankrupt Birmingham City Council
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 fail to prevent more fatal attacks // The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 14, 2023 • 37min
Crisis in concrete: the school estate shutdown and how we got here
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 come crashing down?To help us unpack this complex story is Dr Ruth Lang. Ruth is a lecturer in professional practice at the RCA and London School of Architecture, and lead researcher for Low Carbon Housing at Design Museum. Her PhD in Architectural History focussed on the London County Council’s schools building programme after the Second World War…Links to articles and events mentioned in the podcast:Shannon Mattern articlePanel Discussion: Women in Social: Housing & Architecture St PancrasIslands Talks: Owen Hatherley and Marianna Janowicz----The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 7, 2023 • 39min
Concrete safety concerns in schools spark a crisis in government
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 redevelopment //The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 31, 2023 • 37min
London faces a crisis of dullness
This week Phin spoke to Nabil Al-Kinani. Nabil is a built-environment professional, cultural producer, and guest curator for the Open House Festival 2023// London faces a crisis of dullness as eccentrics and creatives driven out of the capital // ‘Loo deserts’ across swathes of the capital exclude people and cause surge in public urination // UK’s first anti-apartheid centre to open next year // And just one week to go until the largest celebration of architecture and neighborhoods in the country, Open House Festival // The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, a free guide to the world's best art exhibitions and museums.Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 24, 2023 • 38min
London's largest architecture event - Open House - launches 2023 program
This week Sahiba spoke to Jim Stephenson and Sofia Smith. Jim is an award-winning architectural photographer and filmmaker. Sofia is a writer and photographic artist, and together they run a small film studio called Stephenson&London's largest architecture event, Open House Festival launches 2023 program // More media culture wars break out over Low Traffic Neighborhoods // Extraordinary 1960s synagogue and holocaust memorial under threat of demolition in Brighton // And it's architecture awards season! What do the short and long lists for this year's gongs tell us about practice today?Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 17, 2023 • 37min
What's next for the Museum of London
This week Merlin spoke to Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London.Museum of London announces strategic objectives for the next five years // The banks of the river Thames experience a flurry of activity as thousands take up mudlarking // Recent poll results raise questions over the importance of cultural capital during the cost of living crisis // And the knitting renaissance among millennials and Gen ZClick here to get early, ad-free access to the Londown, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.The C20 Society are offering Londown supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.