Category: Density

Building in the green belt: 3

One archetype of desirable urban life is found in the urban village. This conception of place in the city owes much to Jane Jacobs but is also seen in i.e. Abercrombie's 1943 analysis of London's neighbourhoods. The urban village typically has two faces: the high street face, and the 'countryside', or park face. I argue that both are fundamental. Ideally, … Continue reading Building in the green belt: 3 →

Building in the green belt: 1

This is a post in two parts. In this first part, I'll set out some reasons for considering green belt development. In the second part, which will follow (eventually), I'll describe a test case proposal for a specific green belt site. Introduction People have made good arguments for developing some of London’s green belt as housing. … Continue reading Building in the green belt: 1 →

We have acquired a taste for fresh air and clear daylight

I recently went to see a new housing development in Whitechapel: Darbishire Place, by Niall McLaughlin architects, for the housing association Peabody. Darbishire Place is named for the architect of a collection of 1881 apartment buildings amongst which the new development stands: it replaces a block that was lost to wartime bomb damage. The new building … Continue reading We have acquired a taste for fresh air and clear daylight →

The Mosesification of East London

Poplar is an interesting district. It has both Robin Hood Gardens (under threat of demolition) and Goldfinger's Balfron Tower, sister to the Trellick Tower in North Kensington (and currently undergoing a deeply controversial renovation which will displace all of its existing residents, some of them permanently). Poplar also has the Blackwall Tunnel (Northern Approach), the A13 and … Continue reading The Mosesification of East London →