Building4Change is dedicated to sustainability issues in the built environment.
Highwood Court won a special commendation at the London Evening Standard New Homes awards on Friday. Excellent news!
Visit the pavegen site at www.pavegensystems.com and take a look at the article in the Observer at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/16/laurence-kemball-cooks-ethical-pavegen
Our development in Harlesden is the subject of an in-depth review by Graham Bizley in the latest Building Design. You can read the story and access drawings here.
Many thanks to Graham, David Grandorge and BD for a fantastic article.
BBC2 has just broadcast Julien Temple’s amazing film ‘Requiem for Detroit?’ Described as ‘a moving elegy for the death of the city’ you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Detroit was finished for good. Note the question mark in the title though. By going through the city’s history in such detail, the film actually reminds us that Detroit’s past is full of ups and downs, it was ever thus. This is a city of resilient, imaginative and resourceful people. Hence despite its current problems – lack of city government finance and action, dangerous abandoned buildings, ghost-neighbourhoods and, particularly appalling, the closure of 29 schools last year – the hurdles are being overcome. Read more…
The decline of the high street in the wake of the out-of-town supermarket, Clone Town Britain, these are things we were hearing about long before the global economic downturn took hold and these are issues that we, as developers, take incredibly seriously. We need to promote a long-term solution to retail decline, the erosion of communities and the isolation of people through supermarket and online shopping. The link between successful communities and good quality retail areas is obvious; a thriving high street plays a huge role in generating genuine interaction with your neighbours.
So it was with a wry smile and a disbelieving shake of the head that we read the story about North Tyneside Council ‘reviving’ its high street with flat-pack shop fronts:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8548069.stm
Talk about literally sticking a plaster over the problem! It seems both absurd and desperate. During our slow progress towards recovery it’d be great to see far more inventive interim uses for empty units. Perhaps something we can all think more carefully about.
Read an interesting profile on the borough of Croydon’s planning department in The Observer yesterday. It’s great to see a local authority planning team achieving such a high level of engagement. I think we’re starting to see more of this from other borough councils.
Last night’s ‘Kitchen Table’ debate at Leila’s shop focused on development and regeneration plans in and around Arnold Circus in E2. Many people in the room have achieved great success in terms of fundraising and awareness and yet still seemed dispirited, even negative. Why? I believe that their efforts to date are highly praiseworthy. For real complaints these can be addressed by making formal representations to the powers-that-be! And it was somewhat disheartening to witness architects, developers and residents all reverting to type, just when I thought we were making progress.
I would like to discuss ideas for how to generate a more proactive, upbeat attitude and am hoping that we can continue the debate. Watch this space.