Nicholas Boys Smith | Building beautiful, building better

Nicholas Boys-Smith left a job in banking to set up Create Streets, a research institute that supports "community-led regeneration" and prioritises high-density, low-rise buildings over tower blocks. He is a Commissioner of Historic England, a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham, a Fellow at the Legatum Institute and an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism. In this podcast:Why are beautiful buildings important?How do we measure beauty in the built environment?What are the key findings from the UK government-commissioned report: “Living with Beauty” , to help deliver heath, well-being and sustainable growth to developments?What role do bureaucratic frameworks play in creating better places, not just more places?Does technology have a role is building beautiful?Is a mass-tree planting movement a good idea, in the context of better urban design?Nicholas’s favourite place is Gold Hill in Shaftesbury; made famous by Hovis but loved for its statement of design overcoming seemingly impossible natural challenges.His recommended book is Mental Health and the Built Environment: More Than Bricks And Mortar?, David HalpernHis technology to watch out for is modular building for its potential to bring back craftsmanship and individuality into building and design.