PODCAST · society
The Developer podcast
by The Developer
How do we make places where people want to live, work, play and learn? A podcast on cities, property, architecture and urban design. Support us on Patreon www.patreon.com/thedeveloperuk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Homesick: What happens when London's affordability crisis meets the climate crisis?
What happens when London's housing crisis meets the climate crisis? Journalist Peter Apps discusses the changing demographics of the capital and how the lack of affordable housing has ruptured its social fabric, pushing families and workers out to its edges and "taken away people's ability to…
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Participatory building: How community construction takes engagement to a new level
You've heard of co-design and of course, community engagement, but what about participatory building? That's when people are invited on site to help build, fostering teamwork, imparting skills and empowering a neighbourhood. Working in collaboration with charity Global Generation, Dr Jan Kattein...
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Neuroarchitecture: The impact of design on the unconscious mind
Get on a crowded train, and your brain may not like it. With strangers around you, cortisol levels shoot up to prepare you for fight or flight, stimulating the liver to produce and release glucose into your blood stream, just in case. Unless you run screaming from the train, your blood sugar…
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Design by AI: Why we need to hack the algorithm
Wait five minutes and someone will tell you the latest thing they’ve outsourced to AI; How it’s taking minutes of meetings or summarising reports they haven’t read. If you point out that the work of AI isn't exceptional, they say 'Just wait, it will get smarter'. But will it? According to…
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Trauma and place: Avoiding triggers in design and engagement
If we want to create inclusive, supportive and safe places, we can't ignore trauma. At least half of all people will experience a trauma at some point in their lives and may be triggered by sights, sounds, questions or spaces that remind them of a past traumatic event. Olaide Oboh, a director at...
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Purple pounds: Designing for the deaf and disabled
The spending power of disabled people, known as the purple pound, is worth £300bn: "Hello, does that not tell you something?" says Amanprit Arnold, a deaf city urban strategist passionate about creating an accessible city for everyone. "It's not charity. There's a commercial return to inclusive...
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Fighting for a Feminist City in Glasgow
How do we change policy to create gender equal cities? This story starts with a book: Feminist City by Leslie Kern. Read during lockdown, Holly Bruce, Scottish Greens councillor for Langside in Glasgow said it opened her eyes to the ways in which design can limit a women's participation in city...
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The civic role of a new town hall
How do you develop a new town hall and civic hub in a community with a longstanding mistrust of its local authority? “You’ve got to listen,” says James Stockdale, Development Director at Muse. Your New Town Hall in Brixton, the project to restore the Grade II-listed Lambeth town hall was never...
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Is this the year of the landscape architect?
As regulations on biodiversity net gain and sustainable drainage become mandatory, Carolin Göhler, president-elect of the Landscape Institute, explains why the role of the landscape architect is as vital as it is misunderstood. In areas prone to overheating, flooding or drought, having a lead...
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How local councils are leading on net zero in spite of central government
Local authorities are moving head with net zero and climate resilience plans, installing solar panels and heat pumps. But a recent report from Key Cities, a group of 27 UK cities, concludes that "progress is being hindered by central government through a lack of powers, clarity, capacity and...
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We need to talk about SLOAPs: Sites Leftover After Planning
We need to talk about SLOAPs, aka Sites Leftover After Planning. We've all seen them, corridors of tarmac or patches of grass with no purpose or social life. Could we put these fragmented spaces to better use as sites of biodiversity, food growing, play or connection? Soham De from EcoResponsive...
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Turds in the plaza: How do we fix public art?
Art in public space has long been subject to hot debate. It was back in the 1970s that James Wines referred to Modernist sculptures as "turds in the plaza" and "Plop Art". The removal of sculptures associated with slavery as part of the Black Lives Matter are proof positive that public art…
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Painting the town: What street art brings to public spaces
Street art has a lot to do with play, says Dr Lee Bofkin, co-founder of Global Street Art, who points to the evolving role of streets as a backdrop for content creation and personal digital expression. Global Street Art has connected street artists with sites to paint 3,000 murals in the UK since...
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Dignity by design: What is the architecture of a good life?
In this special 100th episode of The Developer Podcast, author Carolyn Steel hosts Stephen Witherford, co-founder of Witherford Watson Mann architects and Sophia Craxton, food anthropologist and manager of the community kitchen at almshouse Appleby Blue. What emerges is passionate and emotive...
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Could adventure playgrounds boost community and solve the building skills shortage?
The construction industry is struggling to attract young people with an acute shortage of skilled workers hampering innovation and quality. Architecture and engineering need more diversity. At the same time, developers are creating playgrounds and spaces for teenagers to attract families and…
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Embracing industrial: The call for more urban sheds, breweries and makerspaces
The regeneration playbook is to takeover industrial spaces in favour of housing and mixed-use development, displacing the garages, workshops and sheds and pushing them to the margins of the city. But an increase in industrial rents and a shortage of industrial spaces has led to a radical rethink,...
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Camden Highline: The campaign to green the tracks
The popularity of New York's Highline saw other cities scouring maps for disused infrastructure – and Camden was no exception. The discovery of a disused viaduct running between King's Cross and Camden Road sparked the campaign for a Highline. Fast-forward and the design has planning permission…
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Breaking the cycle of demolish, rebuild
Back in 2018, one of The Developer’s first podcasts was an interview with Linda Thiel, director of White Arkitekter’s London studio. The Scandinavian practice had been hired for the second phase of the regeneration of the Gascoigne estate in east London, replacing 1960s high rise blocks while...
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Cultural compact: How to fund grassroots arts and boost wellbeing in deprived places
The Key Cities report, Culture and Place in Britain, identified access to culture as a driver of wellbeing in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. But how can we seek stable and sustainable funding for grassroots culture in our places? Alan Waters, Culture Lead for Key Cities and previous leader…
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Co-designing Horatio's Garden: "The planting is informed by different ways of seeing"
Horatio’s Garden Chelsea, designed by Harris and Bugg with McMullan Studio, has been awarded the coveted Best in Show title at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. In this podcast, we sit down with Charlotte Harris and Andrew McMullan to discuss the process of designing a fully accessible garden for this...
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Paul Monaghan and the Office for Place: Beauty is not shorthand for 'traditional'
Paul Monaghan, architect and co-founder of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, talks about his role on the advisory board for The Office for Place, a government body helping to shape design codes and neighbourhood plans in England. Announced in July 2021, having emerged out of the Building Better...
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The death and life of city trees with Elaine Cresswell, ReShaped
What are we doing wrong when it comes to urban tree planting? With an estimated 30 to 70% of city trees expected to die within a year of planting, landscape architect Elaine Cresswell, founder of ReShaped, dishes the dirt on the reasons city trees die, from funding to specification, soil to...
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Urban quilting: Valerie Beirne on stitching a place in time
There are times when placemaking is about urban acupuncture; a series of strategic interventions that signpost and make accessible what is already there – microplans in lieu of masterplans. In this podcast, landscape architect Valerie Beirne, founder of Where Pathways Meet, discusses her 14 years...
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Ageing in place: A new almshouse for London
Psychologist B. F. Skinner famously compared old age to a foreign country: “You will enjoy it more if you have prepared yourself before you go.” But are UK towns and cities ready to welcome those on the journey? Figures from the 2021 census revealed that there are 2.5m people aged 50 or older...
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The alchemy of office community: “We want radiators, not drains”
When it comes to the creative industries, people are looking for workspaces that you want to come to and do things together, says Richard Pearce, founder and director of office developer TCN. “It’s going to be hybrid working from now on. People need to have a reason to get out of their…
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Tom Chance on Community Land Trusts: “It’s about giving communities democratic muscle”
What is a community land trust and why start one? We speak to Tom Chance, chief executive of the Community Land Trust Network about this legal entity which gives communities ownership and power over land and property development. We dig into how CLTs get started, what types of homes and places…
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Urbanistas at 10: “It's a playground to explore authentic leadership as a woman”
"It's about showing up, not just as a professional, but as a person; to bring your whole self." Founders Rachel Fisher and Liane Hartley talk about Urbanistas, a network for amplifying women's ideas to improve cities as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. From its early beginnings in London to…
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Happy or not? Mount Anvil’s unique approach to community engagement
Listening to residents is informing change at Mount Anvil, including the pressing need to address the cost-of-living crisis by reducing energy use. But their approach to community engagement is also changing as a result: Marcus Bate, Partnerships and Communities Director, talks about how the…
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The architectural history of Queer Spaces: "Flowers blossoming in the desert of Modernity"
A fresh canon of queer architectural precedents drawn from a rich and undocumented cultural history, artist Adam Nathaniel Furman and architectural historian Joshua Mardell discuss their book Queer Spaces: An Atlas of LGBTQIA+ Places and Spaces and why it's so important that the Royal Institute…
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Ilaria del Beato, CEO, Frasers Property UK: "We need to rise to these challenges"
How do you transform an out-of-town business park into a place where people want to work? Ilaria de Beato, CEO, Frasers Property UK talks about shaking up the business park with sports and leisure facilities, better transport connections and a fresh commitment to sustainability, health and...
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Josie Parsons, CEO, Local Space: “Improving thermal efficiency is the best thing we can do”
Local Space is a unique social housing provider that buys and refurbishes properties for homeless families in four London boroughs. Some have been evicted, others are living in their car or sofa-surfing in overcrowded housing. Their average length of tenancy is six years. Josie Parsons, CEO of...
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Socius: “Why is anybody doing greenfield development?”
Socius describes itself as an “impactful developer” that balances profit alongside purpose to deliver sustainable mixed-use places. We catch up with directors Barry Jessup and Olaide Oboh to learn about their new development in Milton Keynes, their commitment to sustainable development, the B…
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Doughnut economics and renewing places with equity
How do we break out of our silos and adopt more holistic ways of working? How do we renew our cities and places while respecting the environment and planetary boundaries? How can we take an equitable approach to planning and urban renewal in our cities in the context of a climate emergency? What...
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Roger Wade, CEO, Boxpark: "The centre of our communities don't need to die"
If we don't do something about our high streets, town centres and people working from home, we will lose a way of life and the social fabric of our places, says Roger Wade, CEO, Boxpark in this interview. Wade makes a passionate plea for government to level the playing field between online retail...
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Ageing in place: Dementia-friendly engagement and design
Approximately 1 in every 14 people over the age of 65 will suffer dementia in the UK, but as citizens they are often excluded from consultation on the design of our places and cities. Dr Samantha Biglieri’s research seeks to change that. Her work, which lies at the intersection of public health…
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Stockport's Weir Mill: These buildings have stories to tell
Turning historic buildings to new use, Tim Heatley, co-founder of developer Capital&Central, and Mark Braund, architect director at BDP talk about Stockport’s Weir Mill and how they're creating a community out of an historic mill complex and bringing mixed-use urban apartment-living to the…
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Gentrification: What's the alternative
What is the cost of displacement through gentrification? What are the alternatives in the context of the private rental boom? How do we genuinely level up while renewing urban places, and ensure existing communities feel the benefit? Recorded live at the Festival of Place, we hear from Prof....
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The social value of good design
Can the design of a place make people happier or healthier? Can architecture itself make a positive social impact, and can that value be quantified on a spreadsheet? We brought together a range of professionals for live podcast recording to discuss the impact, metrics and importance of social...
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Representation: What not to do with Dr Leslie Kern
If you really want to tackle representation in your organisation, don't invite the marginalised to volunteer on a working group that will inevitably go nowhere. That's just one of the tips Dr Leslie Kern, author of Feminist City, shares in this talk from Festival of Place: Gender Equal Cities in…
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Developers on climate: “We can’t change policy, but we can not make things worse”
Developers discuss post-Covid public space and town centre design in the context of the climate emergency. Has the pandemic derailed or accelerated progress in making our cities more climate resilient? How do we design public spaces that support social connection and democracy while tackling...
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Designing for hate crime: The trouble with wide open public spaces
Those who perpetuate hate crimes attack people for being different, so can we design public spaces that make marginalised groups safer by making them less visible? Professor Pippa Catterall discusses the problem of violent attacks for the LGBTQ+ community and explains why a large echoey open…
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"Offices will be much more pay-as-you-go" – Claire Cockerton
As a maverick serial entrepreneur behind tech and innovation clusters including Canary Wharf's Level39 and the Olympic Park's Plexal, Claire Cockerton knows what kind of office environment helps start-ups thrive and grow. But in the post-Covid environment, she believes our approach to office…
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Councils spend more on dog waste than teenage girls
With 80% of youth spaces occupied by boys, how can we create parks, play equipment and public spaces where young women and girls feel safe and that they belong? We talk to Make Space for Girls, a campaigning charity set up by author and TV producer Susannah Walker and lawyer Imogen Clark, who…
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"Manchester is a city on the up, but not all of it" – Andrew Westwood
"We need to understand why places are poor, why people have fewer life choices, why their health is poorer... all major factors in place-based inequality," says Andrew Westwood, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility at the University of Manchester and commissioner on the Greater Manchester...
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Wild Streets: Empowering citizens to design greener places
Imagine adding a few trees to your street, a public space, a few benches, maybe a bike rack. You may find it easy to envision your urban transformation, or at least know who to call to make that sketch. But how can the average citizen participate in the design process? That’s the question Ascha...
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"We're throwing away 1,000 Boeing 747s every day in construction waste"
Going circular in construction is not just about saving the planet, it also saves on the bottom line, given the growing cost of waste disposal and the hidden costs of over-ordering in construction. In this podcast, May Al-Karooni, the inspirational founder and CEO of Globechain, talks about how…
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"What are the models of revitalisation for small cities?"
Small post-industrial cities have walkable downtowns, affordable housing and the opportunity to become post-Covid places we want to be. But how can they avoid gentrification while attracting investment? Reif Larsen, founder of the Future of Small Cities Institute talks cars, resources and…
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Dr Omeasoo Wãhpãsiw: "Space and place matters, but more importantly who designs and who builds it"
"Built spaces are important signifiers to outsiders, and people in power like to think that what they don't see, doesn't exist," says Dr Omeasoo Wahpasiw in this podcast from her popular talk at the Festival of Place. Wahpasiw is Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, in…
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"We're seeking the best talent in Real Estate" Martha Thorne, IE University
Find out more about the new part-time Global Master in Real Estate Development at IE University. "If you are passionate about real estate, if you're a city-maker, this part-time programme is for you. Just log in from wherever you are around the globe on Saturday afternoon." Martha Thorne, Dean of...
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“We see ourselves as social impact developers” Adam Higgins, Capital & Centric
When they started Capital & Centric, they wanted to create award-winning architecture, says co-founder Adam Higgins. Ten years on, it’s about more than that. It's about doing something for the people who don't live in the buildings. Higgins talks working with "ugly" buildings, the barriers to…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
How do we make places where people want to live, work, play and learn? A podcast on cities, property, architecture and urban design. Support us on Patreon www.patreon.com/thedeveloperuk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
The Developer
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How many episodes does The Developer podcast have?
The Developer podcast currently has 113 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Developer podcast about?
How do we make places where people want to live, work, play and learn? A podcast on cities, property, architecture and urban design. Support us on Patreon www.patreon.com/thedeveloperuk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How often does The Developer podcast release new episodes?
The Developer podcast publishes regularly with 113 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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The Developer podcast is created and hosted by The Developer.
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