By Philippa Stockley,
Editor’s Note

The winter edition of the London Society journal, number 468, takes housing as its theme — not just the capital’s housing crisis but thought-provoking debates on how to solve it, and reflexions on brilliant solutions of the past — memorably presented in a photo essay by architectural photographer Grant Smith that looks afresh at the beauty of brutalist solutions such as the Barbican. Essays cover everything from aspects of the current shortage to various housing models (including those for an elder population) that might be brought forward to address it. Contributions include an elegant essay on bricks by TV’s Dan Cruickshank and on the financial aspect of the property crisis by ingenious developer Roger Zogolovitch. We are pleased to have a cartoon by Telegraph cartoonist Christian Adams illustrating a contribution from Lewisham’s mayor, Sir Steve Bullock; plus endpapers by Adams’s illustrious Daily Express forbear, Osbert Lancaster, from his splendidly satirical, just reprinted Pillar to Post. Book reviews complete the issue, which I hope you enjoy.

—

The Journal of the London Society is mailed out to every member of the Society. Information about membership can be found here

than the last. Made in London is such a big topic that this journal could easily have
been a book. Its pages bring the glittering kaleidoscope that is London today into focus,
a city built on so many incarnations of skill and structure that, as towers spring up, it
evolves in front of our eyes. But it is the people who design and make things who are
the lifeblood of this glorious place — whatever bankers like to think.
Chief GLA regeneration officer Levent Kerimol looks at the small
industries being squeezed in the East — the examples he gives are fascinating, some
quite unexpected. A photo essay by Grant Smith of these hard workers, from the
cheesemakers to the beer brewers, is at the heart of the journal. There’s also a piece
on the oldest tailor on Savile Row, whose cutters are as skilled at intuitive tectonics
as many architects. But where that company relies on tradition, others rely on new
techniques to get ahead, with the new discipline of so-called “empathic design”.
A piece on the Isokon building in Hampstead examines how that meticulously
considered building, unique to London, could have a role today in informing how best
to build a new generation of affordable homes. We look at ancient London edifices,
from churches, photographed over a 25-year period by David Secombe, to the Tower
of London, in a book reviewed by novelist Giles Waterfield. Plus there’s a first-person
take on London by someone themselves “made in London” — MP Rupa Huq, one of the
increasingly rare, and very proud, born-and-bred Londoners.
Last, for readers of a creative bent, we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from a
forthcoming book by Phaidon, which shows how to make a chair out of a discarded
pallet. Designed by world-famous UK-based designer Martino Gamper, it is London
upcycling at its idiosyncratic and distinctive best.

—

The Journal of the London Society is mailed out to every member of the Society. Information about membership can be found here

Welcome to issue 469, which is crammed with even more features and pictures than the last.

Made in London is such a big topic that this journal could easily have been a book. Its pages bring the glittering kaleidoscope that is London today into focus, a city built on so many incarnations of skill and structure that, as towers spring up, it evolves in front of our eyes. But it is the people who design and make things who are the lifeblood of this glorious place — whatever bankers like to think.

Chief GLA regeneration officer Levent Kerimol looks at the small industries being squeezed in the East — the examples he gives are fascinating, some quite unexpected. A photo essay by Grant Smith of these hard workers, from the cheesemakers to the beer brewers, is at the heart of the journal. There’s also a piece on the oldest tailor on Savile Row, whose cutters are as skilled at intuitive tectonics as many architects. But where that company relies on tradition, others rely on new techniques to get ahead, with the new discipline of so-called “empathic design”.

A piece on the Isokon building in Hampstead examines how that meticulously considered building, unique to London, could have a role today in informing how best to build a new generation of affordable homes. We look at ancient London edifices, from churches, photographed over a 25-year period by David Secombe, to the Tower of London, in a book reviewed by novelist Giles Waterfield. Plus there’s a first-person take on London by someone themselves “made in London” — MP Rupa Huq, one of the increasingly rare, and very proud, born-and-bred Londoners.

Last, for readers of a creative bent, we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from a forthcoming book by Phaidon, which shows how to make a chair out of a discarded pallet. Designed by world-famous UK-based designer Martino Gamper, it is London upcycling at its idiosyncratic and distinctive best.

You can buy a copy of the Journal for just £7.50 (p+p free in the UK). Just click here.

Philippa Stockley
Editor

Issue 470 of the Journal of the London Society has just gone off to the printers, and members can look forward to receiving their copy before the end of the month.

To whet your appetite, a preview (sans cover and with the page crop marks still in place) can be seen below. Contents include:

• A look at some of the capital’s regeneration hotspots – Old Kent Road, Battersea Power Station, The Olympic Park, West London by Cecil Sagoe, Peter Watts, Jessica Cargill Thompson, Jonathan Manns
• The EU’s Urban Agenda was agreed in May – weeks before the UK voted to leave the EU. Janice Morphet asks, will London miss out?
• Timeless London a photo essay by Mr Whisper
• Kathryn Firth profiles one of the most notable urban planners in the world, Toronto Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat, to find out why grassroots politics is still important and how she’s tackling the challenge of the suburbs
• Tom Haworth commutes each day from Newbury to north London. Here he muses on how the city might better accommodate its citizens.
• Are housing estates morally owned by those who live in them, or public assets for the good of the wider community? A new report sets out to referee. Ben Derbyshire, one of the report’s authors, explains.
• A recent London Society discussion probed the value of high rise as the answer to our high-density housing needs. Is it really the inevitable panacea it’s made out to be? The event’s chairwoman Claire Bennie reports.
• Inaugurating a series on the best writing on London, past and present, Peter Watts selects some personal favourites
• Plus Geoff Tuffs’ “London Notebook”, book reviews and the letter from the Chairman

If you’re not a member and want to get your hands on a printed copy, either join today and we’ll send you one as soon as we get them in the office, or order via the online shop. The Journal is £7.50, post free.

The post The Latest Journal has gone to press appeared first on The London Society.

The Spring/Summer edition of the Journal of the London Society is now available.

Non-members can get a free copy by joining the Society (details here) or buy a copy at the sale price of just £5 here.

This issue marks 50 years since the 1967 Civic Amenities Act created the first official ‘conservation areas’ as a way of acknowledging the overall character of an area, rather than the merits of individual buildings. There are now more than 1,000 conservation areas in London alone, ranging from elegant Georgian squares and Art Deco housing estates, to places valued more for their community than their architecture, such as the Walworth Road.

London certainly has much worth cherishing – physically and culturally – but we cannot preserve the urban in aspic. Cities are living breathing organisms, they must grow, adapt and evolve. So how do we marry the concept of conservation with the need for continual change? Who chooses what stays and what goes, and according to what criteria? How do we use the best of the past and present to create a meaningful future? The Journal therefore both celebrates some of London’s most attractive conservation areas and hard-fought battles with the bulldozer, but interrogates the concept of conservation itself.

UNTIL 22 JULY YOU CAN BUY A COPY OF THE JOURNAL FOR £2.50 OFF THE USUAL PRICE. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

The post Journal 471 is now Published appeared first on The London Society.

We are looking for stories and contributions for the next issue of the London Society’s Journal.

We also need someone with print production experience to volunteer as a subeditor. This would require carefully fact-checking, editing and styling the copy as it comes in (spread out over end of September and early October).

In particular we will be exploring the theme of:

‘A city for 10 million inhabitants’

We would like to interpret this theme quite broadly and look at the different aspects of London life that are affected by a booming population – not just planning or housing.

We would like to hear about any organisations, thinkers, professionals, community groups etc working on projects – small scale or large – that offer inspiration.

Types of pieces we run:

• 500 word opinion pieces
• short case studies of relevant interesting projects by architects, urbanists, artists, academics, community groups,
• 1,000 word think pieces and reports
• personal profiles/interviews
• photography, illustration, graphic data visualisation

Deadlines: Once commissioned, we will need pieces to be written by the end of September in order to have enough time for design & layout.

Sadly we are unable to pay anyone for their contributions, but will happily plug any websites, blogs, recent publications, upcoming events, etc in exchange. And of course you will not only be helping to make the Journal even better, but contributing to informed ongoing debate amongst London Society members and beyond.

If you’d like to contribute, or want to let us know about any projects you think might be worth us covering, do get in touch at info@londonsociety.org.uk

The post Get involved with The London Society Journal appeared first on The London Society.

The Autumn Winter 2017 edition of the Journal of the London Society is dropping on doormats throughout the capital, and is also available to be bought from the Society for just £7.50 (details here).

New members will receive the Journal free – you can join here.

Editor Jessica Cargill Thompson shares the delights of the new edition.

Ten million. One-zero. That’s how many of us Londoners there’ll be by 2030 – just 12 years’ time. According to figures from the GLA and O ce of National Statistics, we currently number 8.9million, and it’s predicted we’ll pass the 9 million mark some time in 2019.

In relation to other world cities, London thinks of itself as a relatively small city: giant in stature but human in its physical scale. We’re not the neverending urban expanses of Toyko/Yokohama (33 million); the skyscraping canyons of New York; the apartment dwellers of other European capitals; or the squeezed masses of Mumbai (density 23.9 people per sq km compared to London’s 5.1), much as we may admire all of those places. We are traditionally low rise and low density, with a surprising amount of green space. We value culture as much as we value commerce, and pride ourselves on being a place of both hi-tech innovation and ancient monuments. The seemingly unstoppable rush towards 10 million understandably induces palpitations.

In this issue of the Journal we’re pausing to consider what a London of 10 million would look like. What are the opportunities of growth, and what are the caveats? Can we preserve the best of what we have while still being open to innovation and change? How can London guarantee, to borrow the mayor’s term, “good growth”, ensuring it remains a richly mixed city before we carpet everywhere from Uxbridge to Ilford with knee-jerk high-density housing? Will it still be recognisably ‘London’?

Jonathan Manns interviews in influential urban theorist Nikos Salingaros, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas, for a global perspective on growth and successful urban forms. Mark Prizeman looks at the exciting opportunities a city of 10 million might a afford, while Michael Patterson of London Historians revisits London’s past population booms, recounting the effect on the city at the time and how they shaped the London we now love. Emily Gee of Historic England puts the case for planning London’s past into its future, while Urban Planner Zoe Green argues why London must also retain its hi-tech top spot.

On the practical matter of where to physically fit everyone in, Sarah Yates explains why we need to view London as a city of many urban centres that can embrace denser, mixed-use development; John Myers of London YIMBY shows how careful in ll on a local level offers a painless way to increase densities without decreasing neighbourhood character; and Michael Bach of the London Forum stresses the need for including communities in the planning of their future, not leaving it to the policymakers and professionals.

And for some inspiration on how to do good growth well, Lettie McKie meets the pioneering women of OWCH whose cohousing offers a practical housing solution for the expanding over-50s demographic, and Mark Swenarton, author of Cook’s Camden: the Making of Modern Housing, celebrates some of London’s best social housing. It’s unlikely you’ll agree with everyone – and doubtless all London Society members will have their own views on how to accommodate the magic 10 million. But the society has always been about lively debate. Where I hope we can all concur is the need for London to plan its growth rationally and sympathetically, and for the benefit of us all.

The post Journal 472 is now published appeared first on The London Society.

We’re pleased to say that the Journal is now available to be read online via issuu.com. You should be able to see it below – if not, click here to go to the site

You are, of course, much better off with the traditional printed copy of the Journal, and there are two ways to get your hands on one.

The best way is to become a member of the Society, which you can do by visiting this page. Not only will we send you a copy in the post, but you will also get priority booking and discounted tickets for all of our events.

Or you can buy a copy for just £7.50 via our online shop. Just click here.

The post Journal of the London Society Online Edition appeared first on The London Society.

The theme for the summer issue of the London Society Journal will be ‘a future informed by the past’, engaging with the ongoing development and evolution of London, but with a respect for its history.

All ideas are welcome on this broad theme. To get you thinking, the sorts of subjects we might include could be (but aren’t limited to):

• a building or culture or community that’s key to the identity of a neighbourhood
• an area undergoing, or about to undergo, regeneration (how does it respect, or not, existing place and identity)
• a proposed new building, or one under construction, that could become a new landmark
• an example of placemaking where the past has successfully informed sensitive redevelopment (it could even be something from another city that we could learn from)
• icons it’s time to let go of or things London’s lost that we now regret
• areas, communities or cultures that have been obliterated, and what we can learn from past mistakes made
• using technology to find out about the past and our experience of the city eg the best London apps (the past informed by the future!)
• ruins
• nostalgia
• history and identity

Pieces needn’t be very long. They could be:

• short provocations and opinion pieces (about 500 words)
• interviews
• case studies
• lists, maps, miniguides, etc
• photojournalism, and other visual stories
• longer read features (up to 1,500 words)

If you’ve recently produced a report, done some research, written a book, given a talk, or penned a blog that deserves a bigger audience then we’d love to hear about it.

Unfortunately, the Society doesn’t have a budget to offer any payment for the articles, but we could give you free tickets to some of our popular events instead. And of course we will plug websites or publications at the end of the piece.

If you have something you would like to write about, or have something you think we should cover, email the editor, Jessica Cargill Thompson, at jessicact@btinternet.com

And you don’t have to be a member of the London Society to write for the Journal, so do feel free to pass this on to friends or colleagues who you think might be interested.

The post Journal of the London Society – contributions sought appeared first on The London Society.