Shows / Open City
Open City
Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.
Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.
At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brief – an award-winning review of the big stories in architecture, planning and housing news – hosted…
Episodes
Open CityTalking Landscape - Planning for Beauty
In this first episode of Talking Landscape – a monthly series produced by the Landscape Institute and Open City – host Paul Lincoln discusses beauty in the…
Open CityBlackstone - one of Europe’s largest landlords under the spotlight
This week Merlin catches up with Hettie O'Brien, assistant opinion director at the Guardian. Blackstone, one of Europe’s and the UK’s largest landlords under…
Open CityCampaigners call out misleading data justifying demolition
This week Merlin speaks to Jonathan Morrison, architecture correspondent at The Times and author of a new report on the longevity of architectural firms called…
Open CityThe mini-budget crashes the pound
This week host Phin Harper is joined by the architectural historian and editor of the brilliant About Buildings and Cities podcast, Matthew Lloyd Roberts…
Open CitySix outstanding examples of long-term low-carbon urbanism unveiled
This week Merlin speaks to Julian Robinson. Julian is Director of Estates at the London School of Economics and winner of this year’s Open City Irene Barclay…
Open CityLondon Feeds Itself with Jonathan Nunn
This week Rachel is joined by journalist and author, Jonathan Nunn, to discuss his new book London Feeds Itself. National mourning and mass cancellations in…
Open CityAudio walking tour of the Design District
Greenwich Peninsula, located at a bend in the river Thames, East of historic Greenwich and opposite the mouth of the river Lea, has historically been a…
Open CityOpen House Festival kicks off today
On the first day of the 30th Open House Festival, Merlin speaks to Chief Curator, Zoë Cave Open House – London’s biggest festival of architecture and community…
Open CityRight to Buy takes its first bite out of Stirling Prize winning Goldsmith Street
This week Merlin is joined by the journalist and author of Red Metropolis, Owen Hatherley Wandsworth's new council vetoes a development for lacking affordable…
Open CityDesigning spaces to bring people back into the office
This week Rachel speaks to Helen Arvanitakis, Director of the Design District in North Greenwich. Average workers now spending just a day and a half in the…
Open CityRishi Sunak caught celebrating the defunding of deprived urban areas
This week Merlin is joined by Joris Lechêne, the diversity and inclusion trainer and the man behind the Tiktok channel @Joris_explains Rishi Sunak caught in…
Open CityHow soaring inflation is pushing people to the brink, with Ben Page
This week Merlin speaks to Ben Page, the global chief executive of market research firm Ipsos. Soaring inflation sees one-eighth of households facing no…
Open CityWhy housing isn't on the conservative leadership agenda with Douglas Murphy
Leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak criticised for lack of housing policy. New London buildings dominate the RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist. The capital…
Open CityExtreme heat highlights the inadequacies of London's buildings
This week host Rachel Copel is joined by Fran Williams, deputy architecture editor at the AJ On the menu: London burns as soaring temperatures highlight the…
Open CityPower and Public Space
A new covid wave has meant we are sadly unable to make an episode of The Londown this week. However, instead we're going to play you an episode of the…
Open CityWhat is the Most Sustainable Way to Build? with Smith Mordak and Richard Ellis
For this weeks Open City Stewardship Awards special host Phin Harper is joined by Director of Sustainability and Physics at the integrated consulting engineers…
Open CityRIBA elections with candidate Muyiwa Oki
The Royal Institute of British Architects names its three presidential contenders | A US property price slump casts doubts over London’s residential market |…
Open CityStewardship awards special with Peabody's John Lewis
For this weeks Open City Stewardship Awards special Merlin is joined by the Executive Director for Thamesmead at Peabody - John Lewis. The Londown is recorded…
Open CityFive years on from Grenfell with Pooja Agrawal
Five years on Grenfell survivors say they are still waiting for justice. A toxic culture spanning decades at London’s most famous architecture school…
Open CityHelp to Buy scrapped early, with Will Jennings
Help to Buy scrapped amid a looming housing market slowdown, Marketisation of landmark buildings takes a twist with some questionable projections, Camden…
Open CityThe opening of Crossrail with Deborah Saunt
Crossrail finally opens with 10 new central London stations, public ownership takes centre stage in Old Oak Common’s redevelopment vision, City Hall sets out…
Open CityProtestors clash with police in Dalston - with Will Ing
Protestors clash with police over immigration arrests in Dalston, Bitter row erupts over last-minute changes to RIBA election rules, Design competition for a…
Open CityThe local election results are in with Liane Hartley
Key London councils swing left ending decades of Conservative dominance, Sadiq Khan calls for rent freezes as Bank of England hints at looming recession, New…
Open CityElection special with Jenna Goldberg and Shawn Adams
Cost of living crisis set to dominate London’s local elections, contentious plans to extend Right to Buy are dusted off once again, new data reveals the…
Open CityWhat's the deal with Secured by Design? With Fran Williams
Michael Gove puts the brakes on Marks and Spencers’ controversial Oxford Street redevelopment, new questions over Secured by Design allowing the police to…
Open CityLondown Live from Architect@Work
We recorded this episode at Architect@Work at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. This week our host Phin Harper is joined by Open House Festival Chief Curator…
Open CityLondown Live from the Stirling Prize winning Kingston Townhouse
This episode of the Londown was recorded live at Kingston University with Open City's Siraaj Mitha, the writer and historian Tom Wilkinson, and architect and…
Open CityOverdevelopment on the Southbank and the problem with MIPIM
Controversial plans to replace ITV’s Southbank studios with new skyscrapers approved. MIPIM: the global property fair where London’s public housing is bought…
Open CityThe true environmental cost of new developments in London with Joe Giddings
This week Merlin catches up with the architect and co-founder of Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), Joe Giddings. On the menu: Stratford Sphere – a…
Open CityOligarch mansions, the green belt, and Iconicon with John Grindrod
This week Rachel catches up with author of new book 'Iconicon: A Journey Around the Landmark Buildings of Contemporary Britain', John Grindrod. Join us for a…
Open CitySight loss and the city
This special episode is a collaboration between Sustrans and the Open City podcast. In it, we will hear from members of visual impairment charity Croydon…
Open CityThe radical new Ulez with Oli Lord
This week Merlin is joined by Oliver Lord, head of Clean Cities Campaign UK. They discuss Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion whouch could transform air quality and…
Open CityThe Great Homes Upgrade with Catherine Croft
This week Merlin catches up with Catherine Croft, who is the Director of the Twentieth Century Society. On todays show; retrofit takes centre stage in upcoming…
Open CityArchitecture tested to the brink of destruction with Fran Williams
This week Merlin catches up with fellow AJ journalist Fran Williams. They discuss how London's iconic architecture was tested to the brink of destruction by…
Open CityOne year of The Londown
We can't quite believe it's been a year since we started this show. Join Host Merlin Fulcher, Open City's Phin Harper, and Producer Poppy Waring for a round…
Open CityThe Silvertown Tunnel and Modern Buildings in Britain with Owen Hatherley
This week architecture critic Phin Harper steps in for Rachel Copel as host, and speaks to the author and journalist Owen Hatherley. They discuss the 11th hour…
Open CityThe cost of living crisis with Sadie Morgan
This week Merlin speaks to Sadie Morgan, founding director of Stirling Prize winning architecture practice dRMM and a board member of Homes England. Our top…
Open CityRidley Road market rescued with Sahiba Chadha
This week, host Merlin Fulcher catches up with architect Sahiba Chadha, partner at Cullinan Studio and course leader on Open City’s Accelerate programme Our…
Open CityRichard Rogers iconic Lloyd's building with Andrew Waugh
This week, our new host Rachel Copel catches up with the Andrew Waugh, the founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects and advocate for low carbon design…
Open CityKill the bill, and journey charges with Jonn Elledge
This week Merlin is joined by journalist, writer, and author of 'The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything' - Jonn Elledge. Join us for a discussion on: the…
Open CityThe Colston Four with Rosamund Lily West
For our first show of 2022, Zoe Cave speaks to Rosamund Lily West - the curator, writer, historian, and Open City tour guide. As Bristol’s Colston Four are…
Open CityThe Londown Christmas Quiz Special
The Londown Christmas Special is here! This week we have four special guests all vying to win this years biggest architecture quiz. On team one we have head of…
Open CityWhat's ahead for Powell and Moya’s Museum of London with Ella Jessel
New office plans threaten to flatten Powell and Moya’s landmark Museum of London; Government accused of collusion with industry over flammable cladding used at…
Open CityThe cladding scandal, gentrification, and infill with Patricia Brown
This week Zoe Cave is joined by Patricia Brown, the director of the built environment consultancy Central. Join us as we discuss why the cladding scandal is…
Open CityCamden, Heritage, HS2 and TfL with Owen Hatherley
This week Camden is crowned the start up capital, heritage battles rage across the city, HS2 is part-dumped and TfL faces dire financial woes - yet three big…
Open CityLondown Live with Nana Biamah-Ofosu and Hettie O'Brien from the SLG
This week, the Londown was recorded in front a of a live studio audience at the beautiful South London Gallery. Merlin took to the stage with architect and…
Open CityMore on the Marble Arch mound with Jonathan Glancey
This week, Merlin spoke to the renowned architecture critic and writer Jonathan Glancey. Tune in to hear them discuss the staggering cost of making our homes…
Open CityBiobased materials, futuristic architecture, and vertiports with Alpa Depani
This week Zoe caught up with architect Alpa Depani to discuss this week in architecture. The stories this week include the U+I buyout by behemoth rival, the…
Open CityThe budget and COP26 with Will Ing
This week Merlin is joined by fellow AJ journalist Will Ing. On the menu: A 1.8 billion pounds budget boost for new homes on post industrial ‘brownfields’ |…
Open CityEstate Demolition, Cycling, and Podcasts with Luke Jones
Sadiq Khan announces a major review into affordable housing delivery | Lambeth Council forced to compensate residents over refurb works which left Grade…
Open CityThe Stirling Prize and estate demolitions with Siraaj Mitha
Join critic Phin Harper and head of Accelerate Siraaj Mitha to chew through the week's big stories in London's architecture, housing and planning worlds. On…
Open CityMichael Gove, the cladding scandal, and Cosmic House with Edwin Heathcote
This week on the Londown Zoe and FT architecture critic Edwin Heathcote analyse Gove's first public outing as housing secretary, and his comments on 'ugly'…
Open CityNine Elms regeneration & retrofit with Cllr Aydin Dikerdem
This week Merlin spoke with Aydin Dikerdem - the councillor for Queenstown Ward in the Battersea and Nine Elms area of Wandsworth, south west London. They…
Open CityLondown Live with Cath Slessor and Thomas Aquilina
This week we bring you the first ever Live Londown - direct from the Museum of the Home as part of their Festival of the Home. Merlin is joined by Catherine…
Open CityThe Stirling Prize shortlist with Ellis Woodman
Two London landmarks vye for architecture’s highest accolade, the Stirling Prize // Government looks set to water down its contentious planning reforms // New…
Open CityPeter Barber and ABBA with Shawn Adams
Rushed Grenfell demolition-plans spark fury over lack of consultation // Architect of London’s new-wave of social housing - Peter Barber - feted for lifetime…
Open CityTransport: cycling and walking with Ruth Lang
Soho ditches al fresco dining as Brick Lane turns car free; A tragic road death sparks new protests over cycling safety; Battle lines drawn over social homes…
Open CityLondon's 'golf belt', Trellick Tower, and XR with Robin Hutchinson
The staggering scale of London’s ‘golf belt’ revealed, a redevelopment row erupts next to Ernö Goldfinger’s iconic Trellick Tower, a fortnight of Extinction…
Open CityPubs, trains, and grassroots culture with Tim Dunn
New research suggests community-owned pubs help temper extreme political views | Why planning deregulation could be to blame for 800,000 new unsustainable…
Open CityDevastating climate report, and this years Open House Festival with Phin Harper
Damning climate change report warns of unprecedented devastation in our cities; victory for Save-Latin-Village after fifteen years of campaigning by dedicated…