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 by Sahiba Chadha and Fran Williams on a fortnightly basis.
Alongside this is Deconstructed – a monthly podcast hosted by Matthew Lloyd Roberts taking apart the architecture of individual buildings and InterCities – a monthly podcast hosted by Owen Hatherley exploring municipal transformation around the world.
All three shows profile new, expert and diverse voices from across industry, journalism, academia and beyond. The Open City Podcast is produced by Hunter Charlton and Paige Reynolds. The commissioning editor is Merlin Fulcher.
The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau.
To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.
Photo credit: Owen Hatherley portrait © Antonio Olmos
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- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 35 minutes
- Episodes
- 249
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes
This week Sahiba spoke to Charles Holland; the architect and author of the new book 'How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone'
// Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million…
Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms
This week Merlin spoke to the architect, author and columnist Eleanor Jolliffe
// Sadiq Khan pledges to end rough sleeping in the capital // The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report delayed yet again // Ge…
Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years
This week Merlin spoke to the Chief Executive of Camden Highline, Simon Pitkeathley
// Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years // Outrage over King Charles’ ‘ideal town’ proposal in…
Brutalism and Biodiversity
In this episode Paul spoke to the landscape architect, urban designer and Director of Landscape and Placemaking at Peabody, Dr Phil Askew. Their discussion centered around the landscape-led regenerat…
Norwich City Council 'disappointed' after sell flagship homes lost to right to buy
This week Sahiba spoke to Amandeep Singh Kalra. Amandeep is the Associate Director of Be First, the regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham council.
// Norwich City Council 'disappointed' after sell …
Council housing ratcheting up the political agenda
This week Merlin speaks to the President of the RIBA, Muyiwa Oki.
// Council housing ratcheting up the political agenda ahead of big year of elections // How generative AI is transforming the work of …
Spring budget criticised for failing to boost housing
This week Merlin spoke to Simon Vickery, the Programme Manager of the Open House Festival.
// Spring budget criticised for failing to boost housing // A government report finds Lown Traffic Neighbourh…
Tidal Pools and the Landscape of Swimming
In this episode Paul spoke to the co-founder of architects Studio Octopi and Future Lidos Group; Chris Romer-Lee. Chris is a outdoor swimming enthusiast and tidal pool advocate, and his practice was …
Competition Probe into the UK’s Biggest Housebuilders
This week Merlin is joined by Tom Wilkinson. Tom is a writer and historian, and author of the new book ‘Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914–1923'
// Competition…
Government warned London house building is grinding to a halt
This week Producer Poppy spoke to Fran Williams - the architectural journalist and occasional host of The Brief - to discuss the big stories in housing, architecture, and planning news this week.
// G…
RIBA president slams Labour’s £28bn green U-turn
This week Sahiba spoke to Rob Fiehn, the Director of the London Society
// RIBA president Muyiwa Oki slams Labour’s £28 billion pound green U-turn // Michael Gove approves controversial South Bank tow…
Landscape-Led Waste Water Infrastructure
In this episode Paul spoke to the architect, curator and urbanist, Madeleine Kessler. Together they looked at waste water management in London, and investigated the value of holistic design-led appro…
Housebuilders throw support behind Labour as Conservatives ‘bow to Nimbyism’
This week Sahiba spoke to Pooja Agrawal. Pooja is an architect, chief executive of Public Practice, and a trustee of Open City.
// Housebuilders throw support behind Labour as Conservatives ‘bow to Ni…
Reestablishing the link between housing and health
This week Merlin spoke to the architect and co-founder of the Stirling Prize-winning practice Haworth Tompkins, Graham Haworth.
// Calls for a Royal Commission into housing and health as 5,000 deaths …
Lesley Lokko wins RIBA Gold Medal
Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides.
This week Merlin spoke to Siraaj Mitha, Head of Open City's Acce…
Fresh divisions emerge in the debate over greenbelt development
Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides.
On the show this week Merlin spoke to Des Fitzgerald. Des is a p…
Sustainable Urban Drainage systems for a greener future
In this episode we investigated the importance of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in building a greener future, with Sue Illman who guest edited this edition of Landscape which is dedicated to the…
Words on Wood: A Trillion Trees with Fred Pearce
Special episode of award-winning podcast series examining forest restoration.
Open City is delighted to present this special episode of Words on Wood, a fantastic podcast created by the American Hardw…
UK rents up by more than a quarter since 2020
This week Merlin spoke to Rowan Moore - the architecture critic of The Observer and author of several books including ‘Property: The myth that built the world’
// UK rents up by more than a quarter si…
Pioneering Parks of the Past and Future
In this episode, Paul spoke to Karen Fitzsimon, Colleen D’Souza and Rajan Dewan. Karen is a chartered landscape architect, historian, and horticulturist. Colleen is Director and Head of Cracknell’s I…