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
Walking the Walk: A Sustainable Urbanism Themed Tour of Marylebone
Given the climate and biodiversity crises we currently face, there is an urgent need to make urban environments more sustainable. This walking tour has been produced to raise awareness of key issues,…
Extreme weather labelled ‘greatest threat’ to UK built heritage
This week Merlin spoke to Director of the C20 Society, Catherine Croft.
// Extreme weather labelled ‘greatest threat’ to UK built heritage // Concrete concerns back in the spotlight as Bristol tower b…
Uncertainty rages over the future of HS2’s Euston terminus
This week Phin spoke to Gareth Dennis, the railway engineer, writer, and sustainable transport advocate.
// Uncertainty rages over the future of HS2’s Euston terminus // Dramatic cabinet reshuffle bri…
Two pioneering new public green space projects in London
In this episode, Paul spoke to Neil Manthorpe, and Kate Digney. Neil leads the Atkins London Landscape and Urban Design Studio, which has just won planning permission from the City of London Corporat…
Transforming London golf courses into housing
This week Merlin spoke to Matthew Lloyd Roberts -- the architectural historian, writer, and editor of the About Buildings podcast
// New images of Liverpool Street’s contentious redevelopment revealed…
Housing crisis takes centre stage in UK media and politics
This week Sahiba spoke to Charlie Edmonds - a project-lead at Civic Square and co-founder of campaign group Future Architects Front.
// Housing crisis takes centre stage in UK media and politics // 10…
Feminist Cities, and Inclusive Green Design
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. Host, Laura Schofield, spoke to Kirstin Taylor, Rachel Smith and Jon Rowe.
Kirstin is …
The Brief - Housing Special
This week we revisit some of the top housing stories we've covered over the past few months on The Brief
Episodes Featured:
‘Mutant’ housing block facing demolition just one year after completion
This week Phin catches up with Joe Giddings: architect, UK lead at Built by Nature, and co- founding member of Architects Climate Action Network.
// ‘Mutant’ housing block facing demolition just one y…
Cursed Objects: The Glass & Steel Totems of Canary Wharf
In lieu of a regular episode of The Brief, we are bringing you an episode of one of our favorite podcasts Cursed Objects. We highly recommend you check out their other episodes via this link, and whi…
Government takes over bankrupt Birmingham City Council
This week Fran spoke to Barbara Speed, the Deputy Opinion Editor at the Guardian.
// Government takes over Birmingham City Council amid threats of further local authority bankruptcies // HS2’s Manches…
Crisis in concrete: the school estate shutdown and how we got here
The schools estate is crumbling and new revelations over the risks of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) have forced closures across the country, stoking alarm among parents and forcing th…
Concrete safety concerns in schools spark a crisis in government
This week Merlin spoke to the new director of The London Society, Rob Fiehn.
//156 schools to close over concrete safety concerns, sparking a crisis in government // Acclaimed social housing architect…
London faces a crisis of dullness
This week Phin spoke to Nabil Al-Kinani. Nabil is a built-environment professional, cultural producer, and guest curator for the Open House Festival 2023
// London faces a crisis of dullness as eccent…
London's largest architecture event - Open House - launches 2023 program
This week Sahiba spoke to Jim Stephenson and Sofia Smith. Jim is an award-winning architectural photographer and filmmaker. Sofia is a writer and photographic artist, and together they run a small fi…
What's next for the Museum of London
This week Merlin spoke to Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London.
Museum of London announces strategic objectives for the next five years // The banks of the river Thames experience a flurry o…
The Londown Climate Change Special
This week we revisit some of our favorite climate related stories we've covered over the past year
Episodes featured:
Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late with…
Eric Parry's tour of the City of London
This is the second audio tour of a two-part series led by architect and Royal Academician Eric Parry visiting London’s two historic cities: Westminster and the City of London
Eric Parry Architects (EP…
Rishi Sunak vows Low Traffic Neighborhoods review
This week Merlin takes to the hot-seat with producer Poppy Waring
// Rishi Sunak vows Low Traffic Neighborhoods review // Micahel Gove rejects M&S Oxford Street demolition in ‘watershed’ moment for re…
Innovative Signage Strategies and Sustainable Urban Development
In this episode Paul speaks to Abukokkar Siddiki and Patricia Brown. Abu is a British Bangladeshi architect who for the past 3 years has been guiding Birmingham City University students through a sus…