All Opinion articles – Page 2
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OpinionHow to create a family friendly workplace that supports your staff during the summer holidays and beyond
Balancing work and family life during summer holidays is challenging for parents and carers, but creating a supportive workplace can make a significant difference, writes Jimmy Bent
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OpinionWhy architects need to embrace the new UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
The NZCBS proposes to limit emissions in the built environment in line with our nation’s climate targets, writes Dav Bansal
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OpinionWill Labour’s proposed planning changes really deliver more homes?
This week has been dominated by housing policy including a new towns task force and proposals to build more homes in more places including the green belt
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OpinionPublic Practice: How I discovered the joys of policy writing in the public sector
Writing policy and helping to shape the context of local development can be as rewarding as designing, writes Cinzia De Vincenziis
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OpinionThe Building Safety Act provides a once in a generation opportunity for architects to deliver meaningful change
The new act challenges the profession to up its game and rediscover its repututation for leadership and professionalism, writes Giuseppe Messina
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OpinionThe experts our cities need most
As expertise is welcomed back into government, it’s time our cities got the placemaking leadership they desperately need, writes Sophie Thompson
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OpinionHow the planning system can be improved under Labour
Ministers must be wary of unintended consequences when pushing ahead with planning reforms, writes Ben Derbyshire
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OpinionHow cities are redefining the meaning of Olympic legacy
As Olympic venues evolve from fleeting showcases to lasting urban assets, how we design for these huge international events reveals profound societal shifts, writes Eleanor Jolliffe
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OpinionHistoric England’s decarbonisation advice is a missed opportunity to fully embrace the climate crisis
The heritage advisor’s new guidance on how to retrofit historic buildings without harming them includes some welcome details but leaves too much to interpretation, writes climate and heritage specialist Chris Procter
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OpinionWhy we should be transforming struggling shopping centres into sustainable urban hubs
Could large shopping centres become dynamic, vibrant, mixed-use, live-work communities in the future? What are the factors that could drive this transformation, and why might it be desirable, asks Matt Bowker
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OpinionHistoric buildings are never in stasis. Why would it be any different for landscapes?
We need to approach landscape conservation with the same nuance and care that we show to buildings, write Patrick James and Dorian Proudfoot
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OpinionAre we asking the right questions about profit?
Paul Vick on why we need to rethink the meaning of profitability and value to better reflect the real challenges of the environmental crisis
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OpinionWill Labour backbenchers turn out to be YIMBYs or NIMBYs?
The election result means many traditionally anti-development constituencies now have Labour MPs with small majorities. Will they oppose Starmer’s green belt plans? And if so will he stand up to them, asks Paul Smith.
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Opinion‘Green’ places are not always the most sustainable. Can Labour square the circle on green space and urban density?
Labour’s pledge to release green belt for new housing raises important questions about the balance between density and sustainability, writes Joe Holyoak
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OpinionFrom Miesian cool to urban discord: Why the new 1 Undershaft scheme misses the mark
As developers push for more floorspace at 1 Undershaft, the historic St Andrew Undershaft church and St Helen’s Piazza face significant disruption, writes Ben Derbyshire
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OpinionHoward Bernstein: The visionary who helped save Manchester
David Rudlin celebrates Howard Bernstein’s strategic foresight and the transformative projects that underscore the enduring impact of his civic leadership
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from losing our skills?
Has the centrality of two-dimensional representation in the built envirionment professions had its day, asks Anna Beckett
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OpinionWhat makes a successful new town?
Samuel Hughes explores the key elements of successful new towns through history and how these lessons might inform the new government’s housing strategy
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OpinionAbove and beyond: The sea change in construction runs deeper than regulation
As we await the report from phase two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Ryan Ferguson reflects on how much the industry has learned since the tragedy
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OpinionSwimming in the Seine: ‘What a wonderful, romantic ambition’
The Paris Olympics has had to tackle political, environmental, and urban planning challenges, writes Sophie Thompson