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About This Podcast
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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Recent Episodes
Deconstructed: Grosvenor Square - Protest and the State
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by the historian Katrina Navickas to discuss the history of Grosvenor Square in Mayfair as a site of protest and policing. From the early twentieth…
The Home That Made Me: 1 Plot, 3 Families
In this episode Fiona Chilton is joined by Miriam, who lives in rural Devon in a home that she bought together with two other households so that they could raise their families side by side. But the…
Deconstructed: Culling Road Ventilation Shaft - Adventurous Vents
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Judy Ovens, one of the authors of the new book ‘Adventurous Vents: A Journey through the Ventilation Shafts of Britain’. They discussed the Culling…
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Healthy Competition
In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our fifth and final debate…
Four more new towns announced and the future of the Museum of London
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by Henrietta Billings. Henrietta is the director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, an organisation dedicated to protecting historical buildings. Since joining…
The Home That Made Me: The place that raised me
In this episode of the Home that Made me, Nabil Al Kinani reflects on his experience growing up on the Chalk Hill Estate in Wembley, and how his sense of self was challenged as he saw his home…
The UK government hires AI to help speed up planning decisions and the new architects of the BT Tower revamp
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Ben Stuart. Ben is director and co-founder of architecture studio able partners, and the host of Able Diaries, a weekly show that gives a…
Deconstructed: Peckham Library - Millenium Culture
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by John Puttick to discuss Peckham Library, one of a number of civic and community projects commissioned to mark the turn of the millenium. It was…
Retail giant John Lewis closes its housebuilding venture and what style of homes do Londoners want?
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chada is joined by architect Jeremy Walker. Jeremy is the Head of Design at Human Nature, a property developer currently working on the construction of the UK’s largest…
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our fourth debate of the year,…
Generational pedestrianisation plans for London's West End and a controversial overhaul of Liverpool Street station
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Christopher Martin. Christopher is the managing director and head of urban design at Urban Movement. Together they discuss:Massive pedestrianisation…
Deconstructed: Robin Hood Gardens - Brutalism and Demolition
In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Sam Elbahja to discuss a vanished building with a complicated history. Robin Hood Gardens was a housing estate in Poplar, designed by Alison and…
Government guidance on best practice design and why you should still become an architect in 2026
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by Caroline Harper. Caroline is the Managing Director of BeFirst, the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s urban regeneration agency. Together…
The Home That Made Me: When home becomes a prison
Introducing a brand new show from Open City: The Home That Made Me.In this episode Fiona Chilton is joined by Clare who after years of renting managed to buy her dream flat in London. But, within a…
Government launches ‘biggest home upgrade plan in UK history’
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Tom Dollard. Tom is an architect and partner for sustainability at Pollard Thomas Edwards. He was recently appointed Mayor’s Design Advocate and is…
Deconstructed: Tate Modern - Art and Power
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Christian Dimbleby to discuss Tate Modern, the former power station converted into a gallery for modern art by Herzog & de Meuron at the turn of…
Labour’s New Towns, rural regeneration and the Da Vinci code of English architectural heritage
Description: This week on The Brief, Merlin Fulcher is joined by Giles Smith, a founding member of the Turner Prize winning art, architecture and design collective Assemble, to discuss:Milton Keynes’…
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Rethinking Recruitment
In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our third debate of the year,…
RIBA vs ARB, Nnena Kalu's Turner Prize win and data centre design
This week on The Brief Merlin Fulcher is joined by curator of Digital Design at the V&A Natalie Kane to discuss: The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects tears up his…
Deconstructed: Matilda House - Co-operative Council Housing
Deconstructed. Matilda House - Co-operative Council Housing. In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Dr Holly Smith to discuss Matilda House, the home of a radical experiment in…
Frequently Asked Questions
Open City has published 280 episodes since August 2020.
Open City is currently active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 34m.
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