Category: Uncategorized

Story now enters its sixth month. Drainage channel and new tarmac laid.  Will it work? Later (20 Feb) NO: smaller but still a puddle. See below.

After a lot of lobbying and a defeat at Newham’s Development Control Committee, local residents and traders are delighted that London’s new (and conservative) Mayor Boris Johnston has used his powers to REJECT the council/St Modwen proposals to replace the Queen’s Market with a new market + a lot of shops + a very dense residential development. The campaigns had been opposing the scheme because of the risks it would pose to the viability and cheapness of the market, and also because the housing scheme was only 14% ‘affordable’ housing. Boris has rejected the scheme because he regards a 30+ storey tower as inappropriate for the area. But a victory is a victory and there is great jubilation. More on their web site http://www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk

That should take you to my photos.

From: Stale Holgersen

 

Hi!

 

Last year I submitted a thesis on the urban development and planning

process at King’s Cross in London. And currently I work as a

city-planner in Norway.

 

Last fall I received an e-mail from a German publisher – VDM Verlag.

They had read my thesis on the Internet (www.kxrlg.org.uk <http://www.kxrlg.org.uk>), and

proposed to publish it as a book. This book is now a reality, and can

be purchased online. The book is called “Class Conflicts and Planning

– A Case Study of Contemporary Development at King’s Cross in London”.

 

Continue reading “Good new book, good publishing story”

You did a lot of fine things in your 8 years, including

transforming transport from a downward spiral to an upward one,

good anti-war and foreign policy,

good on equalities, the living wage and so on.

But your Faustian pact with big business alienated a lot of your support, made many people grit their teeth while they voted for you, and has actually caused a lot of damage and intensified exploitation.

, Continue reading “Ken Livingstone's mayoral term ended by [what? widespread stupidity + the Evening Standard ]”

Mark from This Land is Ours sent round the pnuk list a resume on why the government has rejected PGS. I replied and outlined a better alternative….. (NB if you want to comment send an email to m.edwards [at] ucl.ac.uk because I have switched off the comment facility in this blog to reduce spam.)

Continue reading “PGS / roof tax / S106”

What left account can we give of British planning in recent decade(s)? I just spent an enjoyable but challenging time with a norwegian graduate student, Stale Holgersen, who has been in London studying King’s Cross and asked me this question. He has come across a lot of optimistic writing about “communicative planning” but not much else. We had a couple of hours (and a couple pints of Guiness) but I could not come up with much for him.

Can anyone help to paint the picture?? I felt very ignorant (and a bit self-centred / loneley) so do please help.

Continue reading “Left critiques of British Planning”

Remarkably good meeting in Athens in May 2006.

Continue reading “ESF4 European Social Forum Athens”

Today’s papers report that the people’s republic has announced that it will re-consider putting all its reserves (growing at USD 15bn / month) into USD securities. This seems very important and could really…..

Continue reading “China / exchange rate”