Archinect - News

Farshid Moussavi one of ten appointed to Mayor of London’s new Town Architects committee

2024-10-29T15:53:00-04:00

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the appointment of Harvard GSD professor and architect Farshid Moussavi to a new two-year pilot program to improve public space and high streets in the city.

The Town Architects program includes ten total names and is meant to "support the creation of safe, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods and economic growth by ensuring that boroughs" by augmenting the planning process in unison with Chief Placeshaping Officers and Design Champions. Each architect was chosen from the existing Design Advocates pool. Joining Moussavi are Jas Bhalla, Adam Khan, Ken Okonkwo, Holly Lewis, Hilary Satchwell, Paul Monaghan, Tom Holbrook, Alice Fung, Julian Lewis.

London selected as host of the 2023 Ecocity World Summit

2022-01-19T15:25:00-05:00

Climate activists in the UK are set for another round of high-stakes international climate meetings as London has just been announced as host of the 2023 Ecocity World Summit.

The biannual summit has been held since 1990 and is a key platform for leaders to pore over and present effective strategies in the world’s fight against climate change. The city’s bid as host comes just a few short months after another UK city, Glasgow, took its successful turn as host of the COP26 summit, which organizers will look to continue the momentum of.

Representatives from all walks of life across the city will gather in the Barbican Centre for the three-day event when it begins on June 6th. The city’s month-long Festival of Architecture will provide an apt backdrop for the throngs of activists, environmental designers, and urban planners who attend. An unnamed green “legacy project” will be put together by participants in the conference to mark the collaborative spirit of the occasion.

Previously ...

Boris Johnson faces continuing pressure over canceled London garden bridge

2018-03-19T13:40:00-04:00

Gwynne demanded Johnson provide evidence for his allegation against Will Hurst, the managing editor of Architects’ Journal who has won several awards for his coverage of the garden bridge, or withdraw them and apologise. The letter adds to the pressure on Johnson over his role in the troubled story of the planned pedestrian link across the river Thames, which he commissioned and championed as mayor of London, a job he held until May 2016.

During his term in the London mayoral chair, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson advocated passionately for the £46m Heatherwick-designed London garden bridge proposal, which ultimately lost public support and was scrapped by incoming mayor Sadiq Khan—while the financial burden for the controversial project remains on the public.

A new Labour initiative pressures Johnson to shed light on his allegations that Architects’ Journal managing editor Will Hurst essentially killed the project because of a "dislike that the Architects’ Journal journalist concerned had for Thomas Heatherwick". Hurst and the AJ categorically deny this claim.

London mayor Sadiq Khan blocks extra funds for garden bridge

2016-07-11T03:34:00-04:00

The future of London’s proposed garden bridge has been called into further question after the city’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, halted preparatory work on the structure over fears this could involve more public money being spent. The Garden Bridge Trust says the bridge from South Bank to Temple, featuring 270 trees and thousands of plants, will be a “tiara” for London, being both an iconic landmark and a vital pedestrian bridge.

Read more about London's Garden Bridge on architnect:

London's garden bridge, the saga continues

Why are Heatherwick's proposals succeeding in New York but tanking in London?

Sadiq Khan investigates troublesome details in Thames garden bridge project

Infrastructure or advertisement? Sky to sponsor the Garden Bridge

Sadiq Khan names Justine Simons deputy mayor for culture

2016-07-01T11:46:00-04:00

Top figures from the cultural world applauded the appointment of Justine Simons, 45, by Mayor Sadiq Khan, who handed her responsibility for firms working in film, music, video games, crafts and publishing. She said: “My lifelong belief is that creativity can transform lives and places. “Culture is part of London’s DNA. It’s a big reason so many of us choose to visit and live here, it generates billions for our economy and gives London its unique character and dynamism.

A guide to London mayoral candidates and their housing policies

2016-03-30T20:56:00-04:00

Which London mayor candidate will fix the capital's housing crisis? There’s a short answer to [that] question. It is that none of them will. There are two big reasons for that: one, there’s only so much any mayor has the power to do about the city’s various housing problems; two, none of the front line candidates are willing to do everything they actually could do. Housing policy is difficult stuff...

For more on London's housing woes, check out these links: