bottom drawer

This time last year, I made a resolution to blog more here. It didn't happen. This year I'm going to try a bit better, and hopefully this will be aided by my recent decision to go back to a freelance lifestyle, after a year of full-time work as GPA 's deputy director. I'm still working 2 days a week with them, as an Associate, but also branching out to take on new projects and gain the flexibility to pursue my own interests a little more. It definitely feels like the right decision so far, with already some interesting projects on the go, and more in the offing for the New Year. But most importantly, if I can spend a day a week in the London Library writing and reading, that would revolutionise my life. Anyway, happy holidays to everyone, hope you all have full bellies, and see y'all in the New Year! PS: Gig alert! We are playing at the Apple Tree in Clerkenwell on Jan 6th! come along...

OK. I generally love Arup and admire their history and philosophy. I have friends there, I have indeed collaborated with them in the past. But this is just quackery...I really hope it isn't as dumb as it sounds. Today's BD: Arup’s Peter Head, project director of Dongtan — the proposed low-carbon city near Shanghai three-quarters of the size of Manhattan — told BD the firm had devised a more scientific system to create a “sense of place”, incorporating historical and cultural elements into designs. Head predicted that Arup’s new approach, which has led to the development of 24 cultural places or “scenes” within Dongtan, would be a valuable tool in helping create an identity for the troubled Thames Gateway. Head said the system will help create identity and context for new public space through disciplines including psychology, anthropology, music and art. In Dongtan, this focuses on the historical relationship between people and the natural ...

The headline that grabbed the press today about Gordon's pre-budget speech was his pledge that all homes should be carbon-neutral in ten years time. While you all sit back and think about how to deliver that one (he didn't help by giving no details), he also said that in the short term he would give a limited-term stamp duty relief to zero-carbon homes. Building Schools for the Future projects would have to meet BREEAM Very Good or Excellent ratings. These 'green' measures were by far the most extreme out of a speech that I thought was surprisingly tame on the subject of green taxes . A mere £5 extra tax on flights, a few pence on petrol... And for those of you who care about these things, the introduction of any Planning Gain Supplement will be delayed till 2009 to have time for a fresh consultation. Well, I think it is a pretty weak attempt to gain green points off the Tories but it is noticeable that Cameron has not come out saying that he would have been any more ...

Wow, it's been so over-previewed that I had a strange sense of deja-vue when it actually came out . But if you have avoided, so far, the welter of breathless journalism, this is basically what it said: Less Planning . Extend permitted development rights for minor house extensions/alterations, microgeneration and other small things. A more 'risk-based' approach and less paperwork required to support applications. Relaxation of use classes to enable more mixed-use designation and easier change of use Less time taken preparing LDFs - aiming for 18-24 months, not the current 36-42. Faster processing of planning appeals, a new mediation service and a major reduction in the number of schemes called-in by ministers. And most ambiguously, encouragement for authorities to 'review' green belt designations to ensure a sufficient supply of land, although the report also strongly supports the principle of town centre-first development. A national planning commission to examine ...

I actually played another gig in Camden on Sunday but it was a bit late notice...however here's another golden opportunity to come hear the Coal Porters with twin fiddling action from their original and best fiddler Gemma, plus the rather amateur moi, at the lovely Ritzy Cinema bar on the 22nd December. And in other related news, I gave in and ordered a new iPod...

Oh dear - sorry. A week of unexpected amounts of things to do, followed by a week in Bucharest running a workshop on culturally led regeneration for the British Council, means it is a shockingly long time since I last posted. And indeed there may be more changes afoot in my blogging life as a few changes take place to what I'm up to, but more of that soon. The big stories while I've been AWOL have involved Battersea Power Station being bought for £400m by an Irish consortium - possibly the least unexpected deal of the year as we've known about the negotations for some time. Also more Olympics news, with Ricky Burdett being offically unveiled as a design adviser to the ODA, and the ex-Archigram and creator of a blob in Graz, Peter Cook, being brought on board to HOK's team for the stadium to spice it up some. Zaha's aquatic centre came out with nil points on the environmental front, and got massively scaled down in size. That's beside yet more boring speculat...