Cany Ash’s Post

Restich: the social summit, convened by CREATE STREETS and Labour Together is a great slice through all kinds of activism in the field of social and physical regeneration. I am so pleased to join a session on the role of heritage, stitching and retrofit asking why do we have to look back to move forward? My thoughts… We HAVE to reign in sprawl, allow towns to become more themselves as they grow. And places don’t become themselves by accident. Yes, there are local materials but also a history of crazy characters. It was always tough to fund development and there are incredible stories of bankruptcy along the way. Those who glorified their home towns, delivering philanthropic projects, and responding to frequent changes in fashion, had great tenacity. It feels as if the last fifty years of building what -people-want, housebuilder architecture, is stuck in its own cul de sac. Houses feel accidental and placeless, not responding in anyway to the climate challenges and connectivity needed to make genuine neighbourhoods. We can build new places if they are dense and benefit from our instinctive and collective knowledge of how to live. Excited to join this discussion!