The Architects’ Journal Architecture News & Buildings
Questions over mega-projects as Lendlease steps back from UK construction
Australian construction and developer giant Lendlease is to pull back from its UK construction work, raising questions about a series of mega-schemes on its books
Planning
News about the planning system in the UK, including permitted development rights, the National Planning Policy Framework, the London Plan and the ‘country house’ clause
Labour to unveil vision for series of new towns
The Labour party is set to announce plans to build a series of new towns across the UK if it comes into power
Press play: How designing for children could revitalise British housing
UK housing developments typically neglect the needs of children and families, negatively impacting health and quality of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way
Health minister in ethics row over claims about 15-minute cities
‘Dishonest’ claims made by a government minister about 15-minute cities have been labelled ‘disappointing’ by the profession amid an ethics row
Brass Architecture reveals plans to convert 1930s cinema into community space
An evangelical church has commissioned emerging practice Brass Architecture to revamp a former Manchester cinema as a community asset, replacing earlier proposals to turn the 1930s venue into luxury flats
Government’s ‘weak and inadequate’ carbon plan must face judicial review
The High Court has ruled that the government’s carbon reduction plan should face a judicial review, upholding a legal challenge that argued the government was ‘irrational’ in asserting that carbon targets would be met
Thinktank slams ‘tall building mania’ and calls for public votes on towers
A leading right-wing thinktank has slammed the UK’s ‘mania for tall buildings’, and is demanding a planning policy overhaul, including a new public vote on towers over 60m
Labour looks to building on ‘grey belt’ to meet housing targets
Labour has promised to release ‘grey belt’ land – low-quality or neglected green belt land – for housebuilding if it wins the forthcoming general election
Council mulls legal challenge after Gove backs ColladoCollins high-rise plan
Reading Borough Council is considering a legal challenge after Michael Gove overturned the findings of a planning inquiry into a controversial high-rise development in the town
AI will never replace the human creative spark
While artificial intelligence can help us to be more efficient, the creative and collaborative nature of architecture and design can never be replaced by a computer program, argues John Porter