Roles and Responsibilities in Housing and Health histories: Inspectors and Area Development and Redevelopment

As 2023 draws to a close and with so much bad news around housing, I am trying to finish on a positive note. In this post I have drawn together several pieces I have written for the wonderful Municipal Dreams blog https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com which celebrates the fundamental achievements in council housing and the commitment of so [...]

By |2023-12-31T08:44:16+00:00December 29th, 2023|Decline and Regeneration, Garden City Inspired, Housing and Health Research, Housing and History, Regulation etc, Suburbia, Tower Blocks and Flats|Comments Off on Roles and Responsibilities in Housing and Health histories: Inspectors and Area Development and Redevelopment

How can we better communicate the importance of housing history through the arts?

I am really pleased to host Josh Knowles' post this month including the lovely artwork he created during a recent creative histories session (details below). I think the arts define the history of housing and buildings. The art (and therefore) cultural ideas of a place are the lens through which we build and define the [...]

By |2023-02-21T18:05:37+00:00February 21st, 2023|Arts, Decline and Regeneration, Housing and History|Comments Off on How can we better communicate the importance of housing history through the arts?

Flats!

Happy new year to everyone. This post has in fact been in the making for years – further delayed by Covid-related workload – as I have tried to collect my thoughts and fill in gaps and it can still only scratch the surface of understanding something about the history of flats. Some flats and indeed [...]

Nick Hedges: Home

Nick Hedges really is the most astonishing documentary photographer. When I found that his book was going to be published, I just had to get a copy. Fifty year's on, his work for Shelter still provides impetus. You can read more about some of Nick's inspirations in his work here. I have worked in housing for [...]

By |2021-05-03T18:34:13+01:00March 31st, 2021|Decline and Regeneration, Housing and History, Photography|Comments Off on Nick Hedges: Home

Photo archives – discovering housing from the past

I was delighted to be asked to co-host Housing History Hour https://www.househistoryhour.co.uk on 4thFebruary at 7pm (GMT) and this post draws together more online resources that can be helpful to those wishing to learn more. Please click here to see the #HouseHistoryHour Moments from that event. I am constantly finding new resources and am putting [...]

By |2021-02-11T18:23:53+00:00February 2nd, 2021|Decline and Regeneration, Housing and Health Research, Housing and History, International Housing (Non UK), Photography|Comments Off on Photo archives – discovering housing from the past

Learning from documentary type films

A previous post looked at some films related to housing, and this post focuses on historical documentary type films that help us to understand what has happened in the past in addressing poor housing conditions, in particular area clearance and redevelopment programmes. This is a complex subject, involving not only physical housing conditions and management, [...]

By |2021-05-03T18:27:47+01:00November 11th, 2020|Decline and Regeneration, Film, Housing and History|Comments Off on Learning from documentary type films

How very modern(istic)

Whilst some may criticise the ‘sameness’ of suburbia of the interwar period 1918-1939, looking more closely we can find numerous decent family homes set in landscaped places and some lovely examples of housing design history, especially those built during the 1930s. Development of suburbia was not of course an isolated event, but part of an [...]

The V&A, social housing and Robin Hood Gardens

One of the best things about living on the London underground is having such easy access to London's countless cultural venues and range of exhibitions. At first glance the V&A - a museum of art and design - may seem an unexpected place to host an exhibition about social housing. It's a small exhibition, but [...]

By |2019-04-26T19:06:04+01:00February 21st, 2019|Decline and Regeneration, Film, Housing and History, Modernism, Modernist Inspired, Photography, Tower Blocks and Flats, Unique and Usual Places|Comments Off on The V&A, social housing and Robin Hood Gardens

Living with Buildings: Health and Architecture

The Wellcome Collection deliver some really good exhibitions and I have been to many over the years. This one is one of their best and it's on until 3rd March 2019. Living with Buildings: Health and Architecture  is good because it combines buildings with literature and art, so is right up my street for sure. The [...]

By |2019-01-19T07:46:25+00:00November 28th, 2018|Decline and Regeneration, Film, Housing and History|Comments Off on Living with Buildings: Health and Architecture

Dr Christopher Addison revisited

We finished last month’s blog with a book review urging that more be said about some of our great public health pioneers like Dr Christopher Addison. For someone who achieved so much, there is surprisingly little written about him although the Bodleian Library has catalogued his papers and speeches are available via Hansard. I first came across [...]

By |2018-11-17T15:38:37+00:00October 25th, 2018|Decline and Regeneration, Garden City Inspired, Housing and Health Research, Housing and History|Comments Off on Dr Christopher Addison revisited
Go to Top