Book Bites: Philosophy of Architecture by Illies & Ray
A useful toolkit of architectural philosophy, focusing on ethics and aesthetics and taking a neutral stance… acting as a series of clarifications and questions rather than ready-made answers.
First Things First… again
The launch of the manifesto “First Things First 2020” is only the most recent example of the “ethical design” ideologues’ anti-design impulse.
Abolish the Welsh Assembly!
There is a solution that will benefit the people of Wales immensely – that solution lies in the past. It is a Wales without the Welsh Assembly! Is that a backwards step? Not in the slightest.
Book Bites: “Voices from the Rust Belt” by Anne Trubek (ed)
The book poses some new questions for us as we now see that there are consequences to the hollowing out of American industries and cities.
Which Lives Matter?
The way to get black ministers into the cabinet is to have more black MPs. And the only way to have more black MPs is to have more black people run for Parliament.
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Balls in the Air
Like many others. I’m looking forward to warm summer evenings in the house watching top-flight footie – with only the irksome Gary Lineker to spoil the enjoyment.
Two Countries, One System
The growth of the Shenzhen mega-city across the water, and the sense that Hong Kong is being threatened by its far bigger partner, adds to the sense of uncertainty.
Infrapenny Infrastructure
The relics of disused Victorian railway lines scattered across the landscape attest to a creative spark that demanded progress and bore no sentimentality, a recognition that reaching the future required risk, demolition, casualties.
Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell.
It’s a great book for telling us about Europe between the wars; but also because of what can it tell us about today, in particular homelessness?