The housing crisis

Abstract

A few months ago I took part in a gloomy debate about the housing crisis with the celebrated modernist architect Kate Macintosh. All the speakers had referred despairingly to the demolition of dozens upon dozens of London's housing estates—the ‘London clearances’ written about so cogently by Simon Elmer and Geraldine Dening in this Special Feature. When Kate got up to speak she talked about her experience of designing South London's landmark Dawson's Heights in the 1960s and the success of recent community projects in bringing North London's once troubled Broadwater Farm Estate together. ‘Does she not know it's also under threat of demolition?’, I wondered to myself. It turns out she did, with her voice cracking as she continued, breaking down in tears at the thought of what the community now had to face, despite all their efforts. Then she composed herself and continued. But as she returned to her seat she was tripped up by a misplaced lead and fell, breaking her arm. It was an upsetting incident and felt to me like a disturbing metaphor for London's housing crisis.