‘The Smithsons on Housing’, B.S. Johnson’s 1970 typically off-kilter documentary on Alison and Peter Smithson for the BBC.

Carrefour - now Asda - Chandler's Ford in June 1981

How the canal network has changed in 40 years - "Canal board faces bill for over a million dumped tyres." The Guardian, 14 February 1983. Attached as an addendum to an internal memo between Treasury officials, discussing British Waterways Board's joint ventures with industry

Excited to start making use of newly digitised Town & Country Planning Association journal archive - issues since 1900, an excellent historical resource. Will speed up research enormously. This was the first table of contents I opened archive.tcpa.org.uk/archive/journa…

The animation for the official song of the 2020 #Giro d'Italia... Really fun and slightly unsettling. Conveys well the kitsch/ mass society self-consciousness of which cycle racing was once the vanguard. youtu.be/8kWw-M1mS1g

I am now turning to MK's unrivalled collection of AFUs (Advance Factory Units) - the best collection of modern industrial buildings in the country - largely unknown - all designed by MK Development Corporation. First, Blakelands North in original (red) and new (blue) colours

If leftists can't unambigiously defend the central principles of the French revolution when they're not just violated, but in a certain sense "at stake" from obscurantists & those even more reactionary than bourgeois liberalism then you might as well just throw the towel in.

Very excited to be organising and moderating this, an exciting line up of speakers soon to be announced!

We have a fully funded NW Consortium DTP PhD scholarship opening at The MSA to research the history of UK telephone exchange buildings (like this one in York) in collaboration with Historic England and BT Archives! Apply here: mmu.ac.uk/research/resea…

Interesting to see the distribution of areas where <10% population was employed in agriculture in England & Wales 1931, South Wales and County Durham noteworthy jstor.org/stable/621020

I'm very pleased that an old friend has crossed back over the pond to pursue fascinating and important research

The contents page of the copy of Colin Ward's 1973 volume 'Vandalism' on archive.org seems to have been vandalised by a small child😁

Huge congratulations to David Mountain! Based on extensive archival research and interviews, his PhD thesis rewrites the history of urban regeneration in Britain, 1960s-80s, combining architectural and planning history in new ways. What a journey it has been, and much more to come!

Non-human intrusion at the annual Sir Peter Hall lecture on Everyday Urbanism The Bartlett School of Planning

On 11/9 I'm doing reflections on the original planning of Milton Keynes with David Mountain, hosted by @DoCoMoMoUK Tickets £6 for non-members docomomo.org.uk/events/plannin…

How do you make a new town? This event will bring together Michael Edwards, who as a young planner worked on the original scheme for #MiltonKeynes, and David Mountain, who’s conducted extensive research into the history of the town’s development.

Looking forward to speaking at this The MSA

One of the country's finest libraries of books on town planning and housing policy - the Harry Simpson Memorial Library, currently located in Wisbech - is at risk of being pulped. Please publicise and support the campaign to save it. davemnt.wordpress.com/2026/03/26/a-h…