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Artwork for Open City

Open City

Open City
Housing Crisis
Labour Party
Sadiq Khan
London Wall West
Affordable Housing
Public Toilets
London
Tidal Pools
Council Housing
Right To Buy
UK Rent Crisis
Tall Buildings
Museum Of London
Generative AI
Thamesmead
RIBA
Sustainability
Climate Change
Swimming
Coastal Ecosystems

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.

Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.

At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brie... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes275Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsSociety & CultureDesign

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Artwork for Open City

Latest Episodes

In this episode of the Home that Made me, Nabil Al Kinani reflects on his experience growing up on the Chalk Hill Estate in Wembley, and how his sense of self was challenged as he saw his home through the eyes of others without first hand experience ... more

This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Ben Stuart. Ben is director and co-founder of architecture studio able partners, and the host of Able Diaries, a weekly show that gives a behind-the-scenes look at running an architecture practice.

G... more

In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by John Puttick to discuss Peckham Library, one of a number of civic and community projects commissioned to mark the turn of the millenium. It was designed by Alsop & Störmer Architects with engineering... more

This week on The Brief Sahiba Chada is joined by architect Jeremy Walker. Jeremy is the Head of Design at Human Nature, a property developer currently working on the construction of the UK’s largest timber-structure neighbourhood: the Phoenix develop... more

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Recent Guests

Nabil Al Kinani
Resident of Chalk Hill Estate; speaker sharing personal experiences of home
Chalk Hill Estate (resident)
Episode: The Home That Made Me: The place that raised me
Ben Stuart
Director and co-founder of Architecture Studio Able Partners
Able Partners
Episode: The UK government hires AI to help speed up planning decisions and the new architects of the BT Tower revamp
John Puttick
Architect and director of John Puttick Associates
John Puttick Associates
Episode: Deconstructed: Peckham Library - Millenium Culture
Jeremy Walker
Architect, head of design at Human Nature
Human Nature
Episode: Retail giant John Lewis closes its housebuilding venture and what style of homes do Londoners want?
Abebaw Mesfin Meri
Director of AM Meri Architects, whose work centers on inclusive practice and meaningful community consultation.
AM Meri Architects
Episode: In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
Kuljeet Sibia
Founding Director of Diverse Dialogues and Urban Consultancy, focused on equity, social value and inclusive design.
Diverse Dialogues
Episode: In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
Peter Sofoluke
Architect and Director at BPTW, a practice that opens up access to underrepresented communities.
BPTW
Episode: In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
Tasnima Chowdhury
Community organizer and key figure in the Save Brick Lane campaign.
Save Brick Lane
Episode: In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
Christopher Martin
Managing Director and Head of Urban Design at Urban Movement
Urban Movement
Episode: Generational pedestrianisation plans for London's West End and a controversial overhaul of Liverpool Street station

Hosts

Matthew Lloyd Roberts
Host of Deconstructed, Open City
Fran Williams
Technical Editor and Deputy Architecture Editor

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 112 ratings
  • Good in parts

    This podcast is sometimes good.

    However sometimes it is just like listening to some left wing drunk in a pub making weak and naive and oversimplified and one sided arguments about why the tories are bad. Yawn. Please edit the naive bits out or get some guests who are capable of presenting two sides of an argument

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    TP¥
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Love the podcast. Fast consumer city the East end cafe was painful listening though, 2 people shouting over each other. Heart in the right place but production / execution bit ropy. Loved episode otherwise

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Liam Flow
    4 years ago
  • Mix of interesting architecture news and simplistic, naive opinions.

    The principal presenters Merlin and Phin generally present interesting London based architecture news stories but co-presenters and guests increasingly are clearly reading from scripts which hugely detracts from their credibility. Also there is a consistent undercurrent of simplistic and naive opinions and critique given without suggesting any viable alternatives. Oh and seemingly there has to be at least one naive anti-police ‘story’ per episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    KCruns
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Great podcast

    Great podcast but it’s starting to sound obvious that guests are reading from a script in their responses sometimes. The podcast works best when it’s a dialogue.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Tomj_1979
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • One of the best London podcasts

    I love how it is talking about the history of different places across London, how the politics tie into what’s going on and covering recent news. But what I appreciate the most is that it’s covering all Boroughs of London but just ‘oh here’s what’s happening in London Bridge’

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Daria00007
    United Kingdom5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive notes on the show's niche focus on London architecture and urban policy.
Praise for informed, engaging guests and strong host presence, though some critique scripted responses.
Feedback often mentions the podcasts as a reliable source for current architecture and planning news.
Listener sentiment highlights accessibility and broad appeal, with room for more balanced perspectives.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The UK government hires AI to help speed up planning decisions and the new architects of the BT Tower revamp
Q: What's Ben Stuart's take on AI's potential to unblock planning and drive economic growth?
Ben expresses cautious optimism, noting AI can accelerate administrative tasks and clarity in planning while underscoring that subjective design decisions and heritage constraints still require human judgment and governance.
Deconstructed: Peckham Library - Millenium Culture
Q: How does the interior design support public use and flexibility of the library space?
The interior uses an open-plan layout with timber pods hovering above, double-height space, and adaptable zones created by these pods instead of walls, which helps accommodate varied activities and light from skylights.
Deconstructed: Peckham Library - Millenium Culture
Q: So John, let's start by situating ourselves maybe for listeners who don't know the building. What's the immediate area around Peckham Library like?
John describes Peckham as a busy, dense high street with Victorian-era surroundings, and the library sits on the northern edge of a square, with the building appearing as a bold, contrasting 'spaceship' insertion.
Retail giant John Lewis closes its housebuilding venture and what style of homes do Londoners want?
Q: What role do regulations and professional bodies play in shaping the future of architecture and city design?
Regulation should support flexible routes into the profession and focus on delivering better places; reforms should simplify processes, avoid constraining innovation, and emphasize social value and place-making.
Retail giant John Lewis closes its housebuilding venture and what style of homes do Londoners want?
Q: Do you think Londoners' housing design preferences are being met, or is the issue more about how places feel to live in rather than a specific style?
People aren't necessarily asking for a single style but for places that feel good to live in; successful places depend on placemaking, locality-aware design, and meaningful community involvement rather than enforcing a fixed aesthetic.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Open City

What is Open City about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Open City features accessible, expert-driven discussions about architecture, urban design, housing, and city life with a focus on London and the UK. Episodes frequently center on public spaces, regeneration, sustainability, and how policy, planning, and community engagement shape built environments. A notable strength is hosting a rotating roster of practitioners, journalists, and academics who bring critical, design-led perspectives to contemporary urban issues, often tying historic context to current reform efforts. This mix makes it valuable for listeners who want nuanced, informed conversations about how cities are built and governed, not just how buildings look. The show tends to blend technical architectural insight with accessible st... more

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How many listeners does Open City get?

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What are the audience demographics for Open City?

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How many subscribers and views does Open City have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Open City has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Open City?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Open City:

1. Today in Focus
2. Political Fix
3. Novara Media
4. The Rest Is Politics: Leading
5. FT Tech Tonic

How many episodes of Open City are there?

Open City launched 6 years ago and published 275 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Open City?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Open City?

Recent guests on Open City include:

1. Nabil Al Kinani
2. Ben Stuart
3. John Puttick
4. Jeremy Walker
5. Abebaw Mesfin Meri
6. Kuljeet Sibia
7. Peter Sofoluke
8. Tasnima Chowdhury

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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