In PlanningxChange episode 91 we interview Matt Roberts about Ian Nairn, an architectural and planning critic in the UK during the 1950s - 1970s. Matt is an architectural historian and a member of the podcast team that produces About Buildings and Cities. Details are at https://aboutbuildingsandcities.org.
The About Buildings and Cities podcast produced a three part series on Ian Nairn. This is highly recommended as a lively and insightful review of the broad career of Ian Nairn, his times and his impact on the public imagination.
Nairn came to prominence with a special edition of the Architectural Review called ‘Outrage’ published in 1955. In this he coined the term ’Subtopia’ for areas around cities that had been failed by urban planning and lost their sense of place. ‘Outrage’ was followed soon afterwards by ‘Counter-Attack’. Nairn also contributed to various books on British cities and architecture (although not a trained architect) such as ‘The Buildings of England’.
Nairn also contributed to the evolution of guide books most notably with his ‘Nairn’s London’ (1966) and ‘Nairn’s Paris’ (1968).
Of his writings Jonathon Meades has said:
Mere architectural description could not suffice for that land of joke-oak and real rhododendron; what it demands is an acute sense of place and the gift to render that sense. Nairn possessed both, and in his London book he showed a third gift, that of the realization of the emotional power of townscape. That trinity of gifts made him a great poet of the metropolis.
Nairn also enjoyed a lengthy TV career producing programs on various British towns and cities and on places on the continent.
Many of these programs are available through YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQfgA_6HLT0&list=PLzBwppKDCE9BLOqw1SqWdH14H_onhYgWn
The BBC produced a program ‘The Man who fought the planners: The story of ian Nairn’ which is available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvoXJ1Ye9R4&t=137s
Many of the insights of Nairn are as relevant today as then.
Matt Roberts provides us with a fascinating insight into the life and times and legacy of Nairn; we are very grateful to our podcast ‘cousin’ for sharing this knowledge. Audio production by Jack Bavage. The episode was released on 25 March 2022.
In PlanningxChange episode 90 we interview Scott LaMont the CEO of EDSA, an international planning and landscape architecture consultancy. Scott joined EDSA in 1996 and has been a driving force in the firm’s practice and strategic growth since. Before being named CEO, he was a Studio Leader and Principal for 12 years, instilling the firm’s ethos with a design sensibility and comprehensive approach to projects while fostering long term client relationships. Scott is focused on the big picture tenets of people, client service and vision while leading the 120-person firm towards inspirational design with enthusiasm, devotion, creativity and humility. He is committed to the exploration of sustainable, modern ideals and fostering values which positively personify humanity by balancing superior design and pragmatic business planning. His broad range of global experience spans large scale planning assignments to mixed-use residential, hospitality and urban works that have strengthened EDSA’s reputation as a design leader. The firm has offices in USA cities and in a number of countries. He has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of Florida.
Audio production by Jack Bavage. The episode was released on 5 March 2022.