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PLACES

Family journeys to school: "It's life or death sometimes"

Parents Jasmine, Luke and Matt describe their concerns around their daily school journey with their children

A home to die for? We can do better

Too many new homes are built to poor quality. A new photobook from the TCPA explains why the housing crisis is more than a numbers game and pushes for the adoption of healthy principles to prioritise housing fit for living

"There's a real outdoor community. Everyone joins up and plays"

"White Flats" is a powerful short film on how the design of a housing estate can create community and encourage independence and child’s play

"The cough develops again and its grown" – The impact of air pollution

In a film commissioned by TRUUD, Shakar and his family explain the impact of traffic noise and pollution on the health and wellbeing of their families

"I feel stressed in this house" – The impact of damp

In a film commissioned by TRUUD, Kadra and Wendy explain the impact of damp on the health and wellbeing of their families

"I fell asleep at school" – The impact of overcrowding

In a film commissioned by TRUUD, Samuel explains the impact of overcrowding on the health of his two young sons

Fabrications: Using knitted artworks to challenge developer narratives

Artist Sam Meech chronicles the displacement and erasure of South Asian textile workers at Crusader Mill and shares the knitted artworks created in response

Opinion

Net-zero housing is a place problem, not just a carbon problem

Carbon is central, but it is not the whole story. Homes must also be comfortable, maintainable, resilient and connected to everyday life, writes Harshul Singhal

The new carbon: The case for affordability reporting

Developers need to start prioritising housing affordability – and start by incorporating affordability into portfolio reporting, writes Giulio Ferrini, Head of Built Environment, Institute for Human Rights and Business

The missing link between land use and health

As we await the final NPPF, the wave of strategic frameworks and local plans is an opportunity to put neighbourhood health into place. We should reframe land use policy, not as a constraint, but as a proactive tool to reduce inequalities and improve wellbeing, write Michael Chang and Sophie Hockin

NPPF: Why building homes near rail stations isn’t always a quick win

Just being close to a train station isn’t the only, or even the best, way to measure whether somewhere is well-connected or a good place to live, writes Aggie Morris, Planning Officer, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust

What I learned at UKReiif? A great building is no longer enough

Now that more schemes are purpose-built for rental – from transient co-living residents to longer-term family lets – how should design respond? Harriet Saddington reports

Labour needs to move faster to improve high streets if it wants to win back hearts and voters

The high street is not just a place to shop, it’s the identity of a place, the branding of a neighbourhood, a reflection of our state of mind – and lately, a complete embarrassment, writes Christine Murray

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