Time to come clean on planning
As the LGA feigns outrage at the Government’s accusation that town halls have blocked development, Claire Fox asks if the sector is being a little disingenuous
Claire Fox, MJ, 13 September 2012

Twitter clash between idealism and profit
For years, the microblogging service beloved by the celebrity crowd was ridiculed for ignoring the hard question of how to make money. So what happens when Twitter finally gets serious about profits?
Richard Waters, Financial Times, 12 September 2012

Architects propose a floating airport for London
Architectural firm Gensler is proposing the construction of a floating airport on the surface of London's River Thames Estuary. Dubbed the London Britannia Airport, its concourse would sit in the center of the Thames Estuary, surrounded by runways that float, and tethered to the seabed.
Aaron Souppouris, Verge, 9 September 2012

UN stresses positives of urban growth with new tool to track city prosperity
Cities should be seen as drivers of economic growth and human development, says report published at World Urban Forum
Claire Provost, Guardian, 5 September 2012

Portugal's jobless graduates flee to Africa and Brazil
Thousands of young unemployed professionals are escaping Portugal's crippling economic crisis by finding jobs in former colonies, such as Brazil and Angola. The reversal of traditional migration patterns is fuelling talk of a "lost generation".
Lucy Ash, BBC News, 1 September 2012

Skilled Work, Without the Worker
At the Philips Electronics factory on the coast of China, hundreds of workers use their hands and specialized tools to assemble electric shavers. That is the old way. At a sister factory in the Dutch countryside, 128 robot arms do the same work with yoga-like flexibility.
John Markoff, New York Times, 18 August 2012

Rising to the Capital's Housing Challenge
How did housing become so difficult? Our basic instinct is to create shelter, but today we seem unable to do so. We have a massive problem and things are not getting better.
Smart Urbanism, 9 August 2012

Sorry luvvies, but Britain’s real business creativity lies elsewhere
Lancaster House is this week playing host to the British Business Embassy, a series of events highlighting UK business to a world audience captivated by London 2012.
Damian Reece, Daily Telegraph, 1 August 2012

Unreal Estate
On the eve of the Olympics, Justin McGuirk ponders the social and political consequences of London's white-hot real estate market and asks: what ever happened to the city that pioneered the modern ideal of social housing?
Justin McGuirk, domus, 30 July 2012

Make it in Great Britain event lacks the spark of inspiration
It’s about time British manufacturing got the recognition it deserved. The government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign shows politicians have finally woken up; not just to the need to grow our manufacturing sector, but also to the fact that we already have a world-class industry.
Stephen Harris, Engineer, 27 July 2012