In the final piece of his series the author makes a stand for classicism – and sustainable buildings in green cities
Environment
Modernist mythologies 2
In the second part of his series on architecture David Black finds that modernism is an expression of far right neo-liberal ideology
Allotments make a comeback
‘The most deprived communities have faced an eight times greater loss of allotments when compared to the least deprived. This is a loss of the ability to grow food in areas where communities are most at risk from not having enough food.’
Mythologising modernism
‘This is not the model of capitalism envisaged by Adam Smith, that beautiful smooth-running machine with its assumptions of benign reciprocity between an industrialist and a workforce. It is, rather, an unfettered Hobbesian monster, not unlike the rampant and exploitative mercantilism which Smith (a proto-social psychologist, as well as economic theorist) sought to discredit.’ First of three in a series on Edinburgh’s architecture…
Hyperlocal: reinventing cities
Has September 2020 snuffed out the last flicker of a struggling economy? Or are we seeing the first signs of hyperlocal revival? Fay Young looks and thinks local
The Road to Tobha Mòr
Why Gaelic matters: ‘Standing on the ‘Atlantic edge of Europe’, facing the ocean from a South Uist beach, Professor Hugh Cheape felt his world rearrange itself: “Conceptual clichés of periphery and centre flipped over and slipped away.”
The politics of ‘independent’ reviews
‘As for the other people on the forum, it would be surprising if any ‘wild cards’ are to be found, since the tried and tested mechanisms of patronage ensure that those who get through the vetting process have to be judged ‘sound’. In the conformist culture of Scottish education, any tendency to ‘rock the boat’ is unlikely to lead to career advancement.’ On the OECD review of the Curriculum for Excellence…
Airbnb blitz is blighting cities
‘Nor is it all bad, by any means. Just as there were ‘good banks’ and ‘bad banks’ after the 2008 economic crash, so there is a ‘good’ Airbnb and a ‘bad’ Airbnb.’ But the bad outweighs the good, says the author
The tipping point
A song for Extinction Rebellion: ‘If enough of us give our voices then the pressure builds on the systems of power to take notice and accelerate change for the better.’
COP26: Scotland’s green innovation showcase
‘Scotland also leads the way not only on science innovation, but on ways in which research and development can provide community-informed solutions to sea and climate change challenges…’