Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
President,The British Academy.
Writes about housing and economic inequality.
Life Fellow at Girton College, Emerita Honorary Professor in the Dept of Geography, Cambridge University, UK.
(Views my own).
Susan Jane Smith is a British geographer and academic. She became President of the British Academy in July 2025. She was mistress of Girton College, Cambridge from 2009 to 2022. Smith previously held the Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh from 1990 to 2004 and until 2009 was a professor of geography at Durham University, where she played a key role in establishing the Institute of Advanced Study. On 1 October 2011, she was conferred the title of Honorary Professor of Social and Economic Geography in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge for five years, which was renewed until 2021. .. more
Economics
50%
Medicine
9%
Reposted by Paul Langley
This is a must-read, but I can't help thinking that more emphasis needs to be placed on the resonance between the pursuit of scientific scale for AI and the underlying and explicit pursuit of business scale at all costs for platforms and investors
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Donald MacKenzie · AI’s Scale
AI’s scale doesn’t matter just to specialists. The rest of us are being taken on a ride along the logarithmic curve...
www.lrb.co.uk
Yikes! Something’s got to give…
Reposted by Susan J. Smith
Donald MacKenzie · AI’s Scale
AI’s scale doesn’t matter just to specialists. The rest of us are being taken on a ride along the logarithmic curve...
www.lrb.co.uk
This is a must-read, but I can't help thinking that more emphasis needs to be placed on the resonance between the pursuit of scientific scale for AI and the underlying and explicit pursuit of business scale at all costs for platforms and investors
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
- Current housebuilding model 'locks in an upward ratchet of land and house prices'
- 'The state leaning in to diversify the way housing is delivered' with support for alternatives to 'overly speculative model of development'
- Diversification = more SMEs, council housebuilding, bulld to rent
2/n
- 'The state leaning in to diversify the way housing is delivered' with support for alternatives to 'overly speculative model of development'
- Diversification = more SMEs, council housebuilding, bulld to rent
2/n
Well good luck on all this, though it will be interesting to see whether build to rent turns out to be an alternative to ‘over-speculative’ models of #housing production…
Reposted by Susan J. Smith
- Current housebuilding model 'locks in an upward ratchet of land and house prices'
- 'The state leaning in to diversify the way housing is delivered' with support for alternatives to 'overly speculative model of development'
- Diversification = more SMEs, council housebuilding, bulld to rent
2/n
- 'The state leaning in to diversify the way housing is delivered' with support for alternatives to 'overly speculative model of development'
- Diversification = more SMEs, council housebuilding, bulld to rent
2/n
Breakfast - Rise and shine with classical music - BBC Sounds
Join Tom McKinney every Monday to Friday for Radio 3's Breakfast show
www.bbc.co.uk
Ooh, track 23 on BBC R3 Breakfast show, Kings Singers with a new vibe (oh, ok, with Jeremy West) on Orlando Gibbons, in a heads-up from their new album www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Rachel Armitage · Diary: Brass Bands
Many brass bands were started by factory owners in the belief that music would give their workers purpose, strengthen...
www.lrb.co.uk
A must-read for anyone curious about the mysterious world of brass bands and their contests (written, moreover, by a former member of the @girtoncollege.bsky.social brass dectet, aka the Girten 😎) www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Wall Street landlords have met a surprising opponent in Trump. So why is Starmer courting them? | Adam Almeida
To win votes, Trump can afford to face up to corporate power – to deliver his promised 1.5m homes, Starmer can’t, says writer and researcher Adam Almeida
www.theguardian.com
The politics of #housing have to be seen to be believed, though it’s demonstrably risky when large corporate/ institutional investors start acquiring single-family homes for profit… www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
www.economicsobservatory.com
😂 Although my point is that second homes are only one form of under-occupation and that if you want to tax residential property fairly and fully council tax atm is not fit for purpose, for reasons set out here: www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
Meet the seaside second-home owners fighting the council tax grab
Filey’s peaceful five-mile beach made it popular with older couples seeking holiday homes — until they were hit with double bills. Now, they are hitting back
www.thetimes.com
This total disarray is hardly surprising - council tax is a mess as it is without trying to use it as if it were some kind of rational, progressive property tax. Must do better!
www.thetimes.com/article/6871...
www.thetimes.com/article/6871...
Yes please!
The British Academy Lectures
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
Something for everyone @britishacademy.bsky.social Join us ‘at home’ and across the UK to catch the latest in a series of visionary talks dating back to 1908! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/lectu...
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influence
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries are calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich, amid growing concern that the wealthiest in society are buying political influence.
An open letter, released to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, calls on global leaders attending this week’s conference to close the widening gap between the super-rich and everyone else. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
A sensible idea if we are thinking about social stability, working democracy, economic resilience and environmental sustainability…amongst other things (like ‘leave no one behind’)
Reposted by Susan J. Smith
The Guardian
@theguardian.com
· 20d
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influence
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries are calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich, amid growing concern that the wealthiest in society are buying political influence.
An open letter, released to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, calls on global leaders attending this week’s conference to close the widening gap between the super-rich and everyone else. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
John Wallace obituary: trumpeter, composer and educator
First (and still only) Scot to hold the position of principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
www.thetimes.com
Inspiring advocate for music and the performing arts; unmatched in energy, imagination and utter brilliance in the world of brass. One of those people who lit up the room simply by opening the door. Huge loss.
www.thetimes.com/article/4656...
www.thetimes.com/article/4656...
Humanities cuts leave us defenceless in the age of AI
It is vital to examine what chatbots’ behaviour reveals about their underlying structures – and human responses to them, says Agnieszka Piotrowska
www.timeshighereducation.com
One of many reasons why ‘cold spots’ in the provision of humanities and social science subjects by U.K. universities is not so much a shame, as a massive risk… www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/huma...
Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education
This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
Yes, and the assumption that if young people can’t afford the move to high-rent cities they can bear the costs of a long commute is even more unrealistic as these ‘cold spots’ in provision deepen www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
My three-hour university commute is worth the £7,000 saving on halls
Over a third of students choose not to live at university, latest figures suggest - but is it worth it?
www.bbc.co.uk
This is why the @britishacademy.bsky.social is so worried about regional ‘cold spots’ in the provision of key university courses - young people who can’t afford the costs or the commute miss out on life-changing opportunities in labour markets that need these skills… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Jan 7
Mudeford beach hut owners look into legality of council tax rise - BBC News
Beach hut owners in Mudeford say they will look at the legality of plans to double their council tax.
www.bbc.co.uk
The chaos that breaks out when you try to use an already bonkers charge to ‘tax’ (what might be) residential property. That’s before we get into the question of static caravans… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Jan 7
What happens when venture capitalists try to reinvent housing in their own image? Find out in my new @ijurresearch.bsky.social article ‘Hyperscaling Housing’
It traces VC-fuelled attempts to aggressively scale real estate start-ups, and the devastating consequences for tenants.
It traces VC-fuelled attempts to aggressively scale real estate start-ups, and the devastating consequences for tenants.
HYPERSCALING HOUSING: Venture Capital, Real Estate Start‐Ups and the Race to Build a Global Residential Brand
What happens when venture capitalists try to reinvent housing in their own image? Synonymous with the rise of Big Tech, venture capitalists (VCs) are asset managers that invest in early-stage compani...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The answer is more surprising than I thought!
Reposted by Susan J. Smith
Tim White
@timwhite100.bsky.social
· Jan 7
HYPERSCALING HOUSING: Venture Capital, Real Estate Start‐Ups and the Race to Build a Global Residential Brand
What happens when venture capitalists try to reinvent housing in their own image? Synonymous with the rise of Big Tech, venture capitalists (VCs) are asset managers that invest in early-stage compani...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
What happens when venture capitalists try to reinvent housing in their own image? Find out in my new @ijurresearch.bsky.social article ‘Hyperscaling Housing’
It traces VC-fuelled attempts to aggressively scale real estate start-ups, and the devastating consequences for tenants.
It traces VC-fuelled attempts to aggressively scale real estate start-ups, and the devastating consequences for tenants.
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Jan 5
Homebuilding and Remodeling Depend on Immigrant Labor in Major Metros
www.jchs.harvard.edu
Some #housing news FYI (if you didnt already know) www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/homebui...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Jan 4
New Year's Day Concert - Live from Vienna 2026
Petroc Trelawny presents the Vienna Philharmonic's traditional New Year’s Day concert for 2026, live from Vienna.
www.bbc.co.uk
Smashing New Year’s Day concert from Vienna; listen up for a stirring speech on the power of #music by the irrepressible Yannick Nézet-Séguin www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Jan 2
A reminder that Flood Re is in the mix to help keep some insurance premiums (from some providers) in check… for now… www.floodre.co.uk
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 29
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
www.economicsobservatory.com
The case for a different approach… www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 29
Extra 12,000 second home owners face double council tax
Another 38 councils in England will bring in the 100 per cent surcharge on holiday homes that are not rented out
www.thetimes.com
Right sentiment (tax the investment element of residential property), wrong - clunky, inefficient, irrational, unfair, partial, game-able - approach. Leaves most under-used housing assets untouched and does little to address the challenge of local authority funding.
www.thetimes.com/article/c864...
www.thetimes.com/article/c864...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 28
Vulnerable people ‘set up to fail’ in Birmingham’s streets of unregulated ‘supported’ housing
The city now has 30,000 units crammed with people with mental health and other problems
www.theguardian.com
Must do better… raising funds by reforming residentisl property tax would be a start. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Paul Langley
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 27
wid.world
Apparently, the world is getting richer. Here’s the catch: ‘The top one-in-a-million (about 5,600 adults, enough to fill a concert arena) collectively hold 3% of global wealth, more than the entire bottom half of the world’s adult population’… wid.world/document/wor...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 27
Generous taxpayers could be missing out on millions in charity relief
Anyone paying higher or additional rate tax can claim back money on charitable donations — but many don’t know about this perk, says George Nixon
www.thetimes.com
On the subject of New Year’s resolutions, philanthropy is extremely tax efficient - what’s not to like?
www.thetimes.com/article/7b30...
www.thetimes.com/article/7b30...
Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
· Dec 26
Born #OnThisDay in 1780 was the polymath Mary Somerville. She was the first woman to have a paper read to and published by the Royal Society with her paper on the relationship between light and magnetism, and she in fact inspired the coining of the word 'scientist' itself. #WomenInSTEM
She was also the first woman to receive the Patron’s medal from the Royal Geographical Society in 1869 for ‘her proficiency in those branches of science which form the basis of physical geography’.
Reposted by Susan J. Smith
The Royal Society
@royalsociety.org
· Dec 26
Born #OnThisDay in 1780 was the polymath Mary Somerville. She was the first woman to have a paper read to and published by the Royal Society with her paper on the relationship between light and magnetism, and she in fact inspired the coining of the word 'scientist' itself. #WomenInSTEM