Jim Gleeson
@geographyjim.bsky.social
Currently on leave from my job as housing numbers person at the Greater London Authority. Opinions here only my own, if that. data.london.gov.uk/housing/
A key thing that these "nature deserts" analyses often fail to control for is the existence of cities.
In this case, first-time buyers tend to be younger, younger people tend to live in cities, cities have less green space per capita, so "first-time buyers are being forced into nature deserts".
In this case, first-time buyers tend to be younger, younger people tend to live in cities, cities have less green space per capita, so "first-time buyers are being forced into nature deserts".
October 26, 2025 at 1:58 PM
A key thing that these "nature deserts" analyses often fail to control for is the existence of cities.
In this case, first-time buyers tend to be younger, younger people tend to live in cities, cities have less green space per capita, so "first-time buyers are being forced into nature deserts".
In this case, first-time buyers tend to be younger, younger people tend to live in cities, cities have less green space per capita, so "first-time buyers are being forced into nature deserts".
This is particularly interesting on the evolution of Labour attitudes to houses and flats in the inter-war period. Also enjoyed this zinger from Clement Attlee:
October 16, 2025 at 6:53 AM
This is particularly interesting on the evolution of Labour attitudes to houses and flats in the inter-war period. Also enjoyed this zinger from Clement Attlee:
Not sure that's an accurate description of what the CMA concluded.
October 3, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Not sure that's an accurate description of what the CMA concluded.
RIP Terry Farrell. In addition to his architecture he wrote 'Shaping London', a brilliant analysis of London's development. His explanation of how the flow of the river shaped different patterns of building on its steep and shallow banks has really stuck with me.
September 29, 2025 at 10:55 AM
RIP Terry Farrell. In addition to his architecture he wrote 'Shaping London', a brilliant analysis of London's development. His explanation of how the flow of the river shaped different patterns of building on its steep and shallow banks has really stuck with me.
This is what it replaces. The Bellingham estate is full of buildings like this which could be intensified into more and better homes if local policy would allow it (the Farmstead Road scheme is very much an exception).
August 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
This is what it replaces. The Bellingham estate is full of buildings like this which could be intensified into more and better homes if local policy would allow it (the Farmstead Road scheme is very much an exception).
Suburban intensification in London: Farmstead Road is a new Phoenix Community Housing in Bellingham (LB Lewisham), replacing a 3-home terrace with 24 affordable homes built to Passivhaus standards www.phoenixch.org.uk/news/phoenix.... Images by Lourdas Photography.
August 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Suburban intensification in London: Farmstead Road is a new Phoenix Community Housing in Bellingham (LB Lewisham), replacing a 3-home terrace with 24 affordable homes built to Passivhaus standards www.phoenixch.org.uk/news/phoenix.... Images by Lourdas Photography.
Curious about Lewisham Council's policy on fly-tipping, which is to adorn it with fake "crime scene" tape and then ... leave it there? In this case blocking a path for days on end.
August 9, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Curious about Lewisham Council's policy on fly-tipping, which is to adorn it with fake "crime scene" tape and then ... leave it there? In this case blocking a path for days on end.
Research by Jaehee Song just published in the Journal of Urban Economics finds that restrictive single-family zoning in the US increases housing costs and "disproportionately attracts high-income white homeowners, reinforcing patterns of residential segregation" doi.org/10.1016/j.ju...
August 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Research by Jaehee Song just published in the Journal of Urban Economics finds that restrictive single-family zoning in the US increases housing costs and "disproportionately attracts high-income white homeowners, reinforcing patterns of residential segregation" doi.org/10.1016/j.ju...
Re this piece by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, perhaps the Anglosphere affordability crunch happened *because* those societies put such a high priority on the interests of homeowners, with policies like tax breaks and restricted supply. Homeownerism may be self-defeating. on.ft.com/4kTUHyA
July 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Re this piece by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, perhaps the Anglosphere affordability crunch happened *because* those societies put such a high priority on the interests of homeowners, with policies like tax breaks and restricted supply. Homeownerism may be self-defeating. on.ft.com/4kTUHyA
Well remembered - in 2015-18 there were 'capped' and 'discounted' varieties of Affordable Rent in London which averaged out at around 65% of market rents.
June 11, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Well remembered - in 2015-18 there were 'capped' and 'discounted' varieties of Affordable Rent in London which averaged out at around 65% of market rents.
It's striking how few people actually think this, despite the indefatigable efforts of so many in the media and various campaigns to convince them over the years.
June 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
It's striking how few people actually think this, despite the indefatigable efforts of so many in the media and various campaigns to convince them over the years.
If this @ipprnorth.bsky.social chart includes both capital and revenue spending, then presumably it includes things like the costs of running existing services like the London Underground, rather than only the "investment" in new infra that the press release talks about? www.ippr.org/articles/on-...
June 9, 2025 at 6:23 AM
If this @ipprnorth.bsky.social chart includes both capital and revenue spending, then presumably it includes things like the costs of running existing services like the London Underground, rather than only the "investment" in new infra that the press release talks about? www.ippr.org/articles/on-...
More of Tatsuya Tsubaki's research on pre-WWII English planning history can be found here kenkyu-db.chukyo-u.ac.jp/profile/ja.6...
April 27, 2025 at 8:26 PM
More of Tatsuya Tsubaki's research on pre-WWII English planning history can be found here kenkyu-db.chukyo-u.ac.jp/profile/ja.6...
Very interesting new paper by Tatsuya Tsubaki on the ‘houses versus flats’ controversy in English town planning during the 1930s www.chukyo-u.ac.jp/research_2/c.... Includes the TCPA opposing flats being built in cities on the grounds that it would make it harder to decentralise industry.
April 27, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Very interesting new paper by Tatsuya Tsubaki on the ‘houses versus flats’ controversy in English town planning during the 1930s www.chukyo-u.ac.jp/research_2/c.... Includes the TCPA opposing flats being built in cities on the grounds that it would make it harder to decentralise industry.
The model was built in-house by our GIS team, and I think it opens up huge possibilities for research and analysis. Retrofit and renewables potential are obvious applications, but others could include estimating accessibility, material stocks and urban heat island effects.
March 7, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The model was built in-house by our GIS team, and I think it opens up huge possibilities for research and analysis. Retrofit and renewables potential are obvious applications, but others could include estimating accessibility, material stocks and urban heat island effects.
The Greater London Authority have published a new London Building Stock Model, showing estimated energy efficiency (and many housing characteristics) for every home and residential building in the city. All data is downloadable and there's a cool interactive map data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lond...
March 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
The Greater London Authority have published a new London Building Stock Model, showing estimated energy efficiency (and many housing characteristics) for every home and residential building in the city. All data is downloadable and there's a cool interactive map data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lond...
They also include this analysis of how the savings from building the same number of floors in 5 or 10 storey buildings compared to a single 20 storey one are offset by increased infrastructure needs (additional road length, water pipes or lifts).
February 17, 2025 at 6:41 AM
They also include this analysis of how the savings from building the same number of floors in 5 or 10 storey buildings compared to a single 20 storey one are offset by increased infrastructure needs (additional road length, water pipes or lifts).
You do need to compensate for thinner floor slabs with more wall columns but they involve considerably less embodied carbon.
February 17, 2025 at 6:33 AM
You do need to compensate for thinner floor slabs with more wall columns but they involve considerably less embodied carbon.
Interesting analysis of embodied carbon in a hypothetical new residential building which argues that the impact on emissions of building taller is outweighed by decisions over the size of floor slabs to use. www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
February 17, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Interesting analysis of embodied carbon in a hypothetical new residential building which argues that the impact on emissions of building taller is outweighed by decisions over the size of floor slabs to use. www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
Academic analysis finds that mortgaged buy-to-let investors bought houses at a discount of 4.5% compared to other buyers in England and Wales in 2014-21. The discount was less in London, and fell when higher Stamp Duty for landlords was introduced in 2016. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
January 13, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Academic analysis finds that mortgaged buy-to-let investors bought houses at a discount of 4.5% compared to other buyers in England and Wales in 2014-21. The discount was less in London, and fell when higher Stamp Duty for landlords was introduced in 2016. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Here's the Resolution Foundation's analysis www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
January 13, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Here's the Resolution Foundation's analysis www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications...
Even more of Osaka being spectacular. There's a great viewing spot on the upper floors of the Hankyu Grand building by Osaka/Umeda stations
December 24, 2024 at 12:43 AM
Even more of Osaka being spectacular. There's a great viewing spot on the upper floors of the Hankyu Grand building by Osaka/Umeda stations
Shinjuku skyline from Okubo (Tokyo's Koreatown)
December 22, 2024 at 12:36 AM
Shinjuku skyline from Okubo (Tokyo's Koreatown)