In this micro lecture, Claire Bennie explains why the new mayor must bring planning out of the town hall and onto the high street.

Artwork can add real emotional depth to a housing scheme – or it can just make you scratch your head in bewilderment.

Setting up meetings prior to my European trip was time well invested – the experts I met gave me time and insights more valuable than using just my own eyes.

A promising start to this new neighbourhood has descended into farce, as evidenced by comedy downpipes and lamp-posts as well as elevational bling.

Some tips arising from my two month tour of European housing. Here’s to the next one…

‘Start with the Park’ was the title of a CABE Space report some years ago, a message exemplified by this diverse Paris regeneration scheme.

A summary of the last half of my European housing tour: Vienna and Freiburg had the standout schemes.

The Ile de Nantes showcases the best and worst of new housing and neighbourhood design, highlighting the importance of heritage buildings in giving a sense of place.

Mixity and Mobility – my two new favourite qualities which are needed in a multi use, highly accessible and intimate neighbourhood. They got it right in old Nantes: what about the new?

The scale of renewal in Bordeaux is astonishing and perhaps more than they can handle. And it’s not easy being green, as both Kermit and the Ginko-Bilobiens have discovered…

Fetch The Engine: Fire Fire! I’m amazed that anyone under 35 with legs in their trousers and another language up their sleeve has not left the UK’s absurdly overpriced capital.

Megastructures are a perennial favourite of architects wishing to design ‘total housing’. It’s those pesky people who insist on shopping elsewhere…

Lyon’s massive regeneration of its island is on a similar scale to Nine Elms in London, but uses a more fine grained and diverse approach. Shame about the indoor shopping mall…

Circulation space is celebrated – and perhaps overdone - in these two Milanese schemes, providing the social spaces so necessary in higher density development.

This fashion-focused city is doing what it does best: using architectural brands to create buzz and value. But can Zaha and co actually design good housing?

Having a balcony changed my life: my top ten tips for designing a good balcony in Northern Europe.

‘Confronting drivers with their guilty conscience’ would be frowned upon in the UK, but is the cultural norm in Vauban, where the tram glides into town every five minutes.

High density housing can be attractive and intriguing when designed well. These two schemes glory in colour, mixed use and hard public realm.

Vienna’s state-owned housing is not only inspirational, but beautiful and cherished by its residents, citizens and visitors. These two mega-schemes show resident-centred mixed-use in action.