Tue 9 - Sun 14 June: Reclaim London: 'Ubiquitous Unique'

"London is being stolen from us. Public spaces are privatised, green spaces built on, our heritage trashed. Luxury apartments are stacked high and left vacant while housing is now unaffordable for most Londoners. Council estates are being demolished, displacing people and breaking up communities. Local identity is being lost.

"For the fortunate few, London is booming. Warped by financial interests, the planning system guarantees property developers huge profits but fails to deliver the buildings and services we need. Too many of our elected representatives surrender to developers rather than defend their electorate. Behind closed doors they collude in the sale of our land, the destruction of our communities and the ruin of our cultural heritage.

"This can't go on.

"People all over London are doing battle with planners, politicians and developers to defend their neighbourhoods. It is time for us to stand together and demand change – to Reclaim London from the private and powerful interests wrecking our city.

"London's future depends on the wellbeing of all, not just the few. We want to live in a civilised city where people and communities come first. We demand a fair, open, accountable and genuinely democratic planning process – a process that protects the things we love and puts public need before private greed."

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Ubiquitous Unique
09 June - 14 June
Free entry: Open 10am - 6pm
Organised by: Reclaim London
Red Gallery
1-3 Rivington Street
EC2A 3DT

The installation Ubiquitous Unique will feature computer-rendered elevations from one hundred recent planning applications across London which, seen collectively, will challenge claims for the uniqueness of these schemes.

"It will question the extent to which this development model is solving London's growing problems. Are 'new landmarks', 'iconic structures', 'stunning views', 'exclusive apartments', and 'award-winning architects' benign elements or are they part of the housing crisis, the privatisation of public space, the loss of built heritage and the fragmentation of communities?

"The installation will be curated by Reclaim London, a recently-formed group voicing Londoners’ collective concern about the city's growth and seeking accountability and fairness in the planning process. Reclaim London will use the exhibition as a hub for discussion and ideas for change, such as how architects could benefit from a fairer balance of power between developers, the authorities and the public."

Part of the London Festival of Architecture running throughout the month of June. Website HERE.