"The Towers Debate: Does London need more tall buildings?"

Link to LSE web site

Editor's note: We apologise for the buzz present on this recording.

Speaker(s): Julia Barfield, Nicholas Boys Smith, Paul Finch, Simon Jenkins, Sir Edward Lister, Rowan Moore, Tony Travers, Nicky Gavron Chair: Sarah Gaventa

Recorded on 2 June 2014 in Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street.

"There are now proposals for over 230 new tall buildings to be built in London over the next decade, 80 per cent of which are residential. As London’s population continues to expand, is this high-rise vision of London's future the right one for our city and its people?

"Kicking off the London Festival of Architecture 2014 programme, Centre for London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and New London Architecture (NLA) host a public discussion to debate the motion 'London needs many more tall buildings'."

Julia Barfield is director of Mark Barfield Associates.

Nicholas Boys Smith is director of Create Streets.

Paul Finch is programme director of the World Architecture Festival.

Nicky Gavron is chair of the Planning Committee at the London Assembly.

Sarah Gaventa is an associate at RSH+P.

Sir Edward Lister is deputy mayor for Policy and Planning at the GLA.

Simon Jenkins is chairman of the National Trust.

Rowan Moore is architecture critic for The Observer.

Tony Travers is director of LSE London.

Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording)