All Comment articles – Page 30
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InsightBeauty is not a simple matter
The inaugural Building Beauty Awards were celebrated at a ceremony this week, with Lord Foster of Thames Bank the guest of honour.
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InsightPropelling the UK to self-reliance
Brexit, the pandemic and the Ukraine conflict have all disrupted supply chains and marked turning points in the priority that European policymakers place on their own self-reliance.
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InsightCo-living plays vital role in cities
As a former planning officer, I know the difficulties that boroughs have in meeting affordable and market housing delivery targets, creating genuine mixed and balanced communities and persuading developers to adopt an ‘open-door policy’ for local existing communities and groups.
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InsightShow football mobs the red card
One of the highlights of the summer was the UEFA Women’s Euro Championship and the thrilling performance of the England team. They have rightly won praise, setting an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.
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InsightVirtual real estate: bust or boom?
Only eight months ago we were discussing the boom of real estate in the metaverse and its bright, shiny future. US rapper Snoop Dogg replicated his Californian mansion by creating a 144-parcel paradise and then the nine-parcel property next door set a record purchase of $450,000 (£382,000).
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InsightDesignated Entertainment Zones good for cities
One of the highlights of the summer was the Women’s UEFA European Championships and the thrilling performance of the England team. They have rightly won praise, setting an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.
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InsightEngland still needs freehold system
Since a thumping 2019 General Election win, the Conservative government has pursued a reckless war with freeholders in England. Its strategy, seemingly only adopted to win political capital, will remove professional oversight in apartment blocks, putting residents’ safety at risk while significantly increasing the number of dilapidated buildings.
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InsightInvestors can’t ignore the elephant in the room
Last week’s leader was a timely and friendly reminder to the industry not to ignore the elephant in the room as we head into a seemingly inevitable recession.
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NewsGovernment must support later-living developers
Editor: Given the UK’s housing shortage, many will be pleased to hear Michael Gove’s recommitment to building 300,000 new homes by the mid-2020s.
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InsightWhy shared ownership is so vital
As shared ownership now has four decades under its belt, we can take a cue from how this crucial tenure has endured previous property market cycles. While this resilience shows that the product will stand the test of time, there are steps the government and sector must take to support ...
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InsightInvestors are homing in on rental
Following the mini-Budget that was anything but small, bond markets are now back in the headlines in a way unseen since the eurozone crisis. The yield for 30-year gilts climbed by 120 basis points in the three days after the ‘fiscal event’ – a jump that threatened to push some ...
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InsightFlex space offers a hybrid solution
Flexible workspaces have been the solution for a huge number of companies during the turbulent Covid-19 times, and this will only increase into 2023.
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InsightTime to champion disabled staff
It is encouraging to see some great efforts to redress construction’s historical lack of diversity. Some real gains have been made, but applause should be tempered by the knowledge that there’s still much to do – particularly when it comes to disability.
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InsightBrace for the impact of real austerity
In 1947, as he was about to present his Budget, Labour’s Hugh Dalton, the then chancellor of the exchequer, let slip to an old friend: “No more on tobacco; a penny on beer; something on dogs and pools but not on horses; increase in purchase tax, but only on articles ...
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InsightHigh debt costs and low yields to affect BTR appetite
In response to your recent article ‘BTR sector set to keep growing as economic situation worsens’, I would agree with the effects of rising demand due to a chronic shortage of rental property and a growing tenant pool.
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InsightTime for practical action on climate
Record-breaking temperatures in the UK and Europe over the summer and extreme weather events globally should in theory have galvanised the governments and corporations attending COP27.
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InsightSustainability must take priority
No matter the current government appetite for new housing, what is clear from both a political and social perspective is that the UK needs to keep building new homes to meet demand.
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InsightGlimpsing the moon’s dark side
A potted history to give a sense of perspective of what might be coming: between mid-2007 and mid-2010, the top UK commercial agents shed 3,300 fee-earning staff, a decrease of around 20% during the deepest recession since the 1930s. Capital values fell by 24% between July 2007 and September 2008. ...
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InsightTop tips to tackle housing crisis
The government has long pledged its commitment to tackling the UK’s housing shortage, which began not because of a blip lasting one year but because not enough homes were built over many decades.
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InsightGo hybrid – it’s good for business
Stanford University professor Nicholas Bloom couldn’t have summed up the value of hybrid working any better than in a recent interview with Time magazine: “As an economist, I’d point out that firms don’t do things that lose them money. They do things that make them money. That’s why every firm ...
