Housing in Britain has been broken for seven decades — here's how to fix it: Jonathan Glancey on the Country Life Podcast

The architecture writer Jonathan Glancey joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.

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Panoramic view of Swindon town center. Aerial above botanical tree canopy at sunset. View from Swindon Town Gardens public park with recreational grounds and tennis court.
New towns such as Swindon were built with good intentions, but many mistakes were also made. It's time we learned the lessons from them, says Jonathan Glancey.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Britain is full of architectural talent and ideas. So why is our affordable housing in such a state?

'We need to think of unusual sites and then do something special with them,' says the architecture critic and writer Jonathan Glancey, who joins James Fisher on this week's Country Life Podcast.

Making housing better for all of us — not just the privileged few — is at the heart of the discussion between James and Jonathan, just as it's one of the key issues in Jonathan's latest book, Where We Live: The Fractured Art of British Housebuilding and How to Build the Homes We Need, which is out in June 2026.

Jonathan's years of experience and expertise — from his first job at the The Architectural Review to his many years as The Guardian's architecture and design editor — shines through as he talks about everything from the model villages built by the great railway companies of Victorian Britain through to the huge mistakes made in social housing between 1945 and 1990.

He illuminates the topic in fascinating detail, in a talk which is by turns inspiring, depressing and forward-looking. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

Where We Live: The Fractured Art of British Housebuilding and How to Build the Homes We Need is published by Icon Books on June 20, 2026 — you can order a copy now from all good bookshops.

Jonathan Glancey

(Image credit: Icon Books)

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Jonathan Glancey

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Bethany Handley

Producer and Editor: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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James Fisher
James Fisher
Digital Commissioning Editor

James Fisher is the Digital Commissioning Editor of Country Life. He writes about motoring, travel and things that upset him. He lives in London. He wants to publish good stories, so you should email him.