Streets in the sky

In this podcast, we explore the public health implications of modern housing. We ask how deviations from local conceptions of home affect the health and well-being of those living in modern tower blocks – whether in England, the Global South, or beyond. As global warming contributes to increasingly unsafe living environments around the world, new housing developments that fail to account for local needs risk becoming public health crises in years to come.

We speak to academics, architects, public health specialists, and government representatives to understand the scale of this problem and what might be done to address it. Homes need to change, but changing them in the wrong way could leave us all worse off.

Episode 1

In its opening episode, Streets in the Sky explores how the concept of home is fundamental to human nature and well-being, and how neglecting that connection can cause serious harm. We focus on the Doddington Estate in London, a post-war tower block that replaced traditional homes and has, over time, been associated with widespread social and public health challenges for its residents.

Listen to Episode 1: London's Doddington Estate on Spotify

Also available on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Episode 2

In episode two, we turn to Mumbai, where around six million people live in informal settlements. The Indian government is focused on what it calls slum rehabilitation – an approach that involves relocating residents into newly constructed tower blocks. Yet research from Cambridge suggests that these developments, which resemble those built in post-war London, can give rise to as many public health problems as they do solutions.

Listen to Episode 2: Mumbai's Slum Rehabilitation Scheme on Spotify

Also available on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Episode 3

In the podcast’s final episode, we talk to experts in architecture and public health to explore how to address this developing crisis in modern living. If we do not work together to build new, sustainable homes, we risk exacerbating public health issues caused by poor-quality homes, which will only intensify as the world continues to warm.

Listen to Episode 3: Solutions on Spotify

Also available on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Credits

Written and narrated by: Jonathan Goodman

Produced and edited by: Lily Austin

Sound design: James Brailsford

Additional sound engineering: Michael Gallagher

Contributors

Episode 1: Lydia Ogden, Stephanie Buckner, Nik Johnson. Special thanks to Carlos Pasini, director of Where The Houses Used to Be.

Episode 2: Ronita Bardhan. Special thanks to Carlos Pasini, director of Where The Houses Used to Be.

Episode 3: Ronita Bardhan, Ginette Hogan, Frances Wright, Kyle Buchanan, Lydia Ogden, Nik Johnson. Special thanks to Carlos Pasini, director of Where The Houses Used to Be.

Funding

This podcast was made possible through the generous support of The Rudd Centre.

Resources and related links

houses and buildings under blue sky during daytime

Photo by Alfarnas Solkar on Unsplash

Designing homes for a warming world

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Cambridge Sustainable Design Group

The Sustainable Design Group at the University of Cambridge explores the intersection of the built environment and planetary health. Their research focuses on data-driven design strategies for precision prevention, addressing health and energy burdens in a warming climate.

Marmalade Lane

Marmalade Lane is Cambridge’s first cohousing community—an innovative model for sustainable, community-led living. Discover how its design fosters social connection, energy efficiency, and long-term wellbeing.

s.labs

Voluntary organisation, s.labs, are leading a project with local residents to bring the garden space at the ground of Arthur Court on the Doddington and Rollo Estateback into community use.

Archio

Archio is an architecture company based in London.They use a co-production approach, working closely with communities to design inclusive, sustainable spaces that respond to local needs.