Londoners Making London: an author Q&A

Dr Jan Kattein’s new book Londoners Making London was published by Lund Humphries in April 2024. We spoke to Jan about the book, why it’s needed and what its take home messages are.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have always understood architecture as a spatial as well as a civic pursuit. A great place for me is one that combines an inspirational spatial experience with real and tangible social, cultural and educational outcomes for communities. To achieve this, my own practice as an architect is defined by close collaboration with communities in the places where we work. 

During the last five years we have worked with over 10,000 people who are directly or indirectly affected by the work we do. And I have worked with some extraordinary Londoners during the last 20 years. Individuals who have – often with limited resources and little professional advice – brought transformative change to their communities. Some of these people have become close friends and many of them remain an inspiration.

Londoners Making London is my attempt to record their stories, study and define their methods and to inspire others. The book counters the expectation that the development of cities is exclusively controlled by architects, planners and developers and demonstrates that transformational change is increasingly driven by people.

Why is the book important in today’s world?

I am struck by Quality of Life Foundation research that links wellbeing to a sense of control of – and ownership over – decisions that affect the places where people live, work and socialise. Londoners Making London directly addresses the sense of disconnection from democratic decision making that many people perceive today. The book celebrates projects that were initiated and stewarded directly by communities.

Sadly, inequality in the UK has been rising not least because the services that local authorities provide have come under huge strain in recent years. The reality is that communities and third sector organisations will increasingly need to take charge of the delivery of the social, cultural, and educational spaces and programs that people need to thrive. 

The really positive news is that increasingly people are stepping up with work that has a huge and lasting impact. Londoners making London represents my attempt to define the methods and approaches that Londoners have used and to share these tools with everyone.

Most books on grass-roots urbanism are written by academics, architects and urban planners. To write the book I interviewed 11 Londoners who, through their passion and conviction and often against all odds, have transformed their neighbourhoods. The stories in the book are told in their words. 

Taking this approach, the book is also an attempt to diversify the voices that shape the discourse in urbanism today. Urbanism is something that affects all of us. Only if we diversify the voices that shape our cities will we be able to challenge the status quo and address some of the huge challenges that we face as a result of the environmental crisis.

Who should read the book?

There are different groups of people who should read the book for different reasons. 

The book provides grassroots change makers with methods and tools that can be adapted to their own practice. Academics and researchers will find that the individuals interviewed in the book have a profound contribution to make to the public discourse. Professionals and built environment students can understand the book as a call to reframe their practice or future practice to deliver more profound and equitable outcomes. And for policy makers and local government officials, the book verifies a more impactful approach to governance that relies on enabling communities to act as changemakers.

Is there one lasting message you would like people to take away from the book?

There are many messages and ultimately, because we are looking at very personal experiences, everyone will take away their own learning from the book. For me, there is a quote in the book from Rasha El-Sady, Programme Manager at Maxilla Men’s Shed which has stayed: ‘Challenge the way it’s done and look at more creative ways of getting those outcomes.’

Londoners Making London is published by Lund Humphries