Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

Their Health Impact Assessment completely ignores recent research findings (including those from researchers at the University of Cambridge) in the field of neuroarchitecture. This despite posting a public comment in response to the planning application asking for this to be covered. Image: Boring buildings starve your soul. By Humanise I tried to play by theContinue reading “Cambridge Investment Partnership doubles down on ‘Worse than Communism’ architecture”

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Skills Committee doubled-down on their remit from central government, sticking within the skills remit and refusing to be drawn into the wider lifelong learning policy area Image: The latest report from the Jo Cox Foundation which deals with loneliness in society I tabled a public question for the SkillsContinue reading “The leadership vacuum on lifelong learning and tackling loneliness in Cambridgeshire”

Sir Geoff Mulgan, the former Director of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit in Tony Blair’s Labour Government suggested to one unnamed Cambridge academic: “…that they and their students might occasionally visit Luton to talk about politics… [they] looked horrified” Above – Sir Geoff Mulgan, Rethinking universities’ social contracts, 11 June 2026 (Image: The old TrialsContinue reading “Are too many Cambridge academics staying within their comfort zone?”

Has the growth of student enrolments at the University of Cambridge – in particular international postgraduate student numbers exacerbated the city’s housing crisis and the chronic skills shortage within the economic sub-region? (Also, highlights from meetings in Parliament that you might not have known existed) Controversial statement or simply responding to the data on housingContinue reading “Is Cambridge University’s student expansion unsustainable?”

Unfortunately there wasn’t much interest from Cambridgeshire’s MPs – which is surprising given how high profile the CPCA Mayor’s commitment to a light rail for Cambridge is The first question at Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport was on mass transit earlier today (11 June 2026) Above – you can watch the TransportContinue reading “Transport Secretary answers questions on urban mass transit in the Commons”

When was the last time local government in your town and city researched and produced such a comprehensive guide to the public services where you live? I’ve digitised the book here for you to read online With undiagnosed AuDHD one of the things I’ve learnt is not to feel guilty about what the time isContinue reading “What Cambridge could learn from the City of York in 1928”

The use of the terms HQPT and MRT only serve to make the general public cynical about the forms of public transport systems that highways engineering professionals are preparing for an expanded Cambridge – mindful of their shortcomings with the first guided busway “What are we banning this time?” Acronyms that confuse the public byContinue reading “Transport professionals confuse public with vague acronyms. Again.”

The grim news from Belfast has unleashed a wave of disinformation and inflammatory posts across social media. Why have successive governments been so impotent and passive in the face of such a threat to social wellbeing and national security? But to start off on a more positive note, I spotted this post on IG fromContinue reading “Full Fact 2026 and the UK’s collapsing democratic information environment”

Cambridge Independent highlights the planning application for another round of boring grey boxes that Cambridge Past, Present and Future dubbed The Great Wall of North East Cambridge when Conservative ministers approved the outline planning permission Image: From Humanise’s campaign against boring buildings Above – by the Cambridge Independent which should also be in this comingContinue reading “Great Wall of North East Cambridge proposals for Cambridge Station”

“The Fund will support practical, locally led approaches that can build trust, remove barriers to participation and deepen people’s connection to democratic life.” Says the written statement to Parliament You can read the full statement from Democracy Minister Samantha Dixon MP here Long-time readers of this blog will be familiar with my workshops over theContinue reading “Ministers launch democratic engagement fund”