Bricks without straw time to call a halt to the ‘more for less’ society

Julian Dobson, director, Urban Pollinators

THE TALE OF OUROBOROS SCHUMPETER’S CREATIVE DESTRUCTION OR BECK’S RISK SOCIETY?

‘In advanced modernity the social production of wealth is systematically accompanied by the social production of risks… hazards and potential threats have been unleashed to an extent previously unknown.’ Ulrich Beck, 1992

BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW: THE WORLD OF WORK A BROKEN SOCIAL CONTRACT - WORK IS NO LONGER THE ROUTE OUT OF POVERTY

‘For the first time on record, the majority of people in poverty are in working families. Two-thirds of these families are in work.’ MacInnes et al, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2013

THE REGENERATION ALTERNATIVE: REVALUE WORK IS IT TIME TO REWARD PEOPLE FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FOR A JOB?

BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW: A BROKEN HOUSING ECONOMY NEARLY 50 YEARS ON FROM CATHY COME HOME, WHY IS HOUSING STILL IN A MESS?

The total value of housing stock in the UK is £5.2 trillion - with 42% of that value in London and south east England. The housing stock in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea is worth 15% more than all the homes in Wales. Savills Residential Property Focus, Q1 2014

THE REGENERATION ALTERNATIVE: COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE IDEA OF SHELTER AS A HUMAN RIGHT?

BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW: GROWING FINANCIAL EXCLUSION SOCIAL MOBILITY BECOMES A NONSENSE WHEN THE COST OF LIVING IS PROHIBITIVE

The average total debt per household in the UK in November 2014 was £55,384. Every household in the UK pays an average of £2,105 in interest repayments. The Money Charity, 2015 The debt charity StepChange helped 36,413 people with payday loan debts in 2012 - nearly 20,000 more than in 2011.

THE REGENERATION ALTERNATIVE: BUILD LIVELIHOODS SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS ARE ABOUT A DECENT INCOME – AND MUCH MORE

Are we anchors of our communities? ‘Anchor institutions should commit themselves to consciously and strategically applying their place-based economic power, in combination with their human and intellectual resources, to better the long-term welfare of the places in which they reside’ Axelroth and Dubb, 2010

‘PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE WRITE MEMOS. "PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE WRITE POETRY.’ (WALTER BRUEGGEMANN)

thank you

www.urbanpollinators.co.uk Twitter: @juliandobson