Kevin Barton: “We need to make urban fabric work harder”

Kevin Barton, Director at Robert Bray Associates, creates climate-resilient landscapes, including flood-mitigating playspaces and a blue-green roof that saved one Hackney developer £800,000. When it comes to designing cities, he believes we need radical change. From tyre-dust microplastics to raw sewage overflows from Victorian pipes, Barton says professionals need to challenge the urban fabric and make it work a lot harder to proactively eliminate toxins and contribute to healthier cities. “That’s where we get really excited,” says Barton. “We are a natural disaster ourselves, but for the climate’s sake, and for our sake, we need radical change and some of this will be uncomfortable.” Support our podcast and also get the magazine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.