Postcards from the Future: a journey over three continents December 2019September 2025 Over the past five years Nicholas Falk has visited many cities, often to take part in conferences or other events, and has generally produced a short essay accompanied by a selection of around ten images. These have now been compiled together, and some will reappear in a new book on how cities can change direction and make themselves more sustainable.
Land for Housing February 2019August 2026 Britain's housing crisis and regional imbalances share a root cause: land value uplift is captured privately rather than reinvested locally. Drawing on seven European case studies - from Freiburg's self-build "passports" to Rotterdam's mutual benefit programmes - this report shows how Germany and the Netherlands turned land value capture into affordable housing, better infrastructure, and stronger local economies, all without relying on central government handouts. For policymakers, it offers a practical blueprint: freeze land prices in designated growth areas, empower development corporations with democratic mandates, and channel uplift into the transport and community infrastructure that struggling regions need - easing cost-of-living pressures while narrowing the North-South divide. This paper was prepared as a response to John Healey MP’s comprehensive report and consultation Housing for the Many
Affordable Housing July 2018September 2025 A contract from Shelter to advise their Social Housing Commission on international good practice resulted in thirteen illustrated case studies from Bilbao to Singapore and Zurich., and an analysis of published information on social housing in Europe.
Swift Rail and Growing Cities January 2016September 2025 The UK could learn from Germany and its own experience in London’s Docklands when it comes to rail transport links, argue Dr Nicholas Falk and Reg Harman.
