The director of Design for London, Peter Bishop, has called for an open dialogue over how public money is spent on the built environment.
Speaking at a lunch with Richard Rogers and Richard MacCormac, Bishop stated the need for more money to be pumped into the development of public spaces in London, for 'the same price as one ventilation shaft' in the Crossrail project.
Bishop's words followed a presentation by MacCormac, who is designing Victoria Gardens a new 'linear' public space along the embankment, part of the Mayor of London's 100 Public Spaces scheme.
Funding is yet to be granted for the project, which is likely to cost between £24-£38 million, sparking a call from Bishop for a discussion on how money is divvied up between public schemes.
Bishop said: 'We need to be having an open dialogue with government on the importance of public spaces within cities, and how money for these schemes is secured.'
The announcement followed Bishop's expression of intent for a manifesto for the Mayor's new department, which he said will give the public an opportunity to test how Design for London is performing.by Richard Vaughan