About Me
I am an architect, lecturer and writer. My chief interest is in exploring the inner lives of cities, and my work has focused on developing a lateral approach to urban design that looks at the everyday routines that shape cities and the way we inhabit them. I have run design studios at the London School of Economics, London Metropolitan University and at Cambridge University, where my lecture course ‘Food and the City’ is an established part of the degree programme.
Perhaps because I was born and bred in central London, I have always been interested in buildings. But my interest was never limited to their physical form. More than anything else, I wanted to know how buildings were inhabited: where the food came in, how it got cooked, where the horses were stabled, what happened to the rubbish – these details fascinated me as much as the perfect proportions of their facades. I loved the public/private, upstairs/downstairs divisions within buildings, and the way they were subtly interwoven. I suppose I have always been drawn to the hidden relationships between things.
It was only years later that I realised that my twin passions for food and architecture were really two aspects of the same thing. It was architecture that I pursued as a career, first studying it at Cambridge, and then, two years after qualifying, returning there to teach. But I felt increasingly that in order to study architecture, one had to look away from it – only then could one see it for what it really was.
I began to look for ways of bringing life into architecture, and architecture to life. My search took me to Rome in the 1990s, where I studied the everyday habits of a local neighbourhood over the course of two thousand years; and to the London School of Economics, where I was studio director of the Cities, Architecture and Engineering programme. At the LSE there were architects, politicians, economists, developers, sociologists, housing experts and engineers all gathered together in one room, struggling to find a common language with which to discuss cities. It was then that I hit on the idea of using food as a common medium. How would it be, I wondered, if one tried to describe a city through food? I was confident that such a thing could be done, but had no idea how one might go about it, or where it would lead. Seven years later, Hungry City is the result.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Hi Carolyn,
We met briefly at the growing food for london conference - i was the time-keeper… I am running Jeanette’s review of your book in the next issue of FANMail which is the newsletter for the Food Access Network. Do you have a high res. image of the front cover of the book or could direct me where to get one?
Sarah Cannon
July 18th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Carolyn,
I studied the exact same topic for my Architectural Diploma Project.
I find it fascinating that someone else takes an interest in the joint positions of food and architecture and the roles the two play in the society’s health & well being.
I also made a focus towards growing food within our cities which you also seem to have discussed.
I will be purchasing your book & look forward to reading it.
(If anyone is interested - the website I have displayed illustrates a selection of the work done)
James
July 21st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Hi
I was delighted to hear on the Radio 4 programme today about the issues surrounding the Hungary City.
Anyone interested in creating solutions to these issue, which predominantly are around organisations working together in collaborations, should explore the opportunity presented by OpenStrategy, from New Zealand. www.openstrategy.co.uk
Best wishes
Ian
August 31st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Hi
Enjoyed the book. Would love if you could write a book about the olympic cities, in light of the way in which London is selling itself on legacy.
There are 4 years till 2012
Leslie
October 31st, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I have just read the wonderful review in Metropolis Magazine www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3550 and send you my compliments. I see from your schedule that you are making a TED appearance in the coming year. I am sure you are aware of Micheal Pollan’s writing and appearances including TED. There is such a synergy between the perceptions you both have. Thank you for your work and commitment to improving the life of city living.
March 9th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Hi Carolyn,
I met you yesterday in the BM.
We talked about Gray’s Inn Road, known as Gray’s Inn Lane in the past, and Euston Rd, built to clear Oxford Street of the livestock transit.
Would love to know more and look at the pictures.
Thanks, Regards,
Eli
March 25th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Hi Carolyn,
What a wunderfull world… thank you for the interview today in The Haque! Kind regards
April 20th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Dear Carolyn
I’m a student at the Welsh School of Architecture and greatly enjoyed your brief lecture on Hungry City in February. Just wanted to let you know that we had our Cities and Landscapes exam today, and can safely say that reading your book was the most enjoyable ‘revision’ I’ve ever had to do for an exam!
Regards
Yvonne
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Hello Carolyn.
Congratulations on the book which I have just devoured (not literally of course) with great interest. It was quite an insight into the dynamic of food, and other supplies, and the city.
You might be intersted to view an article: www.telegraph.co.uk, search- ‘Agritopia’. Surely a sign of these times of change that farming on the Steiner principles can appear in print without apology?
A lot more to say on the changes to come, but I will not bore you with that one.
All the best from Maurice Rolfe. (A retired architect)
July 24th, 2009 at 2:18 am
I’m trying to find your direct email to wish you good luck in the morning. You’re a brilliant person (please read without the American accent so this complement will feel more significant).
Be passionate and honest.
Beau Lotto
July 28th, 2009 at 2:45 am
[…] Stefana Broadbent and Food Urbanist Carolyn Steel reflected on the social and urban consequences of the industrial revolution on modern society. […]
July 31st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Hello Carolyn.
I have just come across your work and am very grateful for it. I have posted blurb about you and a link to your site on www.ooooby.org
Ooooby is a network of food growers who are in support of relocalising our food systems.
I am also interested in making your book available for purchase from our online store which will be launching soon.
Kind regards,
Pete
August 24th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
[…] Food is a design tool The second speaker was Carolyn Steel, author of the excellent book Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives. Hungry City traces how food […]
September 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Each year the Sheffield University Architecture Society [SUAS] organises a lecture series, for which speakers from all over the world are invited to come and speak to students about their work. This lecture series is curate by the students, and we are currently inviting speakers for the upcoming academic year (09-10). This event has in the past attracted such names as Michael Hopkins, Malcolm Fraser, Carmody Groake, A.O.C, Urban Splash and Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
This year we are inviting a broad range of speakers, both from inside and outside of the architectural profession in the hope of bringing fresh influences into the school. We would be really interested to find out more about your work, and would therefore like to invite you to give a lecture at Sheffield University as part of the [SUAS] Lecture Series.
September 24th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Hello Carolyn,
I very much enjoyed your book, which I found most instructive, particularly as it overlaps with things I have learnt from my companion who is a town planner here in France. I hope, for her sake, a French version will one day be published. Is this on the cards?
thank you for all your work
Harry
October 6th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Dear Carolyn,
I am a 3rd year architecture and planning student at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
I have just recently finished reading your book. I think it is absolutely brilliant. The issues you discuss are so important and I think everyone should read this book. I am always mentioning your book, trying to get others to read it and spreading the word about your talk with Anna Minton in Bristol that is coming up.
I have, of course, bought a front row seat ticket and am looking forward to Tristan Stuart’s talk after.
I am basing my dissertion on your idea of sitopia and desiging cities around food and other important issues regarding food.
I wanted to enquire whether you would be interested in doing a lecture about your book and your ideas at the Department of Planning and Architecture here at the University of the West of England (UWE).
We run a lecture series at the university and have weekly talks from visiting architects.
I think it is so important that students in the Department of Planning and Architecture here at UWE are made aware of the issues you discuss in your book.
Regards,
Steve Anderson
October 7th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Dear Carolyn,
Congratulations and thank you very much for your wonderful work.
I’m originally from Istanbul - Turkey, currently writing a dissertation at the SUM Center for Development and the Environment in Oslo on Food Systems and how we can better understand the needs for creating resiliency. My case study is the Transition Town Totnes.
I would love to be in touch and meet at some time in the beginning of 2010.
I loved your presentation at TED and some of the images you used; may I ask you whether it would be possible to share a powerpoint presentation with me? I certainly would not use any of it without your consent.
With best wishes,
aLp
October 12th, 2009 at 3:48 am
Ms. Steel,
I just returned from farming on a city rooftop in NYC and spent the day removing tomatoes and getting the soil ready for the winter’s cover crop. And then coincidentally watched your lecture at TED this evening. As much as I agree with your message/vision of moving food sources back to the country side of cities, I hope that we can do better than that and use the existing city infrastructure to produce food. Although I don’t think we can raise all of our food within the walls of the city, I know, based on my personal experience, that we can raise much of it within the city walls using currently squandered rooftops. I look forward to reading your book and appreciate your interesting approach to the history of urban development.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Dear Michelle,
Many thanks for your message. Actually, I believe that urban agriculture and the ‘post-fitting’ of existing cities with food growing are an important part of the solution to making our cities more sustainable – I didn’t have much time to talk about it in my 15 minutes, but I discuss it at some length in the book!
October 13th, 2009 at 8:08 am
[…] Food is a design tool The second speaker was Carolyn Steel, author of the excellent book Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives. Hungry City traces how food […]
October 19th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Dear Carolyn,
I’m based in Paris, travelling through London on Friday Oct 23rd, on my way to meet with Transition Town Friends near Sevenoaks, and would love to meet you if, by any chance, you had time then.
I’m building a Do Tank for the “post-carbon city”, built around 4 work programmes: food relocalisation, home insulation, urban micro-freight, cottage industries.
best wishes,
Julien
November 16th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Carolyn,
Just watched your TED talk for the second time.
I live in Madrid and I thought you’d be interested in knowing that the city have done something truly remarkable here with our old market near the Plaza Mayor, converting it into a a new market where the vendors of each stand sell tapas as well as their usual produce.
This is working really well and it’s always busy.
The market is called, “San Miguel”.
Regards,
Patrick
December 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
[…] I can usually find something fascinating or funny to watch, and sometimes, as was the case with Carolyn Steel, learn something completely new to […]
December 26th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Hi Carolyn
Perhaps this is answered in your book as I only came across your TED video yesterday, but are you involved with the concept of Vertical Farms, given your achitectural background too?
Fabulous TED presentation btw.:)
Cheers
Matt
January 14th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Hello Carolyn,
I’ve just finished the book and wanted to congratulate you on such an ambitious call to arms. I am an artist (in the widest possible sense of the word) and have developed a project called ‘What Will the Harvest Be?’ in East London near the Olympic site, it may interest you - the site is protected by English Heritage and with a local resident group we now have a largescale open access harvest garden for communal food -growing - 2009 was its first year and was an abundant success. Sam Clark from Moro cooked at our Harvest festival and (a la Bible!) cooked for 150 straight from the garden without seemingly making an impact on the amount of produce still growing! I myself live in the Lakes on a hillfarm once owned by Ruskin (www.lawsonpark.org) where we (its run by the arts organisation Grizedale Arts) have a big commitment to bringing the land back into use. BTW I was thrilled to see David Bass namechecked at the end - I was at the BSR with him in the early 90’s and he was a hilarious companion on many a trip to a (for me anyhow) inpenetrable Roman ruin - and I will always remember the hysteria of practising the past tense in our Italian lessons. Do pass on my best wishes to him.
Best wishes for 2010, Karen Guthrie
January 14th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Dear Karen,
Great to hear from you. Your Harvest project sounds great – hopefully it will live on in the Olympic legacy! I will certainly pass on your message to David too.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:08 am
Thankyou for your excellent lecture yesterday (Jan 19th) in Stockholm (Arkitekturmuseet).
We are a group of pensioneers who will go to Liverpool in May.
Do you happen to know a person knowing about economic history and urban development in Manchester and Liverpool.
Or can you recommend a book about the subject. I have made som inquiries here in Sweden but
still without success. I have got the name W.R.Lee and a book about architecture in Liverpool with the name Liverpool One, Remaking a city center.