While we love London as it is, there's no denying that this place is changing. These changes are in some cases very welcome, much needed and the result of earnest campaign. In some cases, these changes are unwanted, unwelcome, unnecessary and wasteful. There's a certain amount of debate on this very website about London past, present and future but we note with great pleasure a far grander and, dare we say, better organised lot of chatter at Tate Modern this coming weekend.
That towering beacon of art and intellectual inquisitiveness Tate Modern is hosting a four-day series of debates about London, under the in no way misleading title Debate London. It's straight-talking all the way from there. The debates are organised by the Architecture Foundation, with guest speakers including architects Zaha Hadid, Sir Richard Rogers, Helen Marriage of Artichoke who brought The Sultan's Elephant to London, founder of the Big Issue John Bird, Guardian columnist Zoe Williams and the ever-present Alex James of Blur.
The debates are all centred around the question "What will life be like for Londoners in 2012?" and encompass not only architectural issues but also culture, design, business and politics. The online resources for this series of debates is impressive and if you can't get there in person to take part, there's an opportunity to stick your oar in here. Otherwise, do it in person and book a ticket to add your voice to current thinking about London.
Debate London,Friday 22 to Monday 25 June at Tate Modern. For more information and for tickets, go to the Debate London website here.
