East London’s home for big ideas.
How Might We is the podcast where we design solutions to solve pressing challenges facing East London today.
Hosted by Patrick Scally this podcast brings together people looking to make things & change things for the better here in East London. So, every week Patrick & a specialist guest create actionable steps to big problems facing the world they're directly experiencing using design thinking frameworks.
Our neighbourhood is changing fast, our thinking needs to progress just as quickly.
e80: de-commodify housing, at scale, and giving residents control and stability w/Levent Kerimol
Housing does not have to be a speculative asset. Levent Kerimol makes the case for a different model—one that gives residents real control, keeps homes affordable over time, and helps community-led housing grow without losing its local character.Levent is the founder of Collective Ownership, a secondary housing cooperative built on eight years of community-led housing work. In this conversation, he explains why resident-led housing projects can stall before they get started—and how a two-tier cooperative structure can reduce friction and risk, helping groups move from idea to acquisition.You’ll discover:
What a secondary housing cooperative is and why it matters
How collective ownership gives residents a say in repairs, governance, and daily decisions
Why decommodifying housing means more than lowering rents
How cost-based charges can help sustain long-term affordability
How a central body can help cooperatives borrow more affordably and grow sustainably
The conversation also explores a deeper tension at the heart of the housing crisis: homes are increasingly treated as financial products, while stability, belonging, and resident control are pushed aside. Levent explains how community-led housing can protect those priorities while working within the realities of finance, regulation, and growth.He makes the practical case for acquiring existing homes rather than relying only on new development, discusses the climate benefits of reusing buildings, and identifies policy changes that could help the model spread—from grant funding barriers to stamp duty rules.If you care about housing, affordability, community, climate, or the future of ownership, this is an essential conversation about what homes are for—and how we might make them work better for the people who live in them.
Find out more and support Collective Ownership here (https://www.collectiveownership.co.uk/)
4 Nov 2025
e79: Revolutionising Building Use: The Don't Waste Buildings Movement
The conversation revolves around the mission of Don't Waste Buildings, a movement aimed at promoting the reuse of existing buildings to combat climate change and reduce embodied carbon. The speakers discuss the challenges and opportunities in the built environment sector, emphasizing the need for policy reform, economic incentives, and community engagement to shift the focus from new builds to retrofitting existing structures. They highlight the importance of collaboration across various stakeholders and the potential for significant social and economic benefits through adaptive reuse of buildings.
Find out more about Don't Waste Buildings here (https://www.dontwastebuildings.com/)
00:00 Introduction to Online Publications and Technical Glitches
00:23 The Importance of Adaptive Reuse
07:14 The Economic and Social Opportunities of Retrofit
10:30 Changing Perspectives on Old Buildings
12:49 The Role of Local Councils and Policy Implementation
15:29 The Future of Building Development and Community Needs
19:23 Lack of Vision in Politics
21:07 Climate Responsibility and Governance
22:17 Decarbonizing Construction
23:26 Collaboration in the Built Environment
29:08 Engaging Communities in Built Environment
32:20 The Art of Persuasion in Climate Action
36:15 Drivers of Change in Policy
37:46 Financial Incentives for Sustainable Development
44:46 Global Examples of Successful Policies
13 Oct 2025
e78: the spillover benefits of ESG w/isaac vale
this week patrick is joined by Isaac Vale as they delve into the ESG initiatives at Here East, focusing on sustainability, circular economy, and community engagement.
discover the challenges and successes of implementing these initiatives and the potential for Here East to become a hub for circular economy experiments.
read more about Here East's ESG work here (https://hereeast.com/about/different-makes-difference/here-east-planet/)
connect with Isaac here (https://www.google.com/search?q=isaac+vale+here+east&oq=isaac+vale+here+east&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRiPAjIHCAMQIRiPAtIBCDQ1OTdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
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Spotify
4.6 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100
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Quality
89
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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