There is a new series of debates about London for 2019. The London Society and RTPI London are working together on six events that will look at different aspects of life in the city and examine the controversies behind them, and suggest ways in which planners and urbanists can improve things. The first is on 6 February and looks at air pollution in the capital. Over 50 years on from London’s Great Smog and the original Clean Air Act of 1956 the streets of London continue to have toxic levels of pollution. Thousands of Londoners continue to die prematurely each year as a result of small particulates in the atmosphere. In 2018, legal limits for pollutants were breached by January. You will hear from speakers at the sharp end of the battle to improve London’s air quality. You will learn more about the Mayor’s strategy for improving the air quality in the City as well as campaigners who have successfully challenged the UK Government in the high court. To book your tickets, click here. On 5 March Daniel Moylan, former Deputy Chairman of Transport for London and former Deputy Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, will ask if the planning system in London is not now so anti-market and so anti-people in its outcomes that it would not be better to abolish it and start again with a much lighter touch. He'll be answered by Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the RTPI in what will be a fascinating discussion for planners and non-planners alike. Tickets can be found here. Further debates include an examination of some of London's recent planning battles,looking at how controversial buildings and developments got through the planning process and the effect that opposition had; there will be a panel discussion around how we plan a city that works for all of the population; and we'll look at privately owned public spaces - a growing phenomenon in the capital, but what are the implications for the public realm? To be informed of the whole series and when booking opens for each event, sign up for the London Society newsletter.