This blog is driven by one question
How do I live my best life in the world’s greatest city during this climate emergency?
This is not a rhetorical exercise. I’m not here to signal virtue or share vague optimism. I’m looking for practical answers. And if there’s one part of this blog that matters most, it’s this: the ideas for change.
This article launches a new section—one that sets out proposals. It is, frankly, the hardest part to write.
It’s easy enough to say what we shouldn’t do. Ban cars from Hammersmith Bridge. Stop wasting public space. Curb carbon. But it’s far more demanding to say what should take their place.
Likewise, I could churn out a list of policy ideas without much explanation. But that would be neither serious nor persuasive. If we want to change anything, we need to show our working.
So here, I’ll attempt something more deliberate. A set of proposals. Together they form a Manifesto - a public declaration of intentions supported by beliefs and founded in science-based evidence.
The structure is simple enough:
A vision for a better Barnes and Mortlake
The principles that guide it
Specific proposals
And finally, a sense of how it all adds up—how the whole might exceed the sum of its parts.
That last part might be a stretch. I have no idea how I am going to make good on this last ambition.
Launch, learn, iterate
Never be afraid to be seen trying
That’s a motto I return to often. Every post here is a step toward answering that big organising question. Not every step will be sure footed. Already I’ve stumbled—when I first tried to define the blog’s geographical scope, I got it wrong. Here’s the misstep. Here’s the correction.
There will be other revisions, especially as I work through this Manifesto. It might be 2026 before it feels anchored and fit for purpose.
More than just decarbonisation
Every idea will support climate action in one form or another. But that’s not the whole ambition.
I want to live better. That means more than cutting emissions. It means healthier neighbours. Affordable homes. Better schools. Safer streets. These are not abstract hopes; they’ve driven my work in public service for years. The new challenge is to pursue all of that and tackle climate change at the same time.
Good ideas welcome .. from anyone
Most of what you’ll read here won’t be my invention. And that’s fine by me. I don’t care who comes up with the best ideas, as long as we find them. I’ll credit where I can, and always try to build on good thinking.
My role is more curator than creator. To test ideas, sharpen them, and assemble a credible way forward for Barnes and Mortlake. And where others—politicians, businesses, community groups—push things in the right direction, I’ll be the first to applaud them.
Minimum standards
Rigour matters. As I set off, I’m not entirely sure what that will look like. But I’ll try to follow a few basic rules.
First, I’ll focus on the nine topic areas already identified [LINK]. I’ll gather background. Fact-check. Test assumptions against the best data available. My instincts are not enough. Only when I’ve done that groundwork will I share a proposal.
That might prove too much to do. Launch, learn, iterate. I’ll let you know how I go on.
Benefits
Every idea must be judged by its benefits. Take the title of this post: Live. Work. Play. Belong. It’s not just a slogan, it’s a test.
How do you know what good looks like in each of those areas? What does it mean to belong?
Many London neighbourhoods claim a strong sense of identity. Friends in Clapham’s Northcote Road will say they feel it there. But the version of belonging in Barnes is different—perhaps deeper, more rooted. What gives it that quality? How do you assess it?
Everything everywhere, all at once
One last thought: this section of the blog will always be in flux.
New ideas will come from other cities, across the UK, across the globe. Businesses will innovate. Governments will tweak policies and shift incentives.
My own working style contributes to this dynamism. I’m not building a case from the ground up in neat order. I’m circling around the big themes, returning with each piece to refine and connect.
These reports are how I attempt to impose some order for you and me.
Next up, how do you articulate a vision for a place as large and diverse as Barnes and Mortlake?