In a location near St. Paul's Cathedral, a new self-proclaimed "ultra-modernist" office and shopping complex is going up, despite the efforts of the Prince of Wales behind the scenes to squelch the project.
The Prince wrote a private letter to the developer suggesting that Jean Nouvel, the architect who had been chosen through an international competition, was not the right architect for the job.
"The private letter protesting against the designs came to light during a Guardian investigation into the way the prince has sometimes used private pressure to influence the country's planning process – from housing estates in Scotland to placing pressure on ministers to make his favourite structures listed buildings."
To catch up on the Prince Charles' controversy, click here.
FULL STORY: Royal disapproval: how Prince Charles tried to stop a modern 'masterpiece'

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
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Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
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Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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