Nestled on the banks of the River Fleet at the fringe of the city’s core, the old Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was once one of the most overcrowded places in London. Shaped by rapid population growth and the fallout of unchecked industrialisation, in the late 19th century worsening poverty and dire living conditions incubated revolutionary politics and it became an epicentre for urban reformers, progressives and other social agitators whose ideas on housing, healthcare and the public city would have a legacy across the UK.

In this walking tour, urban historian Mike Althorpe – aka The London Ambler – charts radicalism, urban change and big ideas through the architecture, streets and spaces that changed London.

Mike Althorpe is an urban historian, architectural researcher, storyteller and guide 'The London Ambler' with a background in fine art and architectural history. Between 2006-2009 Mike was part of architectural think tank Building Futures and from 2011-2015 was public programmes curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Since 2016 he has worked with Karakusevic Carson Architects and in 2017 co-authored the practice-led book Social Housing and curated the exhibition of the same name in London in 2017 and at New York’s Center for Architecture in 2018. In 2019, he was the recipient of RIBA Research Fund and published Revolutionary Low Rise – a publication exploring international low rise, high density housing with Abigail Batchelor.