Tiny balconies in London: useless tokens of outdoor space

Jessica Furseth critiques the proliferation of tiny, unusable balconies in new apartment blocks, particularly in East London's Isle of Dogs and Hackney. These balconies, often less than 1.5 metres deep, serve only as a selling point for developers, who charge more for the idea of outdoor space. Furseth notes that even the London Housing Design Guide mandates a minimum depth of 1.5 metres, but many balconies fall short. She contrasts them with enclosed winter gardens in Nine Elms and Tallinn, Estonia, and suggests trading private balconies for better communal amenities, as required by Lambeth Council. The article references a Curbed report on New York balconies as narrow as 45 centimetres, and quotes architectural historian Alistair Cartwright on the loss of social connection at height. Furseth concludes that putting the square footage back inside homes and improving shared outdoor spaces would be more beneficial.