Boris does nothing to improve architecture, blasts Livingstone

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone today launched a withering attack on his successor's record on major architecture projects.

Mr Livingstone said "nothing was happening" on architecture and design on Boris Johnson's watch, despite the need to bring the capital up to scratch in time for the 2012 Olympics.

He also waded into the row between Mr Johnson and architect Lord Rogers, formerly the Mayor's top architecture adviser, claiming his recent bitter resignation was no surprise.

Mr Livingstone vowed to put architecture and public space at the heart of his own bid for re-election in 2012. He complained that the Mayor's new Great Places scheme neglected the capital's most important spaces, piggybacked on the work of boroughs and included projects from his own 100 Public Spaces programme, such as Windrush Square in Brixton.

He also said he had amassed £1.5billion in Transport for London reserves which he now regrets not spending on the public realm before Mr Johnson "squandered it".

"Boris is cutting back on virtually every capital project," he told Building Design magazine. "The £1.5 billion has been squandered on things like getting rid of bendy buses and not proceeding with congestion zone charges."

But a spokesman for Mr Johnson said: "He has embarked on the most ambitious programme of urban realm and environmental improvements the capital has ever seen."