As the RSA’s year of social connections draws to a close, Mike Thatcher highlights the most-read Journal articles across all four issues in 2025.
From the erosion of trust in our digital age and feminist approaches to urban planning, to the raw emotional power of clay animal sculptures and the urgent need for honesty in the climate debate, this year’s Journal delivered its hallmark blend of variety, insight and inspiration – qualities recognised with 14 awards at prestigious ceremonies.
Below are the top 10 articles by readership on RSAJournal+ , spanning all four 2025 issues and their themes associated with the RSA’s year of social connections: Trust, Mobility/Opportunity, Exclusion and Action. Whether you’re revisiting previously read articles or catching up on what you missed, these pieces represent the conversations that resonated most deeply with our community this year.
I hope you enjoy revisiting our greatest hits, and look forward to bringing you more variety, insight and inspiration in 2026.
Technology has enabled our retreat into homebound lives of frictionless convenience – but at what cost? Trust expert Rachel Botsman says it’s time to get up and get out.
What happens when cities are built for some but not all? Holly Bruce explains how a feminist town planning movement in Glasgow is challenging urban inequality.
Artist Beth Cavener’s clay animals are caught in the throes of emotions – fear, suspicion, disdain, despair – that humans would rather avoid. Her Trust exhibition asks if we have the empathy needed to rebuild what’s been lost.
When it comes to social mobility, we may be looking ahead – but are we hitting the mark? Fairness Foundation CEO Will Snell examines the merits of meritocracy.
Two hundred years after the birth of the railways, the aftermath of the 1960s’ Beeching cuts is still being unpicked – but Gareth Dennis says it’s not too late to harness the power of rail to restore mobility, reconnect communities and reshape our future.
Ealing Council is putting social connection at its core. Chief Executive Tony Clements explains how it is transforming everyday services into powerful opportunities to build community and tackle isolation.
In a conversation convened by the RSA, two observers of the English education system – Fiona Millar and Leora Cruddas – debate the ideas that separate them, and the urgent priorities for change.
Writer, broadcaster and best-selling author Afua Hirsch discusses assimilation and experience, the enduring power of race in shaping British identity, and why confronting uncomfortable history is key to inclusion.
Former Education Secretary Justine Greening on the erosion of opportunity across Britain, the crucial role of businesses in driving social mobility and growth, and her experience of ‘Yorkshire grit’.
Once cheered, now booed, the fight to save our climate is at a crossroads that demands not just optimism but straight talking, argues Clover Hogan.
