Sex has a place in public: Lord Rogers by Patrick McGowan Architect Lord Rogers has said he supports streets and public squares being used by prostitutes, beggars and rough sleepers. Ken Livingstone's architectural adviser told a packed lecture at the Royal Institute of British Architects that he defended the right of buskers, vendors and "participants in public sex" to use London's public places. Lord Rogers said: "I think public spaces are exactly for these activities. The Pompidou Centre is an example where all these kinds of people can act, including prostitutes." He added: "After all it is part of life. There should be different places for different activities." The Labour peer was responding to a question from the campaign group, Transgressive Architecture, who had organised a protest outside the lecture hall. They fear that his plans for urban renaissance will lead to the "social cleansing" of Western cities and the sweeping away of the poor. Afterwards Lord Rogers told the magazine Building Design: "If this group is asking if prostitution should be kept off the street then no, I don't think so. It is no good shovelling activities like this under the carpet. In fact they belong in public space." Lord Rogers earns £130,000 a year as London's "city architect". GLA members have complained that there are potential conflicts of interest between his architectural practice and his advice to the authority. Gil Doron, of Transgressive Architecture, said: "I didn't think that he would be so radical as to make such a declaration considering his political roles." Lord Rogers was not available to speak to the Evening Standard.