'Knowledge Capital: making places for education, innovation and health' explores the transformation of London’s education and medical sector estate. This major research paper published by New London Architecture (NLA) examines how innovation clusters, new technology and ground-breaking design are key drivers of the city’s future economy.

This research investigates the current scale and nature of development in the education and health sector, focusing on universities, colleges, campuses, research centres, incubators, innovation centres, hospitals and clinics, identifying the key districts of growth in London, the East and the South East regions and the factors influencing and supporting their location.

 

As major landowners and placemakers in London, we look at the role these estates play in shaping the wider city and the potential they hold to help solve the housing crisis, create better places for Londoners and provide opportunities for the emergence and growth of smaller start-up industries and bodies.

 

With several key projects recently completed, under construction and in planning across the capital, including London BioScience Innovation Centre, The Francis Crick and The London Cancer Hub, we explore the significance of these schemes and the lessons learnt for future projects in London. In third level education, major expansion and relocation plans in London’s University sector include UCL East and Imperial College signal a change in thinking around the role of education campuses and their place in wider London.

The partnering of ‘eds and meds’ was first identified as a key economic driver of cities by the Brookings Institution’s metropolitan think tank some twenty years ago and since that time, with the growth of wider knowledge-based industries, universities are increasingly viewed not only as institutions of higher learning but as engines of economic growth and innovation. 

Listed as the world’s top university city, with 14 in the world’s top 500 list, London is in prime position to benefit from the strength of the knowledge economy – an asset which is further reinforced by the London/Oxford/Cambridge ‘Golden Triangle’ in the wider metropolitan region. The strength of the sector will be of increasing importance in a post-Brexit economy, especially since – unlike banks and financiers – these institutions are wedded to the city and will not move away.

Executive summary
Key priorities for future-proofing education and health estates

Chapter one
The shape of london’s knowledge economy: higher education, scientific research and health

Chapter two
The changing forms of spaces for education, science and health

Chapter three
Knowledge, placemaking and the city

Chapter four
Future-proofing places for education, science and health

Project showcase

May 2018 Published 
170 pages 
ISBN 978-0-9956144-7-5