London's Towns: Shaping the polycentric city

Member Download

Out of print

Preview

London's Towns: Shaping the polycentric city

The massive spread of London that took place in the 1930s absorbed towns like Kingston, Croydon, Harrow and Romford into the metropolis.

Generally surrounded by suburban developments of detached and semi-detached homes with gardens, and celebrated in John Betjeman’s Metro-land, these areas of London seem to come off second best when compared to the Mayor’s policies on the central boroughs and Thames Gateway. This insight looks at the characteristics of the suburban ring of the capital and the part these areas play in the planning of London.

Excerpt from the introduction

London beyond the centre is home to a rich and diverse mixture of towns, neighbourhoods and communities that help make our city the exciting place it is. It includes prosperous green and leafy suburbs, but also places facing deprivation amongst the worst in the country. Making sure outer London lives up to its full potential as a place to work, live and enjoy is vital if London is to meet the challenges of population and employment growth while also acting on imperatives like climate change.

That is why I have flagged planning for outer London as a major priority, which will be backed by a Mayoral Commission later in the year. "London's Towns" raises many of the questions we will have to address, and shows what can be achieved with imagination and hard work. It is a good start to the discussion, exchange of ideas, policy-making and delivery on the ground that we will need to make the kind of change our city - and its towns - need.

Chapters

Introduction
By Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

Doughnuts and Pizzas

An outline of the Mayor’s 'Planning for a Better London' approach, with outer London being a priority.

The Scattered City
London as a 'city of villages'; a network of town centres each with its own character and style.

Infrastructure & Employment
Analysing the infrastructure and employment in inner and outer London.

Boroughs
Analysing planning schemes in London's boroughs, from Croydon to Bromley.

London's Town organisations - who does what?
An insight into London's councils and authorities.

The way forward
How are towns and their surrounding areas tackling employment, public spaces quality and development challenges that are being observed between outer and inner areas?