While ‘stay alive ‘til 25’ was a phrase on many people’s lips over the last twelve months or so, both inside the built environment world and out, it will be interesting to see if, for example, the targets to develop 1.5 million homes and other governmental initiatives give a little push to the industries in that very necessary quest. And perhaps whether they might bring with them a period of economic growth in London and beyond.

This issue takes a look at Labour’s impact so far through a column from Yolande Barnes, who argues that we need to stem the flow of investment from the capital, and CT Group’s John Walker, who argues that planning departments and personnel need to be strengthened. At least there was a whiff of optimism abounding at LREF — also covered this issue — as well as the message for the year ahead where ‘uncertainty is out, and complexity in’.

Cover star Civic is mobilising to keep its own growth going, strengthening its own skills and ability to service buildings and sustainability by acquiring firms to offer a holistic, joined-up approach, whilst also collaborating with other engineers to further the cause of materials reuse, particularly steel. The practice is profiled at the Top of its Game this time, along with features on the international approach offered by AFK Studios over its decade in London, and the key part another acronym-med firm, LCA, has played in the capital’s London’s major regeneration projects over the 25 years it has been in business.

Councillor Kieron Williams sets out the importance of infrastructure in the light of NLA’s Repower report, Jestico+Whiles’ Ben Marston reports on the latest in education and Robin Dobson takes us beyond rail to describe the huge role Network Rail will play in building homes and more for London and the UK.

In terms of reftrofitted offices, Seaforth Land’s headline-grabbing reworking of Space House features in the first of our building reviews this time, with another characterful refit — British Land’s 3 Sheldon Square offering a model for other firms in bringing relatively recent buildings bang up-to-date in terms of amenity and sustainability.

There’s plenty more besides — Liz Peace signs off from Old Oak, Sue Brown offers us the state of real estate balance, and there are opinion pieces from labs to B Corps, logistics boxes, visualisation tools to the creation of ‘central social districts’.

Ultimately, here’s hoping that 2025 can see London and its developers, designers and inhabitants, prosper — and perhaps go one step further than just survive, and thrive.

David Taylor
Editor