This film examines London's unique character as a 'city of villages', which has emerged from the piecemeal development of self-contained estates under single ownership. 

In addition to their historic legacy - dating from the 17th century and beyond - many 'Great Estates' are still active, providing sustainable methods of management and long-term investment, which are in large part being replicated across a series of new ‘estates’ - significant areas of London under single ownership including King’s Cross, Canary Wharf and Covent Garden. 

London is often referred to as a city of villages. This unique character, a

patchwork of different neighbourhoods, emerged from the piecemeal development of self-contained estates under single ownership. 

After the Great Fire of 1666 development outside the city of London

accelerated and the fields and meadows to the west were built over with

fashionable streets and squares. Here in Bloomsbury square the Earl of

Southampton leased out land to developers land which at the end would

revert back to the Earl. This form of development shared the risk gave the Earl an income from the ground rent but it meant that he held the freehold for

the long term. Large parts of central London are still owned by these great

estates. Regent’s Park and Regent Street are owned by the Crown Estate;

Mayfair and Belgravia by Grosvenor; Harley Street and Marylebone by Howard de Walden; the Marble Arch area by the Portland family; Chelsea by Cadogan and Bloomsbury by the Bedford Estate, while the City of London owns pockets of land in and outside the Square Mile. 

Although they may be perceived as bastions of inequality the estates have evolved exemplary methods of management and long term investment. Good practice can be found in the public space improvements that have been carried out by the Great Estates. Examples include Oxford Circus by the Crown Estate, Mount Street in Mayfair and Elizabeth Street in Victoria by Grosvenor together with Westminster Council and Duke of York Square in Chelsea by the Cadogan Estate. The regeneration of Marylebone High Street by Howard de Walden, with the proactive management of the retail mix, is a model for endangered high streets everywhere. 

The estates’ legacy is some of London's most attractive and distinctive neighbourhoods, mixed use areas with great public spaces and managed change. The redevelopment of sites at King’s Cross, Canary Wharf Covent Garden Earl’s Court and Stratford provide the opportunity to employ long-term

approaches to placemaking. Similar strategies are to be found at London's

education estates. University College London is planning to create a new campus at Stratford while Imperial College is building new accommodation at

White City.