Venue: GIS Unit at Department of City & Regional Planning

Date: 09 April, 2012;  06:00 PM​

London is unique amongst the world cities in terms of having the largest urban inheritance from 1900 and, with New York; the most diverse and global post-industrial economy. London has ambitions to be a leading ex-ample of best practice for sustainability. By many measures London has experience and policies that are useful for other rapidly growing areas. Indeed London can be considered a forerunner of some trends and challenges that will in time face all of the World’s larger cities. This includes –alongside a global economy- a diversity of dynamic communities who have strong cultural, citizenship and economic links to most of the globe.

East London was in the not too distant past the docking and industrial engine room of what was the world’s largest trading and manufacturing center. Especially since the 1960’s the economy has changed towards a global knowledge mode. This has left a legacy of redundant land as the economy has changed. Basic transport and public infrastructure in East London was configured for a different economy and residential pattern. The Mayor of London has stated that 97% of all new development in London will be on brownfield land, probably the highest percentage of any city in the world. East London’s Thames Gateway is Europe’s largest and most ambitious regeneration initiative within which the 2012 Olympics will be located. This creates unique challeng-es and opportunities for regeneration and sustainable growth.

The current London Plan attempts to tackle these issues in what is a very complex economic, social and admin-istrative environment. Many of the solutions are private sector led within a framework of public sector plan-ning. The lecture will explore the challenge and the results of the London Plan process with a particular empha-sis on lessons that might be helpful to planners in the Gulf region.