The Debate: Should London’s suburbs be spikier? October 17, 2024 A housing crisis and London’s relatively flat skyline have prompted calls for building taller (or ‘spikier’) in the suburbs. Growth bros on Twitter are desperate for London to “densify”, i.e. cram more buildings into a smaller space by building taller structures or extending current buildings upwards. Yet London’s outer regions are typically flat with parks, [...]
Vertical Aerospace: Battersea to Heathrow in 10 minutes? October 9, 2024 Imagine a future where a taxi from Central London to Heathrow took little more than 10 minutes? That's the goal of Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace.
Mayor Khan bound to need to step in against NIMBYs over Twickenham plans October 8, 2024 London won against the capital’s NIMBYs when the GLA approved plans for Wimbledon’s expansion. And they’ll probably need to do the same when councils inevitably block the Rugby Football Union’s bid to host more events at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium. “London is the sporting capital of the world and this decision will not only ensure Wimbledon [...]
Don’t turn the City into the ‘best regulated graveyard’, pension funds told October 7, 2024 A group of pension funds has been warned against turning the City into the “best regulated graveyard” today after they called for the boss of the London Stock Exchange to stop lobbying for reform of financial services rules. In the latest of a series of letters to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), a coalition [...]
City Hall: Blow to Sadiq Khan as deputy mayor for policing quits for government job October 7, 2024 City Hall’s deputy mayor for policing and crime has quit her post for a government job in a blow to Sadiq Khan. Sophie Linden is to step down from her £141,386-a-year role to become a senior adviser to justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has announced. Linden has been in post since [...]
We’d drink to the departure of Amy Lame, but all the pubs are shut October 3, 2024 Good riddance to Amy Lame, Sadiq Khan’s useless ‘night czar’ who did nothing to tackle the regulation strangling London’s pubs, bars and nightclubs, writes Elliot Keck The United States has been responsible for furnishing us with many of the most iconic soundbites for free-market and small state advocates. Milton Friedman’s “nothing is so permanent as [...]
New Saudi law renews drive to boost foreign investment October 2, 2024 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is radically re-wiring its economy. The Vision 2030 programme announced in 2016 kick-started an ambitious plan to reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenues, launch infrastructural “giga-projects” and generate an extensive array of modern industries, ranging from luxury tourism to AI. In order to achieve these ambitions, the Kingdom will [...]
Controversial Wimbledon expansion plans get green light September 27, 2024 Wimbledon’s controversial expansion plans have been given the green light by the Greater London Authority. The decision taken by Jules Pipe, London’s deputy mayor for planning, means the All England Club’s proposal to build 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the adjacent former Wimbledon Park Golf Club and nearly triple the size [...]
We need more new towns like Brent Cross – but we need them in the right places September 25, 2024 Brent Cross is London's newest park town. Its proximity to London has been crucial to making it a success, writes Tom Goodall
A car-free Oxford Street does sound dreamy, but there’s a problem: buses September 19, 2024 An Oxford Street with no cars is a charming fantasy. But ignore the "red wall of metal" at your peril, writes James Ford