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London of the Future
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03 October 2023

The proposals in London of the Future aim to predict and prescribe how the metropolis might be governed, organized, and designed in years to come and to provoke debate among planners, architects, and developers not only in London but in all major cities throughout the world.
Over the course of eighteen essays, experts in various fields - urbanism, architecture, engineering, manufacturing, futurology, journalism, and more - examine possibilities for reimagining and improving many aspects of the city. These writers consider changes both radical and minor that could shape London into a more resilient city and a fairer, healthier place to live.
- The architectural commentator Peter Murray provides an engaging introduction. Discussing some of the more interesting and, in some cases, eccentric proposals of the earlier book, he paves the way for an entirely new and up-to-date collection of ideas for the twenty-first century and beyond.
- The architectural critic and consultant Hugh Pearman ponders the dangers and uses of prediction while proposing that London be improved and made more liveable, rather than expanded and developed.
- The architect Carolyn Steel continues the focus on making the city a more pleasant place to live by discussing the future of its food supplies, considering the place of farming within the city's boundaries to spearhead urban renewal in a newly environmental age.
- The engineer Roma Agrawal advocates increasing cross-disciplinary understanding in the building and engineering world so that tomorrow's engineers can be curious without boundaries.
- Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of the architectural practice Grafton interrogate the meaning of permanence,, and what London's inhabitants will need from their buildings.
- Urbanist Kat Hanna discusses the future of two of London's identities: the Central Business District and the Financial Services Hub.
- Mark Brearley, an architect and proprietor of a long-established London manufacturer, writes on the subject of the local high street and how the city is strengthened by these social, commercial hubs.
- Gillian Darley, a writer and historian, looks at the future of heritage and how the city's past can be conserved and contribute towards its future.
- Sarah Ichioka is an environmental and social consultant, and her approach focuses on the climate emergency and natural solutions to make the city more resilient.
- The architect Indy Johar puts forward radical ideas about the shift that is required of all London's inhabitants if the city is to transform itself for the future.
- Smith Mordak, an architect and engineer with Buro Happold, advocates for large infrastructural changes for sustainability.
- The cultural practitioner and writer Yasmin Jones-Henry, meanwhile, advocates for the value of cultural activities, powered by diversity.
- The theatre director Jude Kelly calls for London's broadly inclusive cultural past to be put at the center of future plans and imagines a place for AI in that future.
- Dame Baroness Lawrence, a campaigner who has promoted reforms in the police service, uses housing, education, policing, and racial equality to put forward her vision for a more equitable London.
- The journalist Anna Minton sets the extraordinarily high values of property in certain areas of the city against a crisis of social housing and the poor quality of low-income housing and asks how the problem of housing inequality can be solved.
- The architect Claire Bennie also examines how housing can be made fairer and available to more people.
- The futurologist Mark Stevenson imagines a commercial, building-focused solution to the problem of climate change.
- The journalist Tony Travers imagines London's future in relation to its survival of past crises.
- Neal Shashore, an architectural historian, focuses on the approach to educating future designers of the capital, to champion inclusivity and focus on the needs of people and communities.
Leanne Tritton is chair of the London Society and the founder and managing director of ING Media, a communications agency focusing on contemporary architecture, design, and the built environment.
Roma Agrawal is an engineer, author, and broadcaster.
Claire Bennie is an architect and director of the housing development consultancy Municipal, which advises public landowners.
Mark Brearley is an architect who focuses on urban projects and placemaking. He is also the proprietor of the long-established London tray manufacturer Kaymet, and since 2010 has been cataloging manufacturers in the city.
Gillian Darley is a writer, teacher, architectural historian, broadcaster, and the author of Excellent Essex (2019).
Yvonne Farrell is a founding partner of the architectural practice Grafton which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2022.
Shelley McNamara is a founding partner of the architectural practice Grafton which won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2022.
Kat Hanna is an urbanist researcher who has worked in London politics, planning, and policy. Her professional interests include urban economies, transport, and the role of technology in the built environment.
Sarah Ichioka is an urbanist, writer, and founder of the environmental, cultural, and social consultancy Desire Lines. She is a proponent of regenerative design, biomimicry, and the use of indigenous knowledge in urban planning.
Indy Johar is an architect and cofounder of Dark Matter, a field laboratory that aims to redesign the urban institutional infrastructure in radical terms.
Yasmin Jones-Henry is a journalist and strategist who focuses on the intersections of fashion and finance, and culture and commerce.
Jude Kelly is a theatre director and former artistic director of the Southbank Center, Britain's largest cultural institution.
Dame Baroness Lawrence is a campaigner who has promoted reforms in the police service.
Anna Minton is a writer and journalist. Her book Big Capital: Who is London For? was published in 2017.
Smith Mordak is an award-winning architect, engineer, and writer working across disciplines to realize a regenerative economy and built environment.
Hugh Pearman is an architectural writer, critic, and consultant.
Neal Shashore is an architectural historian and head of school and chief executive officer of the London School of Architecture.
Carolyn Steel is a writer and architect.
Mark Stevenson is a writer, businessman, and futurologist.
Tony Travers is an academic and journalist who specializes in local government.