Short‐Term Projects, Long‐Term Ambitions: Facets of Transience in Two London Development Sites

Abstract

Exploring the phenomenon of short term projects on vacant land through empirical research in London in the latest downturn, this chapter draws on two case studies which reflect different attitudes to transience and permanence in urban development. Through defining the notion of ‘short-term’, the chapter locates the case studies in a historical framework. A complex systems/resilience framework brings the socio-environmental dimension of temporary uses to the foreground, while collaborative planning theory frames the way in which they can be portrayed as tools for community co-authorship of development. The chapter discusses the following key themes that emerged through the case study approach: the environmental and social contribution of vacant land in relation to urban systems, sustainability and resilience; urban development as an incremental, collaborative process, and emerging patterns of collaboration and synergies between involved actors, within the context of recession; and planning policy implications.