Strategic Planning for London: Integrating City Design and Urban Transportation

Abstract

AbstractOver the last decade, London has reformed strategic planning more than any other mature western city of similar size. In 2000, the U.K. government created the Greater London Authority (GLA), including a directly elected mayor, ending a 15-year period without any citywide government. As a consequence, urban planning and transport have been upgraded by a strategic citywide plan, the London Plan, and a multi-modal transport agency, Transport for London. Both offer an interesting example of how a city that had abandoned citywide planning is rediscovering strategic planning as an important tool for sustainable urban development. The city’s congestion charge is as much part of this strategy as are more progressive approaches to implement higher residential density levels. This essay examines London’s current urban development strategies, which aim to achieve greater integration of urban planning, design, and transportation and offers reflections on the successes and problems that have emerged since implementing this important reform.KeywordsSpatial PlanningExpert InterviewSenior OfficerUrban PlannerGreen BeltThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.