Andrew Jones, AECOM’s Practice Leader for Design, Planning Economics, EMEA, presented on key findings from recent AECOM research into how London and the wider region can deliver a successful housing strategy.
Andrew commented: “London is the world’s most successful city but is facing a crisis. It needs an additional 2.5million homes by 2036 and when combined with the lack of affordable housing, this issue presents a genuine longer-term threat to London’s competitiveness and economic growth.
“To properly manage London’s future growth, we must start looking at London as a City Region of 20 million people that is economically, socially and culturally connected to the capital. Limiting the conversation about the housing shortage to the GLA’s borders ignores the 700,000 people that commute into the city every day and the acknowledgment that London is the number one economic driver for the entire South East.
“There is a significant amount of growth pressure outside of the GLA borders, making it essential that the approach to growth is aligned with the needs of London, the wider South East and the UK. At the moment there is little in the way of joined-up cross-boundary thinking which is skewing the property market and making London even less affordable. Ultimately this will hit the Capital’s competitiveness. A considered and comprehensive programme of integrated growth strategies from the inner-city through the region will create thriving places and balanced communities, tied together by high-quality environments and efficient, quick transport.”
Some photos from the event are available on the right of the page.
Andrew Jones will now be speaking at the New Statesman’s free event – Is the London Housing Market Broken? – on 24 February.