As London considers adding more skyscrapers to its city center, some worry that the city may lose its unique character — can high-rises coexist with 19th-century offices and rowhomes without harming the urban fabric?
"Ken Livingstone, who in 2000 became the first elected mayor of London, ... believes that central London needs greater population density. And to achieve this, he has endorsed the principle of building upward...A number of Londoners are worried. They already fear that the city is losing its historic identity. For them, the ideal solution would be to tear down the concrete office towers thrown up in the 1960's and 70's. Instead, the strategy is to surround the eyesores with stylish new high-rises in the hope of hiding bad architecture behind good architecture. But even this approach is perilous: skyscrapers that look daring today have a way of looking dated tomorrow."
Thanks to James
FULL STORY: London: Next City of the Sky?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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