Following successful developments in Stratford and Shepherd’s Bush, Westfield, joined by new partner Hammerson, will build another shopping centre in south London's riot affected town of Croydon.
Planning approval has been granted for the Australian developer Westfield, known for its shopping centres, and UK partner Hammerson, owner of north London's primary shopping centre Brent Cross, to build a third such development in Greater London. After initially fighting over the site, the joint Westfield Hammerson plan was approved late on Monday night.
Director of development at Westfield, John Burton, stated that “In terms of scale, what we’re delivering here is in total larger than what we currently have at either Stratford or west London. The intention is to be a pace setter here and more widely in Europe. This will be the absolute top of the tree.”
Located in Croydon town centre, the £1 billion proposal has been described by Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, as a “once in a generation” and expects that this will elevate the town to become “one of the top retail destinations in the country” when it opens in 2018. The 1.4 million square foot development comprises leisure and office space as well as providing an expanded retail capacity in the renovation of two existing shopping centres.
It is hoped that the proposal for Croydon town centre, badly affected by the riots in summer 2011, will deliver on promises to create 5,000 new jobs and deliver 600 new homes.
FULL STORY: Westfield secures planning permission for £1 billion Croydon mega shopping centre
London's Housing Market Now Swallowing-Up Commercial Uses
A proposed extension of a 2013 law allowing commercial conversion to residential uses is threatening to "accelerate the hollowing out" of London.
Death of the Shopping Mall May Be Exaggerated
Despite threats like online retail, upscale sectors of the mall market are prospering. This is good news for what are, perhaps, the only walkable 'streets' in some parts of the country.
As the Enclosed Mall Era Fades, Learning Lessons, Both Bad and Good
For all the bad press that the traditional enclosed mall receives today from planners, there are certainly retail strategies they excelled at that will be pertinent long into the future, argues Geoff Dyer.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association