FoC Urban Change History

LEARNING 3

Cities are all about scale. The primary raison d’etre of the city over history has been to provide the scale that allows for specialisation, predictability of interaction, innovation and effective trade. Large cities have pulled away from smaller ones on many metrics because scale begets scale and a virtuous circle of investment. This is fundamental to the concept of a city, and it explains the success of London compared with other UK cities. However, scale also comes with challenges. There are two factors which are emerging to threaten this very fundamental tenet of the city, in the form of (a) virtualisation and (b) density issues. In combination these could radically unsettle the benefits of being in a city and chart a new course for future urban change.

Cushman & Wakefield | Client name

17

Cushman & Wakefield