Journal
Walking the walk
There is little doubt that the City of London is an imposing, impressive and highly desirable place to site a business. Its famous skyline is a magnet for all things exciting in the world of architecture and – whether it is new heights, innovative shapes or famous names – the City often grabs them first.
But with growing density and increasingly capacious towers there was a danger that something was being forgotten in the endless development of London’s financial heartland. While the buildings ruled the skies, it was the car that held sway at ground level, with the City’s streets being either major thoroughfares, which alternated between racetrack speed and gridlock, or dangerous rat runs. The thousands who pour from tube, train or bus each day to work in the area were being neglected, needlessly corralled and left to battle with wind pollution, diesel fumes and a lack of facilities at street level.
Realising that these problems would multiply as the City grew and as more and more workers were needed to fill the offices under constant construction, the Corporation of London planning office decided that it was time something was done to claim back the ground level for people. Prompted by the proposals for the 288m DIFA tower on Bishopsgate, the Corporation decided to set some ground rules for development and invited applications from consultancies for a research and guidelines package. Discuss this article
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