August 2012 Archives

In this Red Book update (subscribers only) we look at the planning and construction pipeline in the inner London boroughs at the half year point. What are the significant applications and permissions so far in 2012? Construction starts were disappointing last year but how are they now and what can we expect by the end of the year? And is there still an appetite for prime stock if so then where is it being built and who's doing the buying? We've been trawling through our database to find the answers, the interactive map below of H1 2012 schemes under construction may appear crowded but it represents only a fraction of the overall data used in this report.

Key:

10-20 - white marker

20-49 - yellow marker

50-99  - orange marker

100-149 - red marker

150+ - pink marker

Do you ever read a newspaper article or blog and immediately think something along the lines of "that's cool, but now I feel stupid?" Well that just happened to me. Thanks Londonist!

The brilliant Londonist website has a story up at the moment titled 'Why there's not a single road in the City of London'. First thoughts are "what are they talking about?" but as they explain this is an excellent bit of trivia. There are plenty of streets, squares and alleys, but traditionally not a single road. This is however only true on a technicality of wording, of course.

So if like me your job role entails, site visiting the City on numerous occasions during the year, commuting through it every day of the working week (above ground I might add) and looking at maps of the city on a weekly basis, this bit of 'trivia' is quite enlightening.

And when you think that as rightly Londonist state, the reason for this historic anomaly appears to be because the sense of the word 'road' was not coined until the late 16^th Century, after nearly all the thoroughfares in the ancient City had already been named.

And now it seems so obvious too! Now I feel really stupid. I wasn't the only was I?

Londonist - 1. Me - Nil

Spot the road. 

Check out the Londonist story here.

The building below can easily be mistaken for a mere shopping centre within the Chinese city of Zhuzhou. However in a city dominated by residential tower blocks, where space may be limited, four residents have taken a more radical approach and built their homes on top of the city's most famous multi-storey building. The villas were only recently noticed by a observant Zhuzhou resident. Plenty of space in a densely populated city and an exclusive view guaranteed.  

In this Red Book update (subscribers only) we look at the planning and construction pipeline in the inner London boroughs at the half year point. What are the significant applications and permissions so far in 2012? Construction starts were disappointing last year but how are they now and what can we expect by the end of the year? And is there still an appetite for prime stock if so then where is it being built and who's doing the buying? We've been trawling through our database to find the answers, the interactive map below of H1 2012 applications may appear crowded but it represents only a fraction of the overall data used in this report.

Wiggo at the time trials yeaterday:

Plus some support...

...and advice

Plans were yesterday approved for the North Hub of the Olympic Park, following plans being submitted for the South Plaza last week (blogged here). The London Legacy Development Cooperation intends to create a community hub focussed around ecology. Designed by Tall Engineers and Max Fordham, the park will include a community building and play space area allowing children to engage in imaginative play within the flourishing green surroundings. They will be able to build dens, grow plants, climb trees, study insects and play on a series of platform walkways, slides and bridges connected to trees. The north park is scheduled to open next July.