City Hall © Richard R. Schünemann
RTPI London is joint signatory to a letter to the next Mayor of London with five key asks. The letter led by New London Architecture (NLA) includes key leading figures from, London Property Alliance, London First, RIBA London, BPF, CIOB, Landscape Institute, Centre for London, Urban Design Group, The London Society, BCO, NWEC, Heart of London, Federation of Master Builders, HBF, NRLA, Place Alliance, and Academy of Urbanism.
As a collective representing over 100,000 individuals, who work across the sector and actively deliver the revised London Plan, the coalition came together in March 2021 to discuss what London needs of its next Mayor. Following the meeting, Peter Murray, NLA Curator-in-Chief, drafted a letter on behalf of the coalition and addressed it to the Mayor of London in preparation for the 2021 elections.
As a result of the discussions held at the Hustings, the coalition identified five key issues.
- Tackle the crisis of housing supply, affordability, and homelessness. Housing must be dealt with as a fundamental human right and this must be the focus of resourcing with all else supporting this common purpose.
- Adequately resourced planning services – both locally and within the Greater London Authority – to deliver essential place-shaping, utilising planning as a positive taskforce to engage communities and tackle place-based inequality, and to respond adequately to proposed government changes to the planning system.
- A commitment on the climate change emergency and Zero Carbon London by 2050, working with the construction sector to understand the skills required and devise an achievable roadmap towards this, including a speedier transition away from the motor vehicle to free up more space for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Championing the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) as the focus of London global brand, whilst supporting the concept of the 15/20-minute city and the development of mixed-use centres with all daily amenities within easy walking distance across Greater London.
- Collaboration beyond London, with National Government and with the wider South East and with other cities across the UK, to prioritise design and build quality in all planning, regeneration, streets, and infrastructure decision-making, while supporting promotion of the capital as the UK’s key economic driver.
The coalition looks forward to collaborating with the new Mayor following the 6th May. View the letter here.