Nick wrote:
(a great deal of snip)
I have missed out a whole section on one of the most important aspects
though - planning and nightmare documents like the London Plan that read
like a death sentence for the suburbs. Ken's phrases like "London has to
intensify and increase housing densities within its own boundaries" I think
is extremely dangerous talk indeed, given that the boundary is fairly
arbitrary and has not been reviewed for some time AND given the fact that
there' so much more space outside GL to develop rather than the tiny pockets
of open space we have left within! But it's late so that'll have to wait
for another time...

That doesn't really mean building on open spaces; it means brownfield
high-density development and intensification of existing "brown" areas,
rather than building on "green" areas.

The premise is that the suburbs are unsustainable if/when oil prices
skyrocket (and with regard to environmental issues), as low-density
development depends a lot on the use of the car, whereas high-density
areas can be well-served by public transport, or since facilities will
be nearer to homes, simply by walking.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London