Issue 536 to

Learning from London

London Is Growing...Up

London’s skyline is set to get a lot more crowded in the coming years.

Some see London’s rapidly transforming skyline as an affirmation of its role in the global economy; others see an “architectural zoo with a giraffe, a hippotamus and a giant anteater.”

Density Within or Growth Outward?

Much like San Francisco, London is grappling with rapid growth.

It’s a classic city planning debate: As London’s population continues to increase, should it increase density within the existing city or should new towns be built out in the countryside?

Urban Field Notes: Never Lost in London

A city of medieval streets has some of the world’s best wayfinding.

A city of medieval streets has some of the world’s best wayfinding.

Transit Envy

Lessons learned from the enviable performance of London’s transportation network.

SPUR's recent study trip to London revealed a number of transit innovations worthy of admiration: excellent wayfinding and walkability, iconic buses and successfully implemented congestion charging.

The Thames Barrier

This impressive piece of infrastructure has been protecting London for 30 years. How long can it hold out against rising sea levels?

Opened in 1984, London's impressive flood control infrastructure was built at a time when climate change was not yet understood. Now rising sea levels are putting the barrier into use for a near-record number of consecutive tides. How long will it be able to hold out, and what is London doing to further adapt to rising seas?