London’s high streets capture the excitement, dynamism, endless variety and stark contrasts that characterise the city. They represent a distinctive element in the city’s historic urban fabric that Londoners and visitors to the city continue to use and hugely value. Responsibility for their wellbeing transcends a wide range of strategic and local public sector remits: planning, transport, economic development, housing, street management, etc. In many respects they are the pulse of the city, their success or failure provides a direct indicator for the health of London as a whole.

The potential is huge:

• London’s high streets currently support more employment than the Central Activities Zone, and deliver major quality of life benefits to Londoners.

• Prioritising investment on London’s 500km high street network could deliver growth and regeneration benefits to a vast area of London – 22% of the total area of Greater London is within 200m of a high street.

• Half of London’s brownfield land is on or within 200m of a high street.

• Prioritising investment on London’s high streets could benefit a vast population transcending all sections of society – two thirds of Londoners (5 million) live within a five minute walk of a high street.

• London’s high streets account for just 3.6% of the road network, but represent some of the most important spaces in the city, with significant strategic growth potential and critical local significance.

Design for London is working with the Mayor’s Design Advisory Panel and consultants to investigate how to capture the potential of High Street London to support the capital’s sustainable growth and regeneration.

Image credits: Gort Scott, UCL Bartlett School of Planning, Design for London

Consultants: Gort Scott, UCL Bartlett School of Planning