Shard

Is all this high-rise building really necessary? I know Toronto has a lot too. We have the communications technology to reduce high density living, and yet urban planners seem keen to replicate Asian living patterns in some of our great centres.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...l-9190321.html

Cabbagetown

London is just a big magnet and way stronger magnet than Toronto would ever be, attracting all sorts of talent and individuals from mainly everywhere.

Even Canadian investors are showing up in the office property market.

London, as a big city, is a world and a market of it's own, totally different from the rest of England and the UK.

MarkG

Hard to build low-density housing if the government won't let you. The trend in the UK right now seems to be buying up houses with lots of land, knocking them down, and building two or more houses to replace them.

Cabbagetown

I think the problem is also in the private property market that credit is too easily available, and London is always open for "dirty money" from Russian oligarchs to rich Arabs, Indians etc... There is also no "Canadian-style" property tax system in place, plus the service charges for condos are considerably cheaper.

This is why London seems attractive to the rich and famous buyer.

Shard

My post was more about aesthetics and living conditions than the property market. London has always been a magnet for foreign investment and talent, it's just that in the past there was a desire to maintain a low level skyline, now that seems to be changing. I question the logic of building a forest of high rises which inevitably will encroach on the human scale of London.

Novocastrian

I agree, although I've no desire to ever live in London, or quite frankly, ever go there again.

<although I wouldn't mind being at Craven Cottage on Saturday to watch the Toon beat Fulham>

Cabbagetown

It's basically destroying the old charm and the historic feel of the city.
The reason why they are building them, again is the property market. During the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 the market collapsed because no Brit could buy anymore, so they looked for the overseas buyer. Now, if demand is there, they start building these high rises and money from overseas flows in. For companies like "Berkley Homes" a good business.

Shard

Yes overseas buyers tastes (new and flashy) are dictating the look and size of many of the new London developments. A reflection of incessant internationalisation I suppose.

Cabbagetown

Dublin, where the property crash was stronger and way more pronounced did not have that option like London. Then the Euro crisis, the crisis in various north African states, as well as the usual upper class from India or Russia appeared on the market. It basically helped the British construction sector on it's feet. Dublin did not have that option.

Shard

Are you from Dublin?

Cabbagetown

No, just lived there once.

Ben W Bell

The UK needs to start building upwards so it can get rid of so much construction and housing on flood plains to prevent such flooding again in the future.