Who is governing London? The London Model and the future of global cities - Lecture Series "Urban Future-making"

Prof. Dr. Mike Raco

Who is governing London? The London Model and the future of global cities

This presentation addresses what seems a straightforward question: Who is governing London and how? Similar questions are being asked in megacities and societies across the world in an era that is shaped by multiple crises and insecurities. Drawing on a range of evidence, the analysis documents the rise of a growth-led London Model of planning. At its heart has been a slow but steady corrosion of the public realm in which powers, resources, and responsibilities have been voluntarily ceded to a range of players at multiple scales, found mainly in the private sector. The talk documents the ways in which planning deliberations and political choices are now conducted in the ‘shadow of the market’, with an eye to what these players and interests – what the authors term the para-state – want and need. There is nothing inevitable about what has happened in London and nothing irreversible given sufficient political will. The discussion concludes with reflections on the comparability of the London experience with other cities in Europe and beyond and highlights areas for collaborative further research.