National Geographic 08.2019

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Tall building status*
Completed in 2017
Under construction
Permission granted
Submitted
London’s Tallest Buildings
The Shard—310 meters
One Canada Square—235 m
Heron Tower—230 m
122 Leadenhall Street—225 m
8 Canada Square—200 m
25 Canada Square—200 m
The Scalpel—190 m
Tower 42—183 m
St. George Wharf Tower—181 m
30 St. Mary Axe—180 m

Residents in Richmond claim
construction in Stratford
sullies the view of St. Paul’s

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Alexandra
Palace
(Protected vista)

Kenwood
House

King Henry’s
Mound

Serpentine
Bridge
City
Hall

Westminster
Pier
Blackheath Point
Greenwich Park

Parliament Hill

Primrose Hill

Line of Sight

Palace of Westminster

St. Paul’s
Cathedral
Tower of London

Thames
Vauxhall, Nine Elms,
and Battersea

Isle of
Dogs

Paddington

Olympic
Legacy

Upper
Lee Valley

Greenwich
Peninsula

City
Fringe

King’s Cross-
St. Pancras

RICHMOND
PARK

RICHMONDRICHMONDRICHMOND

STRATFORDSTRATFORD

Areas with disused
industrial land targeted
for redevelopment

Residents in Richmond claimResidents in Richmond claim
construction in Stratford construction in Stratford construction in Stratford
sullies the view of St. Paul’s sullies the view of St. Paul’s sullies the view of St. Paul’s
from King Henry’s Mound.from King Henry’s Mound.from King Henry’s Mound.

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Green Belt
Parks

Thames

GREATER
LONDON

GREEN BELT

1,572 sq km

nearly 5,180 sq km

AREA ENLARGED
BELOW

1939
8.6 million

1801
1 million

1991
6.4 million

2016
8.7 million

WORLD
WAR II
EUROPEAN UNION
EXPANSION
IRISH
FAMINE
WORLD
WAR I

1801 1851 1901 1951 2001


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8 million residents 8

London

KINGDOMUNITED
London

KINGDOMUNITED

BALANCING LONDON’S GROWTH


Population Rising
After World War II, thousands fled the capital
for homes in the suburbs. In 2015 London’s
population finally surpassed its prewar peak;
it adds an estimated 70,000 residents each year.

Limiting London
Designed to prevent sprawl, a ring of open space
around the city was designated in 1935 and
has grown since. Now the city debates whether
portions should be developed for housing.

History vs. Growth
More than 500 tall buildings of 20 or
more stories are in progress—and at
least 70 are skyscrapers. City planners
have honored historic landmarks and
their sight lines in 13 “protected vistas”
that new buildings cannot obstruct.

Despite upheaval from Brexit, the bustling capital continues its upward
trend, with rising numbers of residents and towering construction.
As planners fashion new neighborhoods from defunct industrial sites,
they balance the city’s historic character with its future needs.

JAMES CHESHIRE AND OLIVER UBERTI
*DATA CURRENT TO 2017. SOURCES: U.K. MINISTRY OF HOUSING, COMMUNITIES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT; OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS;
LONDON VIEW MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK; GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY; NEW LONDON ARCHITECTURE; EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
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