National Geographic 08.2019

0 km 2

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8

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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

4

2

8 10

6

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1

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.

0 km 20

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

2

4

6

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