A new, extended London core could grow to include southern fringe areas, such as Croydon, as part of dramatic proposals unveiled by architect Sir Terry Farrell.
The plans, which address how London could accommodate radical growth over the next decade, include a proposition to “intensify” London’s core beyond the Circle Line and to use the capital’s outer ring road as a new boundary line. This would draw new areas previously considered fringe into what could become a new central London zone.
“Once connected, Croydon [pictured] could be as core as Elephant & Castle, Woolwich could be as core as Liverpool Street, and Tottenham could be as core as King’s Cross,” said Farrell.
He added that the key hurdle would be funding the infrastructure required to enable sufficient connectivity to support such a dramatic extension of the capital’s centre.
Farrell, known as London’s master planner, revealed his new vision in the Estates Gazette London Investor Guide, which was launched at MIPIM this week.
Intensifying London’s core is one of four major propositions in the proposal. The other three are making London into a national park city; creating new town centres around transport hubs; and stitching together east London with 12 new, low-level bridges – something Farrell argued could be delivered for the cost of the £175m Garden Bridge.
He has also used the proposals to recommend that the minimum number of homes needed across all of the newly established core town centres would be 200,000.
He said: “In the next 10 years London will be adding the population equivalent of Birmingham. This will work only if growth is connected and proactively planned.
“We cannot afford to create any missed opportunity areas by falling short of the appropriate density and mix in what must now surely be seen as core rather than fringe areas.”
