COMMENT: As our world becomes increasingly automated, knowledge remains among the key drivers of urban prosperity. While digitisation means that we can interact with each other anywhere, anytime, physical location and proximity to other like-minded people are critical for sharing ideas and inspiration, writes Juliette Morgan, British Land’s head of campus at Regent’s Place.
The importance of collaboration as the prerequisite for innovation means that buildings and spaces must become more flexible to allow both continuity and changing uses over time.
London is in prime position to benefit from the strength of the knowledge economy – it has long been recognised as a global centre for higher education and a hub for science and technology, with research and development expenditure estimated to be at £3.7bn per year
We are already seeing the impact of the clustering of knowledge-based institutions across London. Adjacent to our Regent’s Place campus sit organisations ranging from the Francis Crick Institute, the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, and the UCL Cancer Institute, through to Facebook (at Regent’s Place) and Google at King’s Cross.
The area, known as the Knowledge Quarter, is a focal point where students, academics and business leaders interact and share ideas and resources. But more can be done across other areas of London to develop these clusters and future-proof our knowledge economy. What should our key priorities be?
Flexibility: a loose fit city
First, we need greater flexibility and integration across services, facilities and policy. We need to create a truly “long life, loose fit” city that will meet the changing demands of the knowledge economy. Co-working models are being adopted but we also need a wider range of labs and accelerator space for start-ups.
And there is still a significant lack of grow-on space for companies that want to scale up. It’s a problem we have been working to solve at British Land through our new flexible workspace brand Storey.
Infrastructure: a co-ordinated approach
We also need to continue to improve digital infrastructure and our transport connections. The opening of the Elizabeth Underground Line will be a big moment and we are fortunate that our Broadgate and Paddington Central campuses will both be beneficiaries. The Crossrail project was a feat of collaboration, with Crossrail and developers, presenting a coordinated approach to planning consent and funding.
We must take a similar approach if we are to deliver affordable housing for the professionals of the knowledge economy. Affordable housing for academics and other early career professionals is scarce and mixed-use schemes that integrate living with other functions may therefore be part of the way forward.
Collaboration: keeping cities messy
Finally, we must take a more creative approach to understanding collaboration. There is still a gap in understanding how collaboration leads, on a practical level, to innovation and how the right workspaces can foster this. For the knowledge economy to thrive, we need to keep our cities “messy”.
The knowledge economy must be integrated with the wider city economically, socially and culturally, but not at the expense of distinctive, layered urban character and quality that allow those unexpected encounters and revelatory discoveries to take place.
So, in an age of rapid social and technological change, buildings and places will need to not only be digitally networked, but also even more highly adaptable, responsive and well-connected – as well as affordable. They will need to continue to facilitate collaboration and personal interaction to drive forward innovation in research and personalisation of services and treatment.
The quality of the built environment, infrastructure, clustering and the location of amenities is essential if London is to thrive. While we each try and do our part, a co-ordinated approach is required if we are to secure the future of our knowledge economy.
