Kufner, Juergen
(2011)
Tall building policy making and implementation
in central London: visual impacts on regionally
protected views from 2000 to 2008.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
This thesis considers the processes of policy making and implementation of tall building
development, as well as the management of visual impacts on regionally protected
views in particular, in central London between 2000 and 2008, from the initiation of the
Greater London Authority to the end of Ken Livingstone's era as Mayor of London.
During this eight year period, more than forty tall building projects were processed
through the planning system. Regional and local planning authorities, private
developers and heritage groups have diverse interests in tall building planning and
hence conflicts result regarding policy and implementation processes. The case study of
No.1 Blackfriars Road—part of an emerging cluster of tall buildings at Blackfriars
Bridge, Southwark—provides a useful exemplar. It is not located in an area that was
designated as appropriate for tall buildings and is situated close to central London's
historic monuments and conservation areas.
I will argue that while a high degree of design quality in tall buildings has been
achieved, a severe lack of conflict resolution has led to an upward spiralling of
antagonistic interactions, uncertainty and the prolongation of the planning process.
Moreover, emerging regional and local policy has strengthened the position of tall
building supporters while gradually marginalising opposing heritage groups. Nor has
planning policy and assessment methods provided a clear enough basis for decision
making. The resulting ambiguity has been exploited by opposing camps which arrive at
divergent conclusions regarding tall building projects. Furthermore, the involvement of
private sector experts in governmental processes has led to perceptions by heritage
groups of conflicts of interest. The thesis concludes by summarising the key aspects
identified with regard to the translation of the urban renaissance agenda into tall
building policies, the effectiveness of implementing these policies, and the impacts of
planning processes on visual impact assessments.
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