Londoners demand skyscraper height restrictions
London residents have called for a cap to the heights of skyscrapers, and for no-build zones, to protect the city from the increasing numbers of new skyscrapers.
Over 400 skyscrapers are planned currently across the capital, but almost half of inner London residents think that this is too high a number, according to a survey carried out for the pressure group Skyline Campaign.
The survey also found that 59% wanted to see height restrictions introduced for skyscrapers; 56% think that tall buildings should be limited to business districts, and 73% wanted to have more say in the design of skyscrapers. They think that priorities should be given to proposals that include affordable housing, and those that integrate with their context.
Only 11% of inner city residents think that skyscrapers help to alleviate the city’s present housing crisis, whereas 60% believe that tall towers mainly benefit wealthy foreigners.
The poll of 500 people was carried out by Ipsos Mori for the Skyline Campaign, and was published on the 28th August 2016.
The group, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of skyscrapers on London’s skyline, earlier this year forced Renzo Piano to scrap his plans for the 72 storey Paddington Pole skyscraper. It has since been replaced with the 18 storey Paddington Cube.
When the independent forum New London Architecture released its own tall building survey in March this year it revealed an extra 119 skyscrapers planned for the city since the same time last year, bringing the total up to 436.
Among the tallest proposed is Eric Parry’s 73-storey 1 Undershaft in the City.
However, although over 100 new tall buildings have been proposed for London this year, only a small number are actually being built, according to latest industry research.
