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Department of Geography
Nurturing London's diverse economies: re-thinking urban planning for diverse economies
This PhD is concerned with the role of planning in relation to economic development in London. Diversity is an important starting point for my work, in light of the tendency within urban theory, policy and practice to focus on a narrow sub-set of activities thought to be productive and generative of urban growth, in particular financial services, creative and high-tech industries. The role of economic diversity in fostering innovation and resilience in cities also means that it may become an increasingly important focus of urban policy and planning in times of economic crisis and austerity urbanism. Finely-grained, incremental approaches that work with existing economies may be needed in place of large-scale development schemes. One might also point to the increasing recognition of the importance of jobs and livelihoods, rather than GDP growth alone, at the same time as living costs rise and welfare support is withdrawn or reduced.
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