Centre for London, GVA, Architecture 00 and Dan Hill outline plans for a ‘New London Mix’ of housing and commercial space, which could support growth and provide much needed workspaces - increasing current industrial floor space supply by up to 20 per cent.
‘New London Mix’ describes the close co-location of light industrial, distribution and productive workspace with homes in a way that works for occupiers and residents.
The vision outlined in the report, includes:
Mixed activities, co-locating a wide range of productive activities in close proximity to new homes without detriment to either residents or businesses.
- A range of activities from light industry, designer-maker, storage space or logistics depots, artist workspace, commercial and community uses
- A combination of employment activities with residential and other everyday uses such as shops, offices and cafes, either in ‘vertical’ mix (housing stacked on top of other uses) or horizontal mix (employment space buildings next to housing).
New London Mix creates significant local and London-wide benefits by retaining and growing existing and new businesses, allowing for additional much-needed homes to be delivered and underpinning an inclusive and sustainable model for urban growth.
This approach could work in places such as the edge of town centres, estate regeneration schemes or transport-led housing growth areas, to not only protect existing industrial land, but also to create new opportunities.
New London Mix is already commercially viable in much of London, but the report recommends a package of measures to enable its wider adoption.
Recommendations
- Establishing a significant London-wide Commercial Space Investment Fund that accelerates and supports the provision of new forms of mixed residential and productive employment and industrial development.
- Establishing area-based Local Economic Growth Companies to purchase, hold and manage new commercial space from an early stage in the development cycle with a focus in Opportunity Areas where there is potential for the New London Mix at scale.
- Developing enhanced and updated planning policies, area frameworks and development management approaches and good practice guidance at both a regional and local level to support effective delivery of mixed productive employment and residential schemes.
- Delivering five trailblazing projects by 2022 that demonstrate a range of conditions, typologies and delivery routes, exploring social impact and diverse investment opportunities supported by a longitudinal research programme.