Whether or not places can be associated with human characteristics is a matter of opinion. Nonetheless, some cities superficially seem to have characters in the crude way that some people attach characters to nations. Despite the limitations of the approach, it does seem that London has a character distinct from many other British cities. (more…)

There are some fresh world cities developing in various places like China. In terms of population growth, London is not keeping up with some of the new kids on the block. (more…)

There has been some doubt expressed about whether or not the West End of London would receive a significant economic stimulus from the Olympic Games. Concerns have been expressed about the potential for disruption and the possibility that tourists will take their spending to other quarters of the capital. (more…)

A recent report by the independent Centre for Cities research group has highlighted the fact that differences in economic performance between British cities have widened during the last year. There is now a substantial divide between resilient and fragile urban economies. Nor is (more…)

As London is poised to host the Olympics, it is a good time to reflect on how other host cities have fared in economic terms. Three interesting examples to consider are Montreal in 1976, Barcelona in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. Montreal was a financial disaster, but other cities have learned from its mistakes. (more…)

In recent years, we have grown accustomed to hearing about the Chinese economy as a rapidly growing juggernaut. There have sometimes been doubts expressed about the sustainability of the Chinese economic model. (more…)

The ‘experience economy’ is a term which has been used by urban researchers like David Harvey to convey how the heritage of the built environment can be used to attract skilled workers and visitors to an area. Obviously, certain urban quarters can offer experiences far beyond what others are able to do. (more…)

It has to be acknowledged that the appearance of London’s West End is always special. Not for nothing is it a very successful zone of the capital. However, in 2012 extra efforts are being made to ensure that the West End looks the business. (more…)

There are many accounts of why London is a resilient world city. They pay heed to a diversity of factors. For example, the strength of the financial sector is commonly mentioned alongside other competitive advantages such as proximity to the European mainland, cultural variety and possession of a skilled workforce. (more…)

As the countdown to the Olympics continues, there are less than 200 days to go before the opening ceremony. It does seem that many of the preparations have gone well. (more…)