Original post by LONDON.GOV.UK
London is the greatest city on earth. A world centre of commerce and a global cultural hot spot – London is diverse, connected, international and cosmopolitan. Its dynamic economy – with renowned specialisms in creativity and design, science and technology, banking and finance – offers the most competitive and productive business environment in Europe. With 45 higher education institutions London is a centre of knowledge production, invention and entrepreneurship. London has more tech start-ups than any other European city, is a world leader in healthcare delivery for its citizens, and in diagnosing, discovering and providing treatments to tackle the pressing needs of global cities.
Facing growth challenges
London’s population is set to grow by 1 million people over the next 10 years, and the city’s infrastructure is struggling to cope with the increasing demands placed on it. Congestion on London‘s roads cost the economy an estimated £2 billion with Londoners wasting 70 hours on average in traffic per year. An ageing population is changing the capital’s health, social care and educational needs. There is a pressing demand to create new jobs alongside the skills to enable Londoners to access the new opportunities that advances in technology bring. A (projected) population of 10m by 2030 will increase stress not only on healthcare and transport, but the management of energy and utilities – such as water, electricity and heat, and the need to deal with growing waste and pollution.
Without new approaches, including new ways of investing in new approaches, London will not be able to grow whilst maintaining and enhancing its lead as the greatest city on earth. Increased investment in new technology, for example, will be a prerequisite. London has one of the fastest wifi networks in the world, but will need to future proof its tech infrastructure as Joseph William Bazalgette future proofed London’s sewage system.
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