Punctured Vanity
Property Report|August - September 2017

Outcry in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and widespread anger at hubristic big-money schemes will strengthen London mayor Sadiq Khan’s hand as he attempts to address inequality in the UK capital.

Francis Wade
Punctured Vanity

Londoners awoke on the morning of 14 June to news of a disaster on a scale not seen in the city for decades.

The fire that had torn through Grenfell Tower in the west of the city in the early hours of the morning triggered a storm of criticism at the ruling Conservative Party government and the Conservative-run Kensington and Chelsea borough council.

To many watching as events unfolded, the inferno symbolised the discrimination faced by London’s urban poor in one of Britain’s wealthiest boroughs, where lavish apartment complexes stand alongside high-rise social housing blocks, and where the rich-poor divide is among Europe’s starkest.

The fire also shone an unflattering light on the trajectory of urban development in London in recent decades, and raised questions of where it should go from here.

The basic prescription for the UK capital had, since the middle of the last century, been one of building up rather than building out: housing the growing population in high-rise blocks to safeguard greenfield sites on the edge of the city.

It seemed a logical response to the city’s changing demographics, but the eventual outcome wasn’t to the benefit of all: those who weren’t forced into cheaper housing on London’s periphery were instead crowded into under-resourced estates, while planners pushed ahead with the gentrification of certain areas to a degree that accentuated the pre-existing class disparity.

That planted the seeds for today’s housing crisis, where demand for affordable housing within the city proper vastly outstrips supply, and which has come to dominate local politics in London.

The city’s population is growing at around 100,000 people a year, but in 2015, the number of registrations to build new homes only reached 26,000.

This story is from the August - September 2017 edition of Property Report.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August - September 2017 edition of Property Report.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PROPERTY REPORTView All
Singapore Starts To Swings
Property Report

Singapore Starts To Swings

Generous stimulus has saved the Lion City’s economy from disaster, and a percolating post-pandemic boom looks set to send the residential sector into overdrive

time-read
8 mins  |
August - September 2021
Natural Highs
Property Report

Natural Highs

With people seeking safe ways of re-engaging with the outside world, the pandemic has steered investment in key ski markets back on-piste

time-read
5 mins  |
August - September 2021
It's In Hua Hin
Property Report

It's In Hua Hin

A long-time favorite of Thai royalty and weekenders travelling from Bangkok, the famous beach town is adding some alluring new strings to its bow

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2021
Blues In The Blood
Property Report

Blues In The Blood

As China’s cities explode, its built heritage is often neglected. Hangzhou-based Bluetown Architects aims to redress that balance through its striking but functional work

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2021
Little Joy Soldiers
Property Report

Little Joy Soldiers

Real estate sales offices are reopening in Yangon, but banking problems, low confidence and oversupply mean a bleak outlook as the army seeks to entrench rule

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2021
Youth Movement
Property Report

Youth Movement

Young members of a storied family shift property development in Cebu forward with a smart, green commercial tower, rising tall above an heirloom estate

time-read
7 mins  |
August - September 2021
Gift From Above
Property Report

Gift From Above

Source Global is tapping into a renewable source— the sky—to supply drinking water to residential communities and commercial properties in Asia

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2021
Proptech Is Enhancing Efficiency And Human Experience
Property Report

Proptech Is Enhancing Efficiency And Human Experience

The pandemic has forced the real estate industry into a more meaningful embrace with technology after years of flirting with innovation

time-read
8 mins  |
August - September 2021
Legacy Of Handy, Individualistic Inventions
Property Report

Legacy Of Handy, Individualistic Inventions

The global crisis has caused unprecedented pain, but its extraordinary nature has seen it spawn a legacy of handy, individualistic inventions

time-read
1 min  |
August - September 2021
Wave Of Mutilation
Property Report

Wave Of Mutilation

Lockdown disruption, evolving working conditions and an exodus by offshore gaming operators have sent the vital office space sector in the Philippines into freefall

time-read
7 mins  |
August - September 2021