Planning officials in London are being urged to integrate nature deeply into new developments as the capital grapples with its severe housing shortage. This call comes from a senior figure at City Hall, who insists that the perceived conflict between building new homes and protecting green spaces is a false dichotomy.
The False Choice Between Homes and Nature
With ministers demanding that 88,000 new homes need to be built in London each year as part of a national target of 1.5 million new dwellings by 2029, pressure on the city's landscape is intense. This ambitious goal has raised significant concerns about increased urban density displacing precious natural environments.
These concerns were amplified in May when Sir Sadiq Khan announced plans to actively explore building on green belt land as a potential solution to the capital's housing deficit. The proposal prompted criticism regarding previous commitments to protect London's nature and green spaces.
A New Vision for London's Development
However, Abby Crisostomo, who heads up Green Infrastructure at the Greater London Authority (GLA), has challenged this narrative. Speaking at the Centre for London conference on Monday, November 10, she stated that City Hall does not need to choose one priority over the other.
"There's been a creation of a false choice between the housing that we need and nature, and the rhetoric's really not that helpful," Crisostomo told attendees. "We all know for a place of development to be liveable, health and wellbeing are fundamental. You can't just pit developments and nature against each other."
She pointed to numerous examples across London where housing and nature successfully work in tandem, arguing that development can, in many cases, enhance and improve natural spaces. Crisostomo specifically highlighted the construction around the Olympic Park as a prime blueprint for how developers can pursue this integrated agenda.
Strengthening Policies for a Greener Future
"We are a very green city in London," Crisostomo added, while acknowledging a critical nuance. "Not all of that green is high quality, not all of it is doing a good purpose, not all is accessible to the people who need it the most."
Her comments come as the deadline for drawing up the next London Plan approaches in 2027. This pivotal document will dictate planning strategy for years to come. Crisostomo confirmed that the GLA is thinking closely about how to allocate space, whether for housing, industrial land, or green areas, while also strengthening policies to ensure new developments are inherently green.
Echoing this sentiment, Professor Muthu De Silva of the University of London, who also spoke at the conference, described London's housing challenge as its "greatest opportunity: to create homes that deliver economic, environmental, and social value - simultaneously."
This perspective aligns with comments made earlier this year by deputy mayor of London for planning, Jules Pipe, who asserted that "housing delivery and good environmental policy can go hand in hand", even amidst discussions about the green belt.
The conference also featured Minister for Energy Michael Shanks, who suggested that despite London being a "trailblazer in the UK's green transition", the capital must raise its ambitions to meet Net Zero targets, indicating that the integration of sustainability must extend beyond planning into energy and decarbonisation efforts.
